After a year away, seeing the island of Hiva Oa appear on the horizonwas magical for me. It felt just like I had never left. And it stayedthat way. Only the boats in the anchorage have changed. An Australianboat we met in Panama and saw again in the Galapagos arrived justafter us. We hadn’t seen them at all while under way. It hasn’t rainedas much as last year. I do miss the rain a bit because it made theisland ever more beautiful and the air cooler. We went to town to buysome fresh food. It was a nice walk and we ran into some people I knewfrom last year. It was really cool catching up with them. Now I hopeto get a good night’s sleep despite the huge swell from the southcoming into the bay. Guppy is lying at stern and bow anchor but she’sstill rolling. Tomorrow we will explore the island a bit more and I’dlike to visit Calvaire Cemetery, the final resting place of PaulGauguin and Jacques Brel. Last year I didn’t get a chance because Ileft way too soon.

Laura