Our visit to the Tuamotus was in fact a visit to one single Tuamotu, Fakarava. Before we arrived we were warned that Fakarava is one of those sticky places where cruisers get stuck for weeks that turn into months that turn into years. And as promised, we spent 6 weeks happily stuck there.
We made landfall in the Marquesas on May 9th, 2022 and departed on August 10th.
Many boats breeze through the Marquesas, using the mountainous archipelago as a brief layover on their way to islands with clearer waters, better diving and snorkeling, more palm-tree postcard-y scenery. We didn’t want to be those people. But even after spending 3 months in the Marquesas, which seems to be more time than the average cruiser, we still feel like we left a lot of corners unexplored and wish we could have stayed longer.
Crossing an ocean gives you a lot of time to contemplate your life, to gaze into the changing colors of the sea and sky, to devour book after book, and apparently it also gives you plenty of time to make a baby! A couple weeks after landing in the Marquesas, we discovered we were harboring a stowaway in Margot’s uterus. Now the real adventure begins!