The Big Smoke

Helen: Feeling v old just now - we hiked across Tahiti today and yesterday and now everything aches. Knees, feet, hips, shoulders. C only turned 30 three days ago and it already feels like we're falling apart - that's what 6 months on a boat does for your fitness! My big 30 is in less than 2 weeks - dreading it on the one hand (there was so much I wanted to do before 30....) but on the other hand, my Mummy has sent me a birthday package with Marmite in it, so it can't be all bad.
We really like Tahiti. It's big and noisy and full of people, but it has a certain charm. Once you get over the initial shock of traffic jams, sirens and industrial estates (which was a considerable shock after months on near deserted tropical islands) it's great to be back in civilisation - fast internet connections, bars (although the beer is as expensive as ever) and a real buzz about the place as everyone's gearing up for Heiva (the Polynesian version of Bastille Day - a big holiday here as it's a French territory) which is 2 weeks worth of celebrations. For C's b'day we through caution to the wind and had 3 beers, went to a traditional dance display, had steak and chips at the local kebab van and then rum and limes on Andreas' boat - C woke up with a stonking hangover the next day as we've been nearly tee-total for months now - the booze is so expensive that you just can't afford anything nice - our skipper drinks 'Chateau aux Carton' but I just can't bring myself to do it - it's worse than paint stripper. (Speaking of which, apparently you shouldn't eat Chinese produced food stuffs just now - loads of people died in C America recently becasue of Chineese produced toothpaste with antifreeze in it!!)
Right, gotta go - will write again soon
Hx

PS have to tell you about Don and Marcy - an American couple in their late 50s who are crew on another boat here - they're great and they came hiking with us yesterday. They have so many stories and are the only people we know who can drop things like 'that time when I got arrested in Venezula' or 'after I got shot the second time' into conversations! What a hoot... Hope we have stories to tell when we're all grown up...