Rahula to the rescue

Helen: Since the last post, you'll be glad to know that we have swapped the evil old witch for a couple of hippies and life has turned out rosie! After a 'union meeting' in the dinghy, Charlie, Anton and I decided that we really had had too much on board Sonadora so we jumped ship and the good ship Rahula came to the rescue once again. We did feel awful leaving a little old lady stranded at anchor...but the final straw was when the generator blew up and she wanted to go back to Tahiti. Nothing in the world could make us want to go back there. So we didn't! We did a 'Rahula Tours' whislestop whizz round Huahine (they like to travel the same way we do - see it, 'Tick', and move on - Anton was a bit bemused by all this and could have happily spent several days talking to the tame eels...). Then we visited Raiatea and Tahaa (honestly, there are way too many vowels in this language - and you have to pronounce them all, so Faaa is Fa-a-a. What a mouthful!) Tahaa grows 3/4 of the vanilla in French Polynesia and the whole island smells of vanilla. Yum. We went to a vanilla plantation - it is so expensive in the UK it was really wierd to see so much just lying about in the sun!Anyway, here we are, on Candine, finally relaxing. We're in Raiatea, and plan to leave for Rarotonga the day after tomorrow. Should get there in time for their Independence Day celebrations - sounds like an excuse for lots more scantily clad ladies to shake their bottoms if you ask me! And, the best news of all, it seems we have a lift all the way to NZ with their friends. So...all is well for now. :)Lots of loveH&Cxx