Slideshow Tuamotus & Marquesas 2007

I have an appointment to get a tattoo if I don’t chicken out – I want a little manta ray on my collarbone. I tested it with a stick-on tattoo and liked it there. It won’t usually be seen except in swimsuits or spaghetti strap tops (which I never wear, except on the boat) – also strapless evening gowns, once a year at Rincon Rearch Christmas party. We also have scheduled a morning horseback ride for Thursday, our last day here. Although the horses are so small and scrawny I may feel bad weighing them down with a rider.

I think we’re done diving. Paola got a pretty good jellyfish sting on the melon head whale snorkel, and when I called the dive shop to schedule one last dive, the divemaster had just been stung and spent Sunday in the hospital. So sharks aren’t scaring us off (or at least not me), but the jellyfish are. Mike never scuba dived the entire trip – he’s letting his ‘thing’ about sharks get the best of him.

Raven is tanked up, both fuel and water. Rod and Paola hit the grocery stores this morning to stock up on provisions. It looks like she will be off to Hawaii Wednesday around noon. Figuring 10-14 days passage time, they should arrive in Oahu right around the 1st of May, give or take a day or two.

PS – Update later in the day. I chickened out on the tattoo. The artist was much more heavy-handed with his design than I envisioned. After two attempts to sketch the design with ink as a template for the actual tattoo, I said thanks but no thanks, paid him anyway, and went home unscarred.  I’ll keep a supply of stickers on hand for when I’m in the mood.