Around The World In 80 Waves

I arrived at the bungalow I have hired in Tea’hupoo. It is one of about half a dozen at a place La Vague Bleue run by a really friendly Tahitian guy called Warren and his family. It was already dark so there is little to do apart from settling into my place and think about what I might be taking on in the morning.

The bungalows are right on the shore and it is more than 2 miles from there by boat to get to the gap in the offshore reef where the waves break, but every few seconds you can still hear the rumble of the swell crashing onto the reef.

As is I don’t have enough on my mind my sleep is somewhat disturbed by geckos repeatedly falling from the roof to land on top of me during my sleep. Whilst my head is protected by a good mosquito net, the end result of discovering a lizard anywhere in your bed is understandably a huge degree of freaking out until you know what it actually is, followed by a prolonged period of distress whilst failing to get the gecko out of the bungalow.

Of course the lizards couldn’t care less about me.

I do get some rest and by the time I find a lizard in my wash bag in the morning I am almost untroubled at all by it because I know in daylight they are no real threat. I am a wee bit in two minds about brushing my teeth knowing that a gecko has spent the night being romantic with it though!

I go down to the shore to see what the waves are like. It may be far away but you can see it is enormous. Time to get in amongst it me thinks.

I meet a fantastic Italian bloke called Giovanni who runs the yacht club in Portofino and is staying in the bungalow next door. He is also keen so the two of us head down to the harbour to see if anybody is willing to take us out to the waves.