Manta Paradise

Can't believe it's been nearly a month we are here, this place is awesome, very lucky to be here. After leaving Daniels Bay and Taiohae Bay we sailed around to the north side of Nuku Hiva to the picture perfect Bay of Anaho with our Brazilian friends on Arthi, what a spot! Beautiful sheltered Bay with white beaches, palm trees and a backdrop I can't describe. We stayed for just over a week and we're lucky to meet some other really nice cruisers and had a great time. Anchored on the east side of the bay all alone we were surrounded by Manta Rays, jumping from the boat we could swim with them as long as we wanted, was really incredible as these were as curious as us swimming right up to us and turning at the last second. Just over the hill there you can walk to a fella who has an amazing little farm and he sells fruits and vegetables, just walking around and you point to whatever you like. These guys know how to grow things that's for sure and it's a massive amount of work but they seem to do it with ease. An hour and a half walk over the other side of the mountain and you're in the next village where there is a tiny shop and very nice local restaurant were we had some lunch, great walk picking mangoes along the way and the next day our legs were quite sore after not doing a lot of walking for a while. People in these parts get around on horses as there are no roads, taking their produce to market once a week and picking up there basic supplies, quite an amazing life they live in this paradise.
From Anaho we sailed to the next island south called Ou-Pou and anchored off the main town in Baie D'Hakahau. Couldn't have had better conditions sailing between the islands with 15-18kts on a beam reach with our friends on Arthi alongside most of the way, Julie manages to get a great photo of them catching a Mahi Mahi which they sadly lost:(. It's a small anchorage requiring a stern anchor and you can tuck in behind the sea wall and the wharf, quite a scene when the supply/ferry came in and was just metres from us docking without a worry, very impressive. Besides the few tourists that were here for just a few hours while the boat unloads it's just us and the 2 other yachts so we seem to be the only gringos around and we were VERY lucky to be here on the main celebratory weekend with 2 days of dancing with the villages competing against each other. First night Friday was more relaxed with dancing and singing and then Saturday a lot more full on with the women still dancing and the men doing the Haka, really lucky to see as this definitely isn't put on for tourists just these guys keeping their traditions going and having a great time doing so, such a happy/scary mob
Now we are still not sure what to do, plan was to go towards Tahiti and fly to work from there and then sail "maybe" back to Marquesas, but now after researching there is talk of a 50% chance of an El Niño by December which could mean a big cyclone season so best we stay around here I'm thinking but we are still struggling to find a suitable anchorage for Julie to stay in the next time I go to work so we will leave in the next couple of days and check out Hiva-Oa as maybe an option, stay tuned