COMING ALONG: October 4, 2010

Here are some pictures.  My camera was dropped and the zoom and focus were affected so some are blurry.  (Ed Note:  Many of the pictures Elder Cosby sent have been dropped into his past emails/blog entries.)  These are other pictures that I took in my first area [Faripiti], before I was sent to the pink house in Flower Town [Hitiaa].

 Part of the park we ride through and Moorea across the ocean.
 A Va'a race about to start . . .

Va'a is the Tahitian word for canoe. Canoe racers from Tahiti, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, New Caledonia, Hawaii and France are the best canoers in the Pacific and in the World.  The Hawaii Nui Va'a Race is a major sport event in Polynesia:  this outrigger canoe race is organised every year in October,  where for 3 days,more than 100 traditional canoes compete between Huahine and Bora-Bora.

The first day brings the 2000 racers from Huahine to Raiatea 44.5 km away, after a 4-hour crossing. The second day is a speed race inside the lagoon between Raiatea and Tahaa, in less than an hour and a half. The third day is the most spectacular leg of the race:  a 52 km race across the ocean to reach Matira Beach in Bora-Bora, for more than four hours.

Preparation is intense, the show is also with the many supporters cheering the teams from fishing boats, outboard motors and official boats and with all the spectators cheering at the finish line.

A picture I took of a Va'a race/preparation in my first area.

Dear Family,
I'm glad everyone is doing well.   I hear my package is here on the island but my zone leaders haven't gotten it to me yet. I never thought I would get a better companion than Elder Punu but Elder Oldroyd is awesome. Also, the language is coming awesome.  I can understand and be understood in French pretty easy.  I wouldn't say fluent yet.  In Tahitian I can talk alright,  but I can hardly understand 'cause they talk so fast, but everything is going awesome. Happy Birthday Mom.  I'm sorry I didn't get to email you before your birthday.  It's not as easy to get emails done now that I'm not in the middle of the city.  I hope your birthday was excellent.  Keep being an awesome Mom.  I Love you.

Love, Elder Cosby

A picture of the scenery from the 3 Falls hike I took on my first p-day here in Hitiaa with Elder Oldroyd.