Toau Games & Parties

Toau - Gaston & Valentine's
Game Night & a Great Party

The last two nights before we left Toau, with heavy hearts, were great fun.
The first night the couple on S/V Phryne II, a French boat, organized a game
night on their boat with 3 couples, but it got out of hand and we ended up
doing in on shore at Gaston & Valentine's dining room. We played Mexican
Train which is type of dominos except it is played with a special set of
dominos with double the number of dots - double twelves instead of the more
common double six sets played in the US. We had ten people, some of whom
spoke French only, and some English only, so we had one table for English
and one for French. At our table we had three Americans, one French woman -
Maureen, and one Dutchman - Harry. We played for hours. It was fun
listening to Gaston and Valentine laugh at the other table while learning
how to play this crazy game. We broke up late in the evening in great
spirits.

By now, I can't remember what we did the next day, but we had a party that
night. It was a birthday party for Niki on La Wur and an anniversary party
for Gaston and Valentine. Gaston butchered a pig which I helped to skin and
cut up. It went in to a Pork with Oyster Sauce dish (the whole thing).
Gaston got several large fish from the fish pen which he grilled after
marinating and everyone invited brought a dish to share. There must have
been 24 people or so, including our friends from White Swan and Andiamo who
we left at Fakarava days ago. The party was a huge success with dancing
later which was difficult with all the swollen bellies after the feast. I
still can't get enough of the grouper fish here. This party lasted even
longer than the game party the night before.

We got up the next morning (Sunday) and decided we could not afford to stay
another day as the days on our 90 day visas are ticking off and we still had
Tahiti, Bora Bora, Huahine and Moorea to go. Leaving Gaston and Valentine
was one of the hardest things we have done in many moons. They were so kind
and easy and just great, open people who lead a very simple, subsistence
life on a very remote "farm". They gave us some beads and pearls during our
goodbyes and we promised to send them some hard to get tools and other
things from Tahiti. I have not been hugged so much in my life as I was by
Valentine. There were plenty of tears to go around.

Other people have had similar experiences with them, making Toau a
must-go-to stop in the Tuamotos. We hope to go back.