Jul 31

Written by:
7/31/2010 8:33 PM 

Just as I went to bed last Monday a blog reader planted the idea of renting scooters to see the whole of the island of Moorea.  I woke up the next morning and couldn’t shake the urge to track down scooters.  Calling s/v African Innovation and Liquid Courage they were in and we combined forces to track down seven scooters to be picked up at 11:00 a.m.  That would give us six hours to ride the loop road.

First stop, pizza.  We found an amazing little French cafe in the middle of nowhere that had a wood burning pizza oven fired up and ready.  Lauren and I split a tuna and

fresh crème pizza that was the best I’d had in ages.  Mounting our 50cc steeds we carried on to a little village where Lauren and I split off in search of a highly recommended tattoo artist.  James has become so well known that he has removed all signs from his property about tattoos.  In short, too many drunken Frenchman were showing up at all hours disrupting his sleep in search of ink. 

When a local finally showed us the correct

house we found James walking across his yard and as friendly as he could be.  We spent a half hour or so talking about what I wanted and made an appointment for Lauren and I to return the next day.  Hoping back on the little scooters we putted down the road in search of the rest of the cruisers/bikers we’d started with.

Eventually, we made our way up the steep mountain side to Belvedere Point which provides spectacular views of both Opunohu and Cooks bays.  We hadn’t taken in the vista for more than five minutes when we heard the purring of five other scooters struggling up the mountain.  Reunited, we took many pictures and began the quick descent back down the mountain. 

At 11:00 a.m. the next morning Lauren and I were standing by some carved wooden tikis waiting for our ride back to James’ studio.  We were greeted by a jovial Californian who smiled a huge grin at us then started rattling off details of my life.  I was confused to say the least, but as it turn out, in my Mothers desperate attempts to prevent me from getting my ink she’d called every tattoo artist she could find on the island.  Laurel, James’ wife saw the amusement in the scene and we had a chuckle on the way back to her home and husband.

Once at the studio we spoke again about the design and James took my sketch and improved on it significantly making it a work of his own.  Not a few minutes later the outline was drawn on my shoulder and I heard the needles humming at about the same speed as the previous days scooters.  It was an intense feeling, but not what I would call very painful.  The work took about an hour and a half and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product.

There is a lot of tradition in nautical tattoos and I wanted to combine the old tradition with the Polynesian style.  The idea was to work several symbols into a Polynesian compass rose.  To the North, a nautical star to help keep me guided,

East and West are Polynesian swallows that represent the 10,000 nautical miles of the Caribbean and Pacific, South holds a Tiki with his eyes closed for protection as they sense danger before they see it.  To the Northeast and Northwest are two symbols that combine to mean HOLD FAST, an old sailors term to hold tight in the rigging when the going gets tough.  To the Southeast and Southwest are a pattern that represent bonito tails but combine to make sharks teeth for strength and protection over the water.  In the center, the stylized compass rose.

At 34 I never thought I’d break down and get a tattoo, but having accomplished this many solo miles I couldn’t resist.  This isn’t a tat I walked into a studio and picked out of a book, but the creative result of my idea with an artist who’s family has been tattooing for five generations.  Lauren liked the work and the artist so much she couldn’t help be get a small memento herself.  A beautiful hibiscus James drew freehand on the fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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