In the footsteps of Kon Tiki - Tuamotus, French Polynesia
16 04.453 S 142 22.184 W The Marquesas was all about tall, foreboding volcanic mountains with ever-present clouds hanging over the peaks and gorgeous tropical jungle vegetation in the valleys. We’ve now sailed 450 nautical miles south to the Tuamotus archipelago of French Polynesia. It’s night and day from the Marquesas. The Tuamotus is a collection of low lying atolls with crystal clear water that shifts from vibrant marine blue in the deep to neon turquoise in the shallows. There is nothing but coral, palm trees and sand. We are anchored in the calm of the lagoon but have the sound of the ocean crashing onto the surrounding reef as a reminder of where we are. We felt far away in the Marquesas; the Tuamotus has brought it to a new level. Turns out that our first landfall in the Tuamotus is right where Thor Heyerdahl landed Kon Tiki after his epic journey across the South Pacific in 1947. We dinghied over to the island and walked out to the breaking waves on the edge of the reef. For s