Our first two Halloweens were very low key, which is bound to happen when in countries like Greece and Morocco that don't celebrate it and you have no kid boats around you. But we always manage to pull something off one way or the other. The last two Halloweens in Bonaire and Guatemala we were with loads of kid boats and in a cruiser community that assisted to make it days the girls will never forget.
This year we were well and truly on our own. By 10:30am on Halloween the four boats we had been sharing this beautiful anchorage in Makemo with all weighed anchor and left. But before our friends on Sugar Shack headed off, they left us with the brilliant idea of doing a treasure hunt with the girls.
Unlike Thanksgiving this year, we actually were prepared with necessary treats for Halloween. Fakarava actually had a good selection of candy so we were set in the most important aspect for this "holiday". And the huge bonus was Darryl was able to buy a pumpkin!!! Like turkeys, pumpkins are a rare commodity in our travels. D was on hand as the weekly supply ship was being off loaded and when three pumpkins rolled into the grocery store, I think he knocked a few people out of the way to snap one up. Mind you, the pumpkin cost us $30 USD, but hey I guess it was worth it for the smiles it put on the girls' faces.
Our attempt to use shells and coral to make our pumpkin look like a hermit crab didn't fully pan out. If you squint your eyes in dim light, you might be able to tell that is what we were trying to pull off. Oh well, the hermit crab pumpkin was short lived anyway. We were determined to get as much value out of our $30 spent. While the girls ended the day with watching Ghostbusters, D cut up the pumpkin and I am already in the process of baking my first two pumpkin chocolate chip loafs for breakfast.
Costume options are often limited on Maple although a few key pieces came with us when we moved aboard like a Greek Goddess outfit and a mermaid tail, which came in handy a number of years running. This year the girls wanted to go for local flavour inspired costumes. The girls organized their costumes well in advance and were prepared for the day. They looked beautiful wrapped in pareos, with flowers in their hair, shell necklaces around their necks, donning tattoos. Speaking of limited costume options, D opted for Naked Chef this year...I am sure you are relieved internet is not an option to include a picture.
The treasure hunt went off perfectly with clues leading them to candy hiding in the dinghy, sailbag, snorkel gear, my favourite was hanging off the bow under the trampoline, among other spots. The girls had a blast running around in the dark, using a flashlight to find their loot!!! Thank you, Sugar Shack, based on the girls enthusiasm I think we have a new tradition on Maple!!
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