Friday, August 24
It was a bittersweet morning
as the Aranui pulled into port in Papeete. The trip that we had been planning
for more than 2 years was suddenly over. It had been such a success on so many
levels – friendships, exploring new places, learning about Polynesian culture,
speaking with and listening to French speakers, meeting new people,
experiencing our first cruise (a unique one to say the least) and celebrating
birthdays.
Yet here we were, bags
packed, back in Papeete, awaiting our ride back to the now familiar Fare
Suisse. We almost experienced one of our greatest travel mishaps at this point.
We were expecting Beni, our hotel host, to pick us up from the ship. Instead a
driver from a rental car agency arrived and asked for us by name. It was a
large van and all 6 of us could fit in it along with all our luggage. We
assumed that Beni had made this arrangement (it is dangerous to make
assumptions!). So, we hopped into the van and the driver took off. After travelling on some unfamiliar roads, we finally pulled in to the rental
car agency. It was only then that we realized there had been some kind of
miscommunication. Through some halting conversation in French and English, we
discovered that based on an inquiry Jim had made about the potential availability
of a vehicle on this date, the agency had assumed we wanted to rent it for sure
…. And so, had made arrangements to pick us up. Happily, we got it all
straightened out and the driver of the van agreed to take all of us to Fare
Suisse as we had thought would happen. When we arrived at the hotel, we learned
that Beni was at the port looking for us (Oh no!!!). He was called and returned
to the hotel with an empty vehicle and seemed no worse for the wear.
Ironically, Beni’s vehicle could not possibly have transported 6 adults and all
our luggage. So, in the end, the miscommunication turned out to be a very lucky
thing.
Once settled in Fare Suisse,
Jim and I headed out to explore Papeete. Although we had been there twice
before, we really had not seen much of the city so today was our chance. We
started at the Pearl Museum which provided an excellent historical overview of
pearls as well as some detailed information about how the black pearls of
Tahiti are produced, a different process from the production of the more
familiar white pearls. To create a black pearl, there is actually a surgical
procedure that must be performed on the oyster to insert a small round object
into its gonads. Imagine the precision that requires. It takes 3 years for the
pearl to grow. The pearl is harvested from the live oyster and the process is
repeated. An oyster can produce up to three black pearls over its lifetime.
Following the Pearl Museum,
we stopped at a café for a cup of espresso and mapped out the rest of the day.
We spent most of our time visiting either churches or government buildings. We
visited catholic, protestant, Mormon churches along with a beautiful Buddhist
temple. We also visited the President’s palace (a modern colonial building),
the archbishop’s palace (an original colonial building), the Town Hall (a
lovely view from the top floor) and the territorial assembly where there was a
wonderful garden around a beautiful pond. Jim and I spent a couple of hours in
this garden relaxing, reading and simply enjoying the atmosphere.
We had lunch at the market
and returned later in the afternoon to explore some of the stalls. Sadly, we
arrived too late and much of the market had already closed for the day. We had
a little time on our hands so we dropped into a nearby pub for a beer and a
snack. Soon after we were seated, we spotted two familiar people on the street.
John and Barbara were also out looking for a place to have a beer. They joined
us and we chatted and drank beer until it was time to meet David and Sue for dinner.
We had dinner at the
Roulottes, a collection of food trucks set up along the waterfront each
evening. Choices of foods ranged from chicken and hamburgers to Chinese food
and many different kinds of seafood. We each selected something and shared all
the dishes among the group. We ensured we had saved space for dessert since the
choices of freshly made crepes is hard to resist.
We returned to Hotel Suisse
for a cup of tea and then tumbled into bed. It had been a great but tiring day.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
This was our last day as a
group in French Polynesia. First thing tomorrow morning, Jim and I were flying
to Bora Bora and later the same day, David and Susan were flying to New
Zealand, and Barb and John are remaining in Tahiti for a few more days. So we decided that we needed to do something special for this final
day together.
We booked a tour into the
interior of Tahiti. We invited a young Swiss couple who we had met on the
Aranui to come along with us and fill up the seats in the 4x4 jeep that was
going to be our transportation for the day. Our guide was Tere. Happily he
spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about the history, the
culture and the vegetation of Tahiti.
Most images of Tahiti
feature the coastline, the coral reefs and the large surfing waves that have
attracted millions of people to French Polynesia. Very few tourists are
interested in exploring the mountain range and the volcanoes that created
Tahiti in the first place. And very few people know that the population of
Tahiti was much larger at one time and that most of the people lived inland
where they could live safely and comfortably away from the dangers of the sea.
Today, Tere took us on a
journey high into the interior mountains along the only road that has been
built to cross the country. (It is not possible to go all the way across on
this road due to a property dispute so you can go as far as the disputed
property boundary and then you have to turn back.) Along the way, we were
treated to views of towering mountain peaks, innumerable waterfalls, lush green
valleys and steep forested slopes. We learned about native plant species and
introduced species and saw firsthand how destructive the introduced species can
be in places where they have no natural deterrents to their growth and propagation.
The road we travelled was
poorly maintained in many locations and extremely steep in others (up to a 20% gradient).
There were no guard-rails anywhere and some parts of the road had been blocked
off due to erosion and landslides that had occurred underneath the road. To
make things even more interesting, it rained off and on all day long. The back
of the jeep was covered but open-air so there were times it became quite wet as
well. We stopped for lunch along a river where there was a good swimming area. The
young Swiss couple, Rahel and Daniel jumped into the water whereas the rest of
us chose to eat our lunch and explore the immediate vicinity. Later (and much
higher) we stopped at a hotel for a cup of coffee and to explore their well
stocked wine cellar. Of course, we indulged in a shared bottle of wine. (Thanks
Rahel and Daniel!) We continued to climb higher and higher and the road
deteriorated rapidly. Still we lumbered forward to one of the most highly
acclaimed points of interest, the tunnel through the mountain. It was dug less
than 20 years ago to enable traffic to cross into the next valley without
having to actually go all the way up the mountain. It was a pretty amazing
structure in such a remote area. Once through the tunnel, we travelled only a
short distance before we had to turn around and head back. Along the route, we
saw several hydro-electric dams which produce much of Tahiti’s electrical
power. We also had to ford 2 rivers. In both cases, the water was flowing over
the ford. We arrived back to Papeete just in time to see a wonderful sunset
over Moorea.
All in all it was a
wonderful adventure and certainly provided us with greater awareness of the
diversity of Tahiti and of how the population has shifted over time from living
inland to living on the coast.
Back to the roulottes (food
stalls) for dinner and then home to bed. Tomorrow will begin at an early hour.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The alarm went at 5:20 am.
That is early no matter what time zone you are in. We had a 7 am flight to
catch to Bora Bora. The hotel provided a shuttle to the airport and soon we
were on our way! The sky was somewhat cloudy along the way, impeding our view
of the coral-ringed islands below. But when we drew near to Bora Bora the
clouds cleared and we were able to get one of those spectacular views of water
colours, white surf, green earth and coral reefs from above. It was just as
beautiful as we had expected.
The airport in Bora Bora is
on an island so, right after luggage collection, we boarded a ferry shuttle to
take us to the main town, Vaitape, on the main island. From there, we were driven
around the south tip of the island to our resort, The Mai Tai.
Just enough time to check
in, and then it was off to church. Back into Vaitape we went to attend the 10
o’clock service at the island’s protestant church. What a treat it was to
observe this worship service. People from all over the island were streaming
into the sanctuary. It was very large, very airy and very simple. We noticed a
couple of unique things right away ….. ALL of the women were dressed in WHITE!
White dresses, some quite elegant, white hats (yes, all but a few wore hats),
white purses and even some wore white shoes. As luck would have it, I had put
on a fresh white top this morning so I did not look totally out of place. We
had read that, as visitors in the church, we would be seated in a place where
we would be quite conspicuous. Oh yes …. The friendly female usher walked us
right up to the front right pews and seated us in a place where everyone else
in the congregation could see us. So much for sitting in the back row as we
might have chosen.
The service began right on
time with a procession of church elders walking up the aisles and taking their
places on the dias. A woman’s voice broke into song and the entire congregation
burst forth in 4 part harmony on the opening hymn. It was spine tingling. The
service followed a somewhat familiar pattern with prayers and scripture
readings and of course, a sermon. That was where the familiarity ended though.
The entire service was conducted in a Polyesian language and there was not a
single word except Amen that we understood. There were three congregational
hymns, four choirs (some sang twice), at least five baptisms and full
communion. Oh and a hell and brimstone sermon that lasted for a VERY long time.
The service was more than 2 hours long!!!
But the music was marvelous.
Each piece of music was sung in 4 part harmony without benefit of instrument or
written music. All the words and the harmony were in the hearts and voices of
the worshippers. This is what will make this experience memorable. However, I
do not intend to go to church next week!!!
We returned to our resort
and were able to check into our room right away. And, great news! We were
upgraded to an over-water bungalow rather than an oceanview room. The reason
….. the oceanview rooms are high on a hill and due to our age, they would
rather have us on level ground. I love being a ‘senior’!
Our bungalow was spacious,
and well equipped, including a large deck with stairs and a ladder that
provides direct access to the ocean. It did not take us long to change into
bathing suits and jump into the crystal clear blue water. It was absolutely
lovely. Other than going into the restaurant for dinner, we found no need to
leave our room at all on Sunday.
Monday, August 27, 2012
The weather was a bit
inclement today, making it the perfect day to have rented a vehicle for the
round-the-island tour. The entire road around the Bora Bora coast is only 29
kilometres in length. But …. It took us the entire day to make the trip.
Along the first section of
the journey, there were many, many photo stops as the road flanked the coast
and Kodak moments presented themselves over and over. The colours of the water
here are mesmerizing. Blue, turquoise, and green create bands in the water as
the eye moves from shore to sea. Large areas of coral reef provide darkened
patches in the colour palate, a kind of texture to the intensity of the hues.
Many people live in this
area of the island (heading north on the east side) although there really are
no communities to speak of. Individual homes pepper the roadside, kept in
Polynesian style, clean and tidy. Many homes had extensive gardens of flowers,
fruits and vegetables. Roadside stands were fairly common, selling fresh fruit
(especially bananas and coconuts for drinking), tomatoes and cucumber, and
occasionally fresh fish. Outrigger canoes were all along the shoreline as well
as any other kind of boat you could imagine, from little tin tubs to full-sized
sailing yachts. A few very large private yachts were anchored in the bays but
if they do not have sails, they are viewed with great distaste, being merely
oversized motorboats. Some have helicopter pads and several other watercraft on
board, yet, with no sails, they are not seen to have value on this island.
As we continued on our
journey, we stopped at several snack bars and general stores. This island is a
much more tourist-driven area than others we have visited (even Tahiti itself)
and the merchandise in the stores reflects that. There is a much greater
‘western’ influence in the products that are available – lots of junk food,
water toys, Carters clothing for children, plastic and tinfoil picnic dishes,
souvenirs of all kinds, especially with Bora Bora inscribed on them. We found
ourselves missing the deep culture, crafts, music and dance that we had found
on other islands. There was also much more English spoken here along with
Polynesian. French, although everyone speaks French, was less frequenty used.
After a few hours of poking
along, we finally arrived in Vaitape, entering the town from the north end. It
is a long town stretched along the coastline, consisting of an interesting
mixture of homes, businesses and some small industry. The centre of town
features 2 large churches, one protestant (the one we attended) and one
catholic. And a long strip of services and tourist shops. But before we began
to explore the town, we decided to have lunch. There is a famous restaurant
here called Bloody Mary’s. It has been in business for a long time and has
attracted all manner of famous and infamous people. Names like Bill Gates,
Marlon Brando, Phil Donohue, Goldie Hawn, were listed among the names of many
celebrities who have eaten here. So, we joined the crowd and were totally
impressed by the service, food quality, cleanliness and prices. Jim had a mahi
mahi burger (delicious) and I had a garden salad (fresh, colourful and tasty).
And of course, we indulged in their famous Bloody Mary’s. Before long, we felt
refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to head back out into the heat and explore
Vaitape.
We needed to visit a
supermarket, an ATM and we also wanted to take a look at a local craft market. All
were easily located in the heart of town. We quickly disposed of our business
and moved on to a café known to serve good coffee and have good internet
service. We indulged in both. And, we still had time to return to our resort
with enough daylight remaining for a refreshing swim.
We ate dinner in the resort
restaurant (seafood salad and swordfish skewers; mussels and lambchops). Nicely
presented and great flavour.
When we returned to our
room, we discovered that we have a glass-topped table that enables us to view
the coral under the cottage …. And it has a light on it for night viewing. What
fun we had watching the fish, so many varieties, some familiar and some new to
us. We even saw a stingray slide past.
Snorkelling awaits us
tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
We still had use of our
rental vehicle until 10:30 this morning. So we had an early breakfast and
headed back into Vaitape. Jim wanted to get his beard trimmed and I wanted to
visit some pearl vendors. We also enjoyed the drive along the coast in the
morning light.
Tuesday seems to be market
day in Vaitape. Roadside vendors with all sorts of merchandise – food, pareos
(sarongs) and crafts were displayed on both sides of the road through the main
area of town. We had great fun looking at what was available as well as
stopping into several pearl shops.
Time passed quickly and soon
we were on our way to drop off our car and return to our resort. As soon as we
arrived back ‘home’, we jumped off our ‘personal’ ladder and donned our
snorkels. What a delight it was!! Such an array of fish greeted us ….. both
large and small. Among the first creatures I encountered was a sting ray
gliding along the bottom of the sea, deep in the crystal clear water that
surrounded our bungalow. Blue fish, yellow fish, turquoise fish, pink fish,
rainbow fish, white fish, gray fish, black fish, striped fish, luminescent fish
all awaited our viewing pleasure. (We are currently trying to identify the many
varieties we have seen here.) Around and under our bungalow, there is an
amazing growth of coral, many colours and textures providing wonderful food
sources and hiding places for the fish. The water is shallow in places above
the coral and the drops off quickly to much greater depths, therefore
attracting fish that prefer a range of water depths. The water is so clear that
no matter the depth the bottom is clearly visible along with any sealife that
passes through.
We spent the remainder of
the day enjoying the warm water, the gentle breeze, the shade of our deck, and the
array of beautiful fish that surrounded us. It was a perfect day on Bora Bora.
A couple from France invited
us to have a drink with them before dinner. They had also travelled on the
Aranui at another time and wanted to chat about our experiences. We are happy
to say that we held our own in an entirely French conversation for over an
hour. There were times we stumbled on words, of course, but for the most part
we could express our ideas and understand much of what they said. It is
rewarding to know how much our French skills have improved in the month that we
have been here.
Dinner followed …. And the
rain started .... The water swirled so much that even under our bungalow, it
was difficult to see the fish that swim at night.
It was a dark and stormy
night …….
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tropical Fish seen under our bungalow in Bora Bora
Triggerfish
Neon Damselfish
Greasy Grouper
Soldierfish
Emporor Angelfish
Butterflyfish – Tear Drop,
Threadfin, Racoon, Pyramid
Parrotfish
Trumpetfish
Masked Bannerfish
Vlaming’s Unicornfish
Moorish Idol Fish
Mullet Island Fish
Pineapple Sea Cucumber
Sea Urchin
Stingray
We slept in a bit this
morning, kind of a rare thing for us these days. We must have needed the rest.
After a late breakfast, we set about our daily business …. To enjoy the setting
we are in and the opportunities it affords us. Even on rainy days …..
It had rained overnight and
large puddles had collected on the roads and walkways. And it rained
intermittently throughout the morning as well. So … we decided to enjoy our
room and take advantage of the time to catch up on our
diary and photo collection.
My, we have seen some wonderful sights on this trip.
We wandered down to the
beach restaurant for lunch. Mahi mahi was on the menu as a main course (Jim)
and as a salad (me). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, so much so that we made
arrangements to have our dinner there tomorrow night.
While we ate, the sky
brightened and we even saw a sliver of blue. The wind abated and the water
calmed so we knew that snorkeling was going to be the activity of choice this
afternoon. We donned our gear and
plunged in right from our deck. While in the water, not only did we enjoy seeing
an amazing array of fish, but we also met a very friendly Australian couple who
seem to enjoy many of the same things we do. We had a great chat and then
snorkeled on.
The rest of the day seemed
to speed by. It turned into a lovely afternoon and we enjoyed watching the
colours of the water in the lagoon on front of our bungalow. Before dinner
drinks ….. and then another delicious meal in the resort restaurant.
During dinner, the
Australian couple, Penny and Chris, who we had met earlier arrived in the
restaurant. We sat at adjacent tables and it was not too long before we were
fully engaged in cross-table conversation. We carried our conversation into the
bar area of the resort and spent a lively evening together with not one speck
of alcohol. Sometimes when you meet people, you just seem to click!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Unlike yesterday, there was
no sleeping in this morning. We had a ‘skype’ date with our grandsons. Rise and
shine and turn on the computer. In the end we had to settle for a phone
conversation since the video did not work. The internet connections throughout
French Polynesia are a bit spotty at times so you learn not to count on
anything complex. We did enjoy catching up with Karen and with Wesley. Edward
apparently was also on the phone briefly but really had very iittle to say (he
is only 8 months old).
We had an early breakfast
and Jim left on an excursion that would take him around the island of Bora Bora
by boat. There were four points of interest during the excursion and Jim was
very happy about each one. He was actually in the water and snorkeling in all
four places. First, the boat (8 passengers) stopped to see some manta rays.
Although the water was a bit cloudy with sand, Jim was able to see three large
manta rays. Next, they stopped at a place where clown fish and anemones share the
water. Again ,,,, very happy. Then they
went to a spot on the coral reef where the coral is at its best. “Don’t pay
attention to the fish here,” said the guide. “The coral is what you need to
focus on.” And the last stop was one of the best snorkeling locations on the
island. Jim reported that the number and variety of fish in this place was
truly amazing.
While Jim was away, I walked
to the local grocery store for a baguette and cheese for lunch. Then, I had a
very leisurely and relaxing morning on the deck of our bungalow. I spent time reading,
watching fish, sunning (I know this is not a healthy activity), and
snorkelling. The water was warm; the fish were beautiful; the waves were small.
All in all it was wonderful to be floating in the water on a gorgeous day in a
beautiful setting surrounded by tropical fish. I had a terrific morning.
When Jim got back, we
indulged in the baguette and cheese and went straight back into the water. Our
‘fish list’ got quite a bit longer this afternoon as we were able to see
several varieties of fish that we had not previously seen. We also discovered
there are several sea urchins living under our bungalow. Note to self: Never
put your foot down without flippers or beach shoes on. Sea urchins can be very
painful and dangerous to humans.
Chris and Penny joined us
for before dinner drinks. Once again, we sat on our deck and enjoyed the
conversation as well as the changing light as the day transformed into night.
The full moon lit up the sky and created a sheen on the sea. It was a beautiful
evening.
We tidied up and were about
to head out dinner when the sky opened up and it poured rain. Where did it come
from?? But as quickly as it began, the rain ended and we could walk in comfort
to the beach restaurant where we had a delicious dinner with the water lapping
at the shore just a few metres from our table.
Now back in our bungalow, we
need to pack to leave this magical place in the morning and I am going to sit
outside and enjoy reading as the sea laps gently on all sides.
The Aranui cruise was an
adventure and a cultural extravaganza; our week on Moorea was beautiful and
filled with variety; Bora Bora is exquisite … and could become quite addictive.
We do hope to be able to return one day.
