Robinson Adventures 2012

Friday, September 14, 2012

Glen Waverley in Spring .... and Donna's New Friends

Not the Australian Game of Footie

Australia - Week 2 (September 7 – 14)

Friday, September 7, 2012

We had a pleasant day today (Friday), running some errands, visiting familiar sites in Glen Waverley and shopping at The Glen, the local shopping mall. The weather has been ‘shocking’, cold and windy to the point where trees have been blown down in the countryside and in the city. I had not packed enough warm clothes to combat the chilled air and found two lovely warm shirts and a sweater to bolster my wardrobe.
We went out for dinner with Onn and Cynthia Chin, choosing a familiar and busy Asian restaurant which consistently serves delicious food. It was a great evening with great friends.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Saturday morning featured a longstanding tradition of meeting a group of friends at the food court in the Glen for coffee and a chat. It was a nice way to catch up with some more of our friends and share in interesting and lively conversation. Immediately after coffee, I hurried off to have a manicure which simply lifted my spirits.

Good thing my spirits were high because less than two hours later our lives were to change dramatically for the balance of this trip. I simply fell onto the kitchen floor of our hosts, a simple household accident, and manage to fracture two bones in the topof my left foot. After a short period of hoping it would be fine, I reluctantly headed to the emergency department of a hospital where it was confirmed that I had broken two bones. A temporary cast, a wheelchair and a referral to an orthopedic surgeon completed my visit. Not how we envisoned this day unfolding.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Not to be slowed down too much, I arose Sunday morning and bravely made my way to church with a wheelchair as my new friend. Needless to say, it attracted attention and everyone in the church knew we had arrived. It was great to see so many friends, most of whom wondered what had happened and how I was doing.

We returned to our hosts’ home and participated in a lovely potluck lunch, again having the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with more delightful people. We are so blessed to be a part of this community where caring, support and fun are the foundations of all friendships.

I will admit that I was quite tired and ready to relax and put my foot up after everyone left. We spent a quiet evening reading, emailing and catching up with family at home.

Today was our elder grandson’s third birthday. We had a very successful skype conversation with him to begin his day and, as expected, Wesley was very excited about his party later in the day. He almost broke our hearts as we ended the call and he said, “I hope you are coming to my party.” Not this year, sweetheart.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Monday morning, Susan and Barbara and I went to the Kingsway, the local set of shops, for coffee. Barbara loves the café called Zest, and since they were wheelchair friendly, we were able to enjoy a comfortable table and delicious cappuccinos. Australian coffee really is delicious and attractively served. Barristas here certainly know how to decorate the top of a foamy cappuccino or latte with lovely shapes and designs. All manner of coffee is available – long black, short white, espresso, latte, cappuccino, soy, skinny, decaf ….. etc etc. My favourite is a skinny capp and I have not been disappointed yet.

While the ‘girls’ were at coffee, Jim joined the GOMERS group for coffee. GOMERS – Grumpy Old Men and Early Retirees – meets each Monday morning for a walk around the park and a chat over coffee (it is such a part of the culture here). Like me, Jim thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with many familiar people and engaging in the flow of the conversation.

Back home for lunch, and then Jim and I set out to visit Pam and Malcolm Bunney. We enjoyed a lively conversation, a nice cup of coffee and a slice of raisin toast. I have not had raisin toast in a very long time and I enjoyed every warm, mouth watering morsel. Pam also had a pair of crutches to lend me. In time, I will learn to use them, but not yet.

Dinner was a real treat. One of our favourite Australian meals is Charcoal Chicken and chips, prepared at Glen Waverley’s Charcoal Chicken shop …. And no other! What made this meal special is that we were able to share it with our host family in their daughters’ new home in the suburb of Rowville. I wheeled around the house in my chair, leaving tracks on the plush carpet and enjoying having the cook’s tour before very much furniture was moved in. Laura did have a new kitchen table and chairs, perfect for sharing the delicious chicken, scrumptious chips and a greek salad. Ice cream for dessert topped off the first dinner party Laura has hosted in her new home. Congratulations to Laura and Kaye for the purchase of their first home!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Tuesday turned out to be much quieter than we had originally planned. We were to head out for a 2 day excursion to Warnambool, a small city about 3 hours west of Melbourne. But alas, my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon was set at a time that scuttled this plan. So, instead, I spent much of the day at our home away from home working on processing photos and creating our photo diary of French Polynesia. It is hard to believe that we were there just two weeks ago. It is still amazing to me that we enjoyed all those varied experiences.

Jim took the opportunity today to take the train into the city. He enjoyed his day in Central Melbourne, accomplished a couple of errands, took in the Queen Victoria Market (I am envious of that) and came home with two suitcases!! One of our suiitcases was damaged in transit and QANTAS agreed to repair it. The repair shop actually gave Jim a new one rather than repairing it and then gave the old one back as well since they were intending to simply put in the garbage. So now we have one additional suitcase …. Hmmmm, perhaps a shopping trip is in order once I get back on my feet!

I have made a decision to become as independent as I possibly can in spite of being stuck in a wheelchair. So, to demonstrate that I set out to accomplish several tasks today. I made breakfast, did the dishes, prepared lunch, set the table, chopped vegetables for dinner and created a delicious pot of chili (with the help of a couple of sous chefs from time to time). As I gain confidence in my new limited movement, I find I am able to do more and more although it all takes a much longer time than I am accustomed to.

A lovely skype conversation completed the day and we settled in for the night, deeply bundled under the blankets to ward off the chill that encompasses Australian houses overnight as they are not generally heated in the bedrooms.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Another excursion to the Glen was scheduled for the morning, this time to meet with a group of women who have been meeting for Wednesday coffee for over 10 years. It is always a pleasure to be able to join them whenever we are in town. There is always a warm welcome at the table and a comfortable joining in with the conversation. The cappuccinos are also very good.

Jim picked me up from coffee and took me off to the appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. I was confident that he was going to deliver reasonable news so I was not surprised when he affirmed that no surgery is necessary to repair my fractured bones. He also prescribed a walking boot and is allowing me to put PBW (partial body weight) on the injured foot. That was happy news as it means that in due course with the aid of crutches, I will be able to abandon the wheelchair and have greater independence. Of course, he also told me I have to wear the boot (except to shower) 24 hours a day for the next 4 – 6 weeks. That will certainly affect our plans for Singapore and for Turkey. We will modify our expectations and proceed with as much as we can manage.

We set off to find the orthotic shop and get the appropriate boot fitted and listen to all the various explanations and instructions. The woman who helped us there was very thorough and kind and we left feeling that we would be able to manage this device with few problems. Next, we needed to locate a walker to assist with walking (what else?) for the next few days. I will say that my foot tired very easily as I began to put some weight on it and exercise it for the first time in several days.

Jim and I enjoyed a late lunch at a Malaysian restaurant before heading home. Dinner was delayed a bit tonight in deference to our late lunch and we all settled in for a quiet evening. The weather is changing again and the wind and rain are evident outside. It is going to be another cool night.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A new day has dawned and I managed to sleep well with my new boot on my foot. It is a bit cumbersome but quite manageable. I was pleased to be able to use the walker as an aid to transportation and leave the wheelchair behind (at least for most of the day).

We started the day with a breakfast date with friends at a café called Zest. It was great to catch up with David and Beth, Beth’s mom and John and Barbara as well. The conversation around the breakfast table was lively and the food was delicious. We have eaten at Zest in the past and knew exactly what we were going to order. Jim had a smoked salmon brioche while I indulged in smashed avocado on toast. Yes ….. that is really what it is called. A thick piece of multigrain toast is loaded with a mixture of fresh avocado and feta cheese. A bit of lemon juice tops it off and it is truly delightful. It would be easy to make at home but the avocados here are like no others I have ever tasted. One of the true pleasures of Australian cuisine is the fruit that is grown on the nearby trees. Mmmm good!

After breakfast, Jim went into the city and then out for lunch with a former work colleague. I returned ‘home’ and set about completing my photo book for the Aranui cruise. So many photos …. so little space. It was difficult to choose which photos fully and accurately represented the diverse and rich experience we had while on this cruise. Many hours later, the almost final draft was completed. One more review and I should be able to send it off to the printer. Now I only have two more books to do.

We enjoyed a delightful evening with our friends, the Baileys. Heather and David are always wonderful hosts and we were pleased that Jeffrey and Stuart were able to join us for dinner as well. We enjoyed getting to know these young men as teenagers and now appreciate the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves as they have emerged into responsible and mature young adults. As always, the conversation flowed comfortably with these good friends and we covered many, many topics ranging from family life to employment, to travel and even Huntsman spiders and possums. Possums I do not mind, but having a Huntsman spider crawling across the ceiling above my head was an eye-popping experience. I know they are harmless but they are also creepy. I was grateful when David demonstrated his well honed skill of capturing the spider and depositing it out doors.

Friday, September 14, 2012

This day began early and has been quite full. Each morning, I try to catch up on email and Facebook entries that have arrived while we sleep. Then, a fresh fruit bowl for breakfast with lovely kiwis, sweet bananas, Australian-grown citrus fruit and any other fruit that is on hand. A healthy and delicious way to start the day.

Soon after breakfast, Jim and I headed out to take some photos of Glen Waverley in the springtime. The gardens throughout this community are vibrant with colour. Of course, many of the plants are native Australian varieties but many are also more familiar spring flowers. Camelias, protea, citrus trees, eucalypts, bird of paradise, daylilies, gravillea and wattle are all in bloom in deep and bountiful colours. A sight to behold!

A late morning coffee …. Always a skinny cappuccino for me and a regular one for Jim with true art on the surface created by the barista ….. took us to lunch time. I was meeting Deb Amos for lunch today, a dear friend who I had not yet seen. We went to new café for me, Café 57 in Pinewood Plaza, where we managed just barely to get a one hour parking space. We knew that would not be enough time, so Deb went out after one hour and moved her car to a two hour spot. Even then, we had difficulty making it back to the car on time. Lunch was delicious (grilled calamari salad) but the conversation was luxurious. How wonderful to be able to pick up a friendship again after two years without hesitation.

Dinner is at home tonight followed by some tv viewing, a nice quiet night in as we prepare for a busy weekend.

Friday, September 7, 2012

And on to Australia ......

Australia 2012 September 1 – 30, 2012

September 1 – 2, 2012

This day began early and extended an extra 4 hours as we continued our journey, travelling from Tahiti to Australia. We awoke in Tahiti on Saturday morning and by the time the day was finished we were in Australia and it was Sunday evening. What a peculiar day! It has taken us several days to adjust to the fact that much of last Saturday and some of Sunday simply vanished into the ether. However, there cannot be many people who can say they had breakfast in Tahiti, lunch in New Zealand and dinner in Australia. I think that certainly could be considered jet-setter status!

Our itinerary took us from Papeete, Tahiti to Auckland, New Zealand on the first leg of our journey. Jim and I were sitting side by side on the same plane but we were actually travelling with two different airlines. I was on the Air Tahiti Nui portion of this code-share flight and Jim was flying with QANTAS. Not a problem, or so you would think.

Except ….. Air Tahiti Nui was not able to check my luggage through to Australia whereas QANTAS checked Jim’s luggage all the way. That meant that in Auckland, I actually had to go through customs and immigration, claim my suitcase, check into my next flight (now QANTAS) and go back through security. I was actually in New Zealand for less than one hour. Meanwhile, Jim was happily installed in the QANTAS lounge relaxing and sipping a cappuccino. There are some downsides to travelling on airmiles!

Once reunited, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch in the QANTAS lounge and waited patiently for our next flight (about 3 hours). Time to read, catch up on email, and simply relax.

Our flights today were very smooth and on time. Although we were at times 13 kilometres in the air, we were able to see the ocean far below and watch the white caps and from time to time even see a ship. The plane from New Zealand to Australia was a brand new aircraft and had a feature that Jim and I enjoyed. On the screens on the backs of the seats, there was an embedded ‘chat’ program which allowed you to chat with anyone else on the plane simply by identifying their seat number. Jim and I only knew one another of course but that did not prevent us from ‘chatting’. After all, there was an empty seat between us so technically we were not sitting side by side. Silliness prevails!

We arrived in Sydney on time and, after collecting our luggage, headed to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. We were meeting our friend, Sandy Boyd, for dinner. She picked us up and took us to a scrumptious Thai restaurant where ate, drank and talked and talked. Sandy brought a friend, Vince, with her and he certainly kept the conversation lively. Much laughter punctuated the evening. It was great fun.

September 3, 2012

A short night and we were up and ready for another flight, this one a short hop to Canberra. The domestic terminal was quite close to our hotel so we loaded all our luggage on a cart (remember we do not travel light!) and pushed it along the streets and into the airport. I think we looked more like vagabonds than travellers. Nonetheless, we made it to check-in without any mishaps and once again headed for the QANTAS Lounge to await our boarding time. (It was a year ago that Jim gave me a membership to the Airport Lounges and that has transformed travelling for me. Comfortable chairs, snacks and soft drinks, occasional meals, free Wi-Fi and hot showers are all available behind those mysterious doors. On a long haul journey, it is a gift to be able to relax and wait in comfort.)

Harold and Chris Small were waiting for us when we deboarded the plane in Canberra. It was so great to see them. We met them first in 1995 when we lived in Canberra. Some people become instant and fast friends and the Smalls are among those people in our lives. It took no time at all to pick up right where we left off when we saw them almost two years ago. Such a special time lie ahead for us.

Waiting for us at Harold and Chris’s home was Nadya, their daughter, and her three beautiful children. Yossie is a quiet two year old boy and Gypsy and Zavida are active 13 month old twins. It was wonderful to meet the girls and reacquaint ourselves with Yossie. Nadya is a very relaxed though busy mom. In between playing with and feeding the children, we did find time to catch up on some news and enjoy a special time together.

Our first home made dinner in a month (shepherd’s pie) and an early bedtime topped off the day.

September 4, 2012

Spring has come to Canberra and we were surrounded by buds and blossoms of all kinds. The vivid yellow wattle was in full bloom along with the more delicate blossoms of various fruit trees. Even the magnolias had opened their blooms for us and daffodils bobbed their heads.

Harold and Chris have a new all-wheel drive vehicle and they were anxious to try it out on some of the country roads around Canberra. So we prepared a picnic and headed out into the Australian bush. The sky was spectacularly clear and deep, deep blue. The sun shone all day long and there was the warmth of spring in its rays.

We first travelled to Cotter Dam, a brand new and very large dam that is under construction. We had seen it in its initial stages of development in 2010 and were amazed at how large it actually is as it nears completion. One of the remarkable things about it is that they are using a ‘continuous pour’ process for the concrete. That means that once they began to pour the concrete into the forms, it would continue non-stop 24 hours a day until the entire dam is completed. What an undertaking! They have run into a couple of problems along the way and the pouring had to be stopped temporarily but for the most part, the concrete is being poured all the time.

Soon after we departed the Cotter Dam, we also left the paved roads. Australian bush roads are pretty rugged, not manicured gravel the way our country roads are. Deep potholes, boulders en route, steep inclines and sharp turns are all par for the course. And no guard rails or extra consideration given when travelling along deep precipices. It was an exciting ride. I must say though that the vehicle was extremely reliable and very comfortable. Harold was happy with the workout it got on this maiden voyage.

Along the way, Jim and I were reminded of the features of the Australian bushland landscape. So many colours of green, the aroma of eucalyptus, the burned out remains of trees caught in a forest fire , and the new growth that emerges because of the fire. Some Australian plants are unable to propogate without the impact of fire.

We enjoyed seeing some of our favourite birds – magpies, king parrots, sulphur-crested cockatoos.

We stopped for our picnic at another dam along the Cotter River, this one much older and smaller than the new one. It was a delightful place for a picnic and for a short respite from the bumpy road. But soon enough, we got back into the car and retraced our steps, this time mostly uphill, until we finally reached paved roads again. From there it was a smooth ride home.

Chris had invited some friends in for dinner tonight, people we had met when we were here 17 years ago. We were not sure we would remember them. Nonetheless the conversation was lively and the food was delicious. Chris is an excellent cook and we enjoyed the fruits of her labours. Yum!!

September 5, 2012

Another day of exploring the Australian countryside. This time we headed south toward Cooma. Our time was somewhat limited due to ‘grandparenting duties’ in the late afternoon. However, we made very good use of the time we had.

First stop was Royalla, a large tract of land that has been subdivided into ‘gentlemen’s estates’. Grandiose homes are being constructed in this area with ample space for gardens, bush and water dams. We stopped at one such home that was under construction. A labour of love, Harold and Chris’s friends are doing all the work themselves – digging holes, cutting and laying cement blocks, pouring concrete slabs, and installing a geo-thermal heating system. What an undertaking! It will be spectacular when it is completed, for sure!

On we went down the highway to Cooma. This is wide open countryside and as we travelled we could feel the wind intensifying. Cold, gray clouds filled the sky and the day changed from delightful to worrying. We took a short tour around Cooma and organized our picnic so we could eat it in the car. We did leave the paved roads to follow a narrow dirt road across the Murrumbidgee River and through a gap (pass) in the high hills in the area. As we drove, branches were being torn from trees and leaves were whipped across the road. It was a bit harrowing for driver and passengers alike.

We saw a small herd of kangaroo (yes! We are in Australia) and lots of sheep and cattle on the vast open fields of agricultural land.

Once home, we settled in for the evening. Left-overs made a delicious meal and a balance of conversation, computers, reading and television-viewing filled our time. It was hard to believe that we had only been here for two days and that we would leaving again tomorrow morning.

Happily, we managed to find a couple of days while we are in Australia that we can meet again. That made it much easier to say farewell.

September 6, 2012

Once again we were packed up and off to the airport, this time to fly to Melbourne, our true home away from home. Although sad to leave Canberra, we were excited to be heading to Glen Waverley, the place we had made our home for 2 ½ years (2000 – 2002).

We landed early and gathered our luggage for the last time for over 3 weeks. We negotiated our car rental and headed out onto the Monash Freeway towards Glen Waverley. (Yes …. I did remember to drive on the left hand side of the road!!) It was a gentle trip and we were soon on the Kingsway, the original shopping street in Glen Waverley, noting which stores were still open and which ones had transformed into restaurants. We have seen this area undergo a major metamorphosis over the last 10 years as the original small shops have given way to restaurants and eateries of all kinds (especially Asian). The centre of Glen Waverley is now a major entertainment and nightlife area.

We had lunch in one of the many Asian restaurants (it was delicious food) and then drive to David and Susan Morgan’s where we are going to make our home for the next part of our journey. A cup of tea, a brief period of unpacking … and we were all off to dinner at Barbara and John Hurst’s home. It was the reunion of the Aranui group along with Robert Fleming, another dear friend, who joined us for the evening.

It was a great homecoming for us to this, our home away from home.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Papeete, Tahiti, Bora Bora

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.