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| Good idea to take this photo in case we forget he last tender time back |
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| Amsterdam in the bay |
No wonder it felt so darned hot today. We had no idea that the temperatures would have climbed so high today, along with the humidity. If it does rain, it would probably feel pretty nice. Honestly, there was no warning of rain printed in the daily newsletter, and why we believed that is beyond us. We know better, and should have brought umbrellas with us.
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Quiet cove
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| Good place to cool off |
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| Supplies coming to shore |
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Bar manager Willie and his guys serving ice water
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The Amsterdam floated over to the Opunohu Bay from Tahiti sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. This bay, as well as Cook's Bay are located on the northern tip of the heart-shaped island. If Tahiti is described as a pretty island, then Moorea can described as dropdead gorgeous. This is where the most spectacular scenes from the movie South Pacific were filmed. Legendary Bali Hai, not really located here, was filmed here in Cook's Bay in Moorea.
Excursions to the top of Belvedere lookout can present views of both bays. Tours can also take you around the island on 38 miles of narrow, but well-paved roads.
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| Yellow plumeria |
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| Bananas with the bloom on the bottom |
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| Trying to stay cool |
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| Peachy plumeria |
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Red hibiscus
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White and fragrant frangipani
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Once you have seen the flora and fauna of the island, the best place to head is in or on the waters and surrounding reefs. Moorea and Bora Bora are all about the water. Snorkeling, swimming with the sting rays and reef sharks, and dolphin spotting are favorite activites here. Needless to say, they are expensive doing them from the ship, but can be affordable booking onshore, as many people did today.
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| Many souvenier stands selling treasures |
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| Village signs |
We were at anchor, instead of docked. And we may have been closer to civilization had we been anchored in Cook's Bay. But that spot went to the Amadea, more than likely because she is a much smaller ship, and they took priority. Tendering to shore was done quite efficiently with excursions going first, then those with tender tickets following. Four and five star Mariners, suites, and President Club members could mix in with the ticketed people.
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Tenderboat driver
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Tenderboat on left, dolphin and whale watching boat on right
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| Many boats were used to bring us back and forth |
As for us, we were in no hurry to go ashore, since our day would be used for walking, bird watching, and photo-taking. By 10am, there were few folks going ashore, and the boat was not full. The ride was short as we were taken to a village by the name of Papetoai.
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The village where we tendered....blink, and you missed it
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There was a group of natives to greet us with song and dance, much like what we saw at the show last night.
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Famous church at tender landing
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Other than a small church and a corner store, there was not too much here to see. What they did have was a series of tented tables with a variety of black pearl jewelry and island clothing.
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| The dancers and band |
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| Most islanders are tatooed |
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| Island dancer |
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| She had good moves |
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Getting warmed up
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We always seek out one elderly local lady who sits for hours creating shell necklaces and earrings. On past visits, we have bought two sets from her. Today, we saw a pretty necklace that would match the pareo we bought yesterday. However, she did not have matching earrings. So she asked us to come back later with her limited English, and she would have them made. Sounded good to us.
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| The fruit stand |
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| Taxis or rent a car |
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A roadside cafe
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Too many choices
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So off we went, turning right at the end of the road. We knew of a spot where we could sit on the water's edge and watch birds diving for fish. We are afraid to report that the easiest way to find the hidden trail is by following the crushed soda cans, juice containers, and ice cream wrappers left by the islanders. Better than it used to be, littering is a way of life, and the young citizens never learn to pick up their trash. Although we saw few today, with a population of over 16,00 residents, there must be a lot of kids living on the island.
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Lagoon hidden from the public
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| The secret spot |
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Fruit stand on the roadside
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| An example of a breadfruit |
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| Cheapest form of transportation |
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| Which way??? |
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| Cool palms |
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| Millions of tiny fish |
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| Some of our guys fishing |
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| Here comes the rain |
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| Free-ranging chickens |
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| Proud rooster |
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| Neat palm |
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| Shoreline |
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| Lonely bird |
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| Coconut-littered shoreline |
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| Dual palms |
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| Useful things for sale |
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| Hillsides |
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A pension or vacation rental
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So from the private perch, we watched the birds as they dove for fish. Even a hawk came around to snatch their catch, but as a flock, they kept him away.
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| Diving bird |
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| Hawk being pestered by the terns |
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| Tern in flight |
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| Local dog |
They have a lot of dogs as pets, and even they were frolicking in the surf. What was cool was being able to listen to the thunderous sound of the waves breaking on the nearby coral reef that surrounds most of the island. You would swear it was the sound of jets flying overhead. It is the simple things like this that keeps us traveling to beautiful places like this.
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| Cavorting dogs |
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| Oh no, that's coming our way |
We continued walkng up the road, but not until a brief but heavy rain cloud went over us. Taking shelter under the nearest coconut palm tree worked well. It was then that we discovered the numerous holes in the sand, where the coconut crabs live. Right after the rain, they came out of those holes by the hundreds.
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| A coconut crab |
Got some great photos there too. We did come across a roadside house/cafe that served beer and sodas. There were no customers from our ship, since most folks were on tours. So we continued on our way back. Even though the rain had cooled the breeze off, it was getting increasingly hotter and far too humid. Both can zap your strength in a hurry, and even though we were drinking water, it was not enough.
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Rock crab
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| Loose pearls for sale |
Passing the stand with our nice jewelry lady, she called us over and proudly presented the earrings to us. They were an exact match, and she gladly took my handful of coins I had saved to spend here. The price was more than right. As for the black pearl creations sold here, some are expensive, and some are not. We do not know enough about the quality of black pearls, so we are uncomfortable about buying them outside a qualified jewelry store. Many of our friends feel the same way.
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| Back to the pier |
We got back to the ship by 3pm, in time to enjoy a delicious hamburger and hot dog from the Terrace Grill. The rest of the afternoon was spent downloading photos until it was time for sail away. Rain had obscured the highest peaks, but cleared up by the time we left. The skies turned increasingly black as we headed towards Bora Bora.
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| Sailaway |
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| Look at those clouds |
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| The decks cleared of guests |
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| The rain arrived over and over |
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| Leaving the bay |
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| Then the clouds were gone |
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| Waves breaking on the reef |
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| Volcanic peaks of Moorea |
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| Heading towards Bora Bora |
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Rain
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There were only six of us at dinner tonight. Sometimes, this is nice, because there is less competition for visiting with each other. Also, relaxing for a couple of hours gave Margaret and Keith and us a chance to get to know new tablemates Bill & Marianne better. Although they have been on many cruises, this is their first world cruise, with numerous new ports for them. They are smart to gather as much info for everyone regarding some do's and don'ts for unknown places.
During a conversation regarding the internet packages onboard, the subject of extra bonus minutes given for each plan was discussed. Since we pre-paid for a 1000 minute package prior to the trip, we received the 100 bonus minutes as soon as we logged on. On past cruises, the same deal had been offered for the first few days of the cruise. Not so on this trip. The special deal was only for those who bought the plan before the cruise. Yes, another cutback has occurred that was not announced. Usually, we run out of time halfway during the cruise. Guess there will be no special deals for those of us who need to buy more minutes. Darn!
