The last country we will visit on this cruise happens to be French Polynesia. It consists of 120 islands spread over five archipelagos that covers 1.7 million square miles. That is massive considering it exists in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Added together, their population totals 270,000 people.
The group named the Society Islands is the largest with nine islands and five atolls. There are two groups within these islands, one called the Windward Islands consisting of Tahiti, Moorea, Maio, Tetiaroa, and Mehetia. The other group is the Leeward Islands, which have Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora, and Maupiti, as well as four uninhabited islands.
The remote Tuamotu Archipelago has dozens if not hundreds of atolls including two we will visit….Rangiroa and Fakarava. Less visited are the Australes and the Gambiers.
Last but not least, are the Marquesas, our final stop being the island of Nuku Hiva.
The climate is typically warm and balmy with up to 2500 hours of sun annually. The hot and rainy season is December through April, while the cooler dry season is July through October. Their language is primarily French, Tahitian (Reo Mao'hi), or English.
Fine black pearls are the first and foremost treasures of the South Pacific, and here is a bit of information on them. The actual color of the Tahitian cultured pearls come from the pinctada margaritifera, an oyster of the cumingi variety. Cultivated in the Tuamotu and Gambier islands, they come in diverse sizes, shapes, surface quality, and endless shades, ranging from pale gray to black. A pearl reaches maturity in 2 years. An interesting fact is that these same oyster shells were used for button-making in the 19th century for Europe. Now they are used for cultivating the expensive pearls. Did you know that you would have to open 15,000 oysters to find one natural pearl? The most sought after shades are green, blue, golden, silver, purple, eggplant, rainbow, or "fly wing" green.
Another product that comes from here is Polynesian vanilla with beans that grow on vines. The flowers must be artificially pollinated to produce fruit. This variety is known worldwide for its powerful fragrance and strong taste. Rich in oil, the beans are shinier and more scented than other species. The islands of Tahaa, Raiatea, and Huahine produce most of the local supply. And it can be expensive. We have read that you can make your own vanilla extract with some of the good beans added to alcohol, such as vodka. In a short time, the mixture is ready to use for cooking and baking.
And another product is called Monoi, which is an oil produced from the tiare flower and copra oil (coconut). It is considered a precious sacred oil, and is said to create a unique silky and light feel when applied. Might have to buy some and try it.
So that brings us to our port of call today, which is Bora Bora, no doubt, one of the most breath-taking beautiful and romantic islands in the world. It is said to be 7 million years old with population of about 9000 people. The island is 5.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. It is 20 miles around and dotted with over-the-water luxury bungalows where you can watch lagoon fish and giant rays swimming under your room through a glass section in the floor. Crazy expensive, but something many tourists love to do.
Water related activities have to be on top of the list for things to do here. You can go out in a boat, outrigger canoe, or kayak around the many coral gardens. Snorkeling can be done just about anywhere, as well as scuba or helmet dive. Ever safely hand feed sting rays or reef sharks? We have done this more than once here, but also find that this can be done from a glass bottom boat ride, or while on a deluxe lagoon cruise. And you don't even have to get wet. The multi-color blue/aqua lagoon is three times larger than the land mass here, and the southeast end of the island is the Coral Garden, where 700 species of tropical fish live. At Matira Point, where we went today, there are manta, gray, and spotted leopard rays. And the entrance to the lagoon is through a 180 foot deep pass where the grey sharks and barracudas hang out.
A very nice "le truck", an open-air bus with wooden seating, can take you around the island where besides wonderful scenery, you can see what is left of the American military bases and cannons left over from World War II. The highest point on the island are Mt. Otemanu at 2385 feet, and Mt. Pahia at 2169 feet in elevation. They are covered with luxurious vegetation with tall palm trees and dense jungle growth.
The ship offered eight tours today, which included two site-seeing excursions and six adventure/water tours. We have done some of them many times, and found the one that we swam with the rays and sharks quite a thrill. However, the last time we did this, we had a boat with a not-so-easy access to the water. The worst part was getting back into the boat with the sharks right beneath your feet.
The forecast included scattered thunderstorms, which we have experienced on a few past visits. So we packed the umbrellas, even though it was partly cloudy, we knew that could change. One of us got up very early to watch the sailing into the lagoon from deck six forward. Denise was there as well, and eventually they were joined by a few other camera buffs. They agreed that the clouds made for some not-so-great photos, and of course, the sun was rising directly behind the peaks, washing out the color even more. As the day wore on, the clouds left, and the colors intensified. So did the heat factor…… but the rain never did fall.
So around 10:30am, we headed down to the tender platform when the tickets were not needed anymore. Even though we can go anytime, we have not exercised this privilege many times on this cruise. Makes no sense to us to rush over when nothing is opened yet. The ride over the Vaitape Harbor only took about 15 minutes, and it was smooth as glass today, unlike the last two ports we had.
Right out around the back of the souvenir building, we found several le trucks waiting to transport the folks to Bloody Mary's or Matira Beach. It is really a good deal, since it only costs $5 a person. Lots of people were doing this today as an alternate to taking the tours.
From the stop at Matira Beach, we continued hiking up the road to check out some resorts. The Mai Tai is a nice property with many bungalows both over the water or on land. They also have a nice outdoor restaurant, where we have had lunch before. As it was still early, we continued on to check out the Sofitel, another very upscale resort. However, we were shocked to find it was closed for renovations. Nothing was opened at all there. But right next door to this hotel, was the Royal Bora Bora, which opened for business two months ago. Asking if we could tour the property, they invited us into the lobby. Then we exited at the infinity pool and their restaurant area. Checking the menu, which was tempting, it was still too early for lunch, but we certainly would have stayed here if it were around 1or 2pm. Most times, if you purchase drinks or lunch, they will allow you to use their pool and the beachfront with no extra charges. That is not the case everywhere, as we would discover later.
So turning back, we walked down the lane to Matira Beach and the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Spa. They offered a day package that gave you access to their beachfront, and restrooms. A lunch was included, but not the beverages. And the cost was a whopping $65 per person. We saw no one take them up on this, mainly because the public beach was right next to the hotel…..and it was free. The only bad thing was that the restrooms on the beach were closed for renovations, so there was no public facilities. And with a group of about 75 local kids on a field trip in the water, it was way too noisy and crowded to stay here.
The best decision we made today was leaving our shoes on. There is so much small broken coral, that it is impossible to avoid stepping on it. Even in the white sandy parts, the coral is hidden underneath. Even though we did not feel the water between or toes, we also did not have to dry off and try putting the socks and shoes back on.
Taking our time strolling on the edge of the gentle surf, really paid off. Eventually, we left the crowd behind, and we were among just some locals snorkeling offshore. That's when we looked down and spotted two large rays coming right to us in the shallowest of water. They must have been at least three feet across. One was a tan color, while the other was mostly black. Two different varieties we suspect. The water must have been about 6 inches deep, but the rays came as close as two feet away from us. We figured that this is the area the boats bring people to feed them, and these rays associate people with food. Of course, we had none to give them, but they did not know that. What we did get was a whole lot of pictures, hardly believing what we were seeing.
As it was getting very hot, and we were in need of refreshments, we made our way back to the road, and hiked the rest of the way to Bloody Mary's. This is one of our fun spots that we always frequent, except on Sunday when they are closed. It is described as the famous restaurant with distinct island ambience and delicious food. Opened in 1979, it has sand for the floor and coconut stumps for chairs. Formal it is not. But we always have a good meal here , and today was no exception. Sharing a Jimmy Buffet burger with an side of fries, we downed a total of four beers (Hinano). We really needed the liquid, even though we had taken two bottles of water, the muggy heat really did get to us. After lunch, we picked up a souvenir t-shirt, then walked out on their pier to take more photos of the mountain peaks.
We could either take the le truck back, or a van…whatever came first. A van pulled over, and we climbed inside for an air-conditioned ride back to the pier. From there, we picked up more brochures with info on Raitea, Papeete, Moorea, Rangiroa, Fakarava, and Nuku Hiva. Their booklets contain many facts we could not find elsewhere. And their maps are excellent.
Going left up the main road, we went into the large tented area next to the pier. This is the first time we saw something in there, like a nursery of plants, island clothing and jewelry. Wood carvings and more souvenirs were also for sale. Passing by several roadside tables of more treasures, we did not see the same type of pendant we purchased a few years ago. It is a carved silver seashell with a single black pearl attached to the bottom. Many ladies from the ship asked where I purchased it, but they were not being sold anywhere now. So glad we bought it back then.
There is one nice clothing shop there, and we did find another Bora Bora t-shirt as well as a powder blue visor, which are hard to locate in most ports. Baseball caps are everywhere, but not visors.
Back at the tender pier, we were happy to see our waiter Chandra, who gladly poured us a couple of cups of lemonade…ice cold. Back on the ship, we cooled off in the comfort of our room, and worked on photos and reports. With the sun going down on the port side of the ship, we could not use the veranda. It was still way too hot out there.
The sun did set shortly after 6:30pm, then we headed for dinner. The choices were a bit strange this evening with the fish entrée a yellow fin sole (OK), but a chicken breast cooked with spices in a banana leaf. The spices were fine, but for some reason, the chefs like to add jalapeno pepper to it, making your lips tingle. For that reason, two scoops of biscotti ice cream settled the heat down. Good excuse for eating dessert right?
There was no show tonight, since we did not leave the port until after 10:30pm. At some point, the Paul Gaugin cruise ship pulled in beside us, ready for a full day or more in Bora Bora. And something we sort of remembered from last time, the casino on the Amsterdam was opened, and on a 24 hour basis. The slot machines were on day and night, but the tables would close as usual.
Our next port will be in Raiatea tomorrow morning, and we should be docked this time. So much easier than tendering.
Bill & Mary Ann
