The island of Raiatea is another one of the Leeward Islands and our port of call today. The Zuiderdam docked in the town of Uturoa, the main village and administrative center of the Leeward Islands. This 238 square km island has 12,250 residents, and a drive around the island would amount to 98 km. The island is surrounded by motus or small islets with "fishy" lagoons. There are towering mountains covered with vegetation as well as a navigable river, the only one in Polynesia by the name of Faaroa. The highest point is Mt. Tefatoaiti at 3051 feet in elevation.
The largest ancient marae exists here, which is an outdoor temple used for ceremonial, funeral, and religious functions. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. This island is a nautical base for yachties, and is connected closely to Tahaa, its sister island. Smaller in size, this island shares a lagoon with Raiatea. Tahaa is an island that grows vanilla and has many pearl farms. There are coral gardens perfect for snorkeling, kayaking, and fishing.
Tours today included the highlights for 3 ½ hours, or a visit to a vanilla farm and a motu picnic. Kayaking their only river was an option, or a catamaran ride was offered for 3 ½ hours. We have done the drift snorkel in Tahaa years ago, and it was fun. The prices ranged from $90 to $150. Today, it might not have been so great, due to the rain.
We left the ship at 11:30am when it was NOT raining. Guess what? Within 15 minutes, it began to drizzle and proceeded to get heavier. We must have brought this with us from Bora Bora. Oh well, we had our umbrellas and we did not mind getting a little wet. There is a small marina right across from the dock and that is where most folks board their various boats for swimming and snorkeling. We had seen this exodus of tour groups going off the ship while we ate breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. The weather could have been better, but at least the worst of the rain had held off until noon. Without the sun, the color of the water and the tropical fish are usually a wash.
Walking around the small marina, we followed the seawall and the grassy area alongside the road. Huge puddles in the parking lot was evidence that it had rained here a lot recently. And there was more to come. We followed the road passing some wind surfers and a few snorkel boats near the reef. We made it as far as a mobile pizza trailer and that is where we took shelter to get out of the driving wind and rain. Even standing behind mature tree trunks helped. Eventually the worst of the storm let up, and we just kept going. Other locals were also walking, but without umbrellas. They wear clothes that dry quickly and flip-flops for shoes. Smart…..
As we were watching some fellows with their wind surfing equipment, friends Jack and Sandy came from across the road, dripping wet from hiking up to the tallest peak out of Uturoa. We have to give them credit for being the best and happiest explorers on foot.
By the time we passed the big church, we figured we had better head back to town. We still wanted to explore there too. The first place we went to was the Catholic Church, St. Andre. It is quite small, but had beautiful stained glass windows. We were the only ones inside, and were surprised to see they still light real candles at the base of the statues. From here we went to the marketplace, a two story complex with the produce market on the main level, and the souvenirs stalls on the second floor. There was not much left to sell downstairs. Going up the side stairs, we checked out the souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry on the top level. Most everything was pretty expensive.
Next on the agenda was lunch, if it wasn't crowded. There is one café where we know they serve good pizza and that is Raie'Gate, right on the end of the terminal building. They do it differently now….more like a fast food place. You place your order at the counter, pay for the food, then sit anywhere you wish. Then a runner finds you, and serves your food and drinks. Today we ordered a pepperoni pizza with two Hinano beers. Once again, the American Express was not accepted, but they happily took US dollars. Later, we added a dessert of chocolate lava cakes with whipped cream drizzled with raspberry sauce. During the entire time we enjoyed lunch, the rain never let up. The café was open-sided but we stayed dry. With all of the times we have been here, we never saw the rain like this. Only wish we could ship it home to California.
We climbed the steep but short gangway and were back on the ship before 3pm. Drying off in our room, we spent the afternoon as we always do….computer work and writing with a little relaxing on the veranda in between jobs.
The ropes were dropped after 5:30pm, and we looked forward to some scenic sailing in the Tahaa lagoon. We read that the lagoon is 30 to 90 feet deep and ships are able to navigate between the lagoon and the island. The only problem with that was the sun had gone down, and it was rapidly getting dark. Denise and Howie had also come outside to watch, as we all like to do. We enjoyed it despite it getting dark, and even got some good photos of Tahaa. The ship took a very big turn to the left, and exited the reef at a wide opening. Too bad most folks were at dinner, since they missed the scenery.
Dinner had some good and new choices tonight. We both tried the tostada appetizer, as it was filled with guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and onions, with beans on the bottom. Sprinkled with cheddar cheese, we could have ordered a bunch of them and called it quits. Salads followed then one of us had the mahi mahi, and the other a pasta dish with sliced roasted chicken breast. Both were good. We passed on the dessert since we did the chocolate cake at lunchtime.
Checking the weather in both Moorea and Papeete, we were not happy to read that tons of rain is expected. And once we left the lagoon, the seas have begun getting a bit rough. Hope we are able to tender tomorrow in Moorea, although it will be another wet day for walking. We shall see……
Bill & Mary Ann
