So…..here is the scoop of what occurred in the wee hours of the morning. At 2:40am, the ding dong notice came on the speakers all over the ship. There was a report of smoke or possible fire in room # 6176. Oh my gosh….that was 7 rooms past ours. The response team was called to gather in the stairwell on deck six aft. This announcement came within minutes of the first alarm. Wide awake, one of us checked outside the veranda to see if there was smoke. Nothing could be detected. Then Captain Smit came back on and explained what might be causing the smoke, which was confined to one room. Probably due to a bad ballast for a light fixture or something similar. To be safe, the guests in the rooms on either side of that cabin were also cleared out. Finally, by 3:20am, the Captain said they were required to send out this general warning by maritime law, and he apologized for the disturbance. He added that this was his last report, and we could all go back to sleep. The problem was under control. We did, but we're not sure about the rest of the ship's population. It must have been something minor, since we did not hear any more about this incident the rest of the day.
So around 7am, the Zaandam sailed into the opening of Bora Bora's lagoon and positioned the ship for the best tendering. About 10,550 people live on this island….one of the world's most beautiful spots. It is an island of 38 square kilometers with a circumference of 32 kilometers or 20 miles. The highest points are Mont Otemanu at 2385 feet in elevation and Mont Pahia at 2168 feet high. The lagoons surrounding the island and their many motus are deep blue to turquoise colors dotted with white sand beaches and the ever-present coconut palms. The lagoon is actually three times larger than the land mass with 31 square miles. It is a feast for the eyes and full of all kinds of fish, sharks, and rays. Many years ago we took one of the excursions where you swim with the rays and the sharks. We did not have the easiest boat to get in and out of the water either. Swimming with the rays was not so scary since the water was shallow enough to stand up. Not so with the sharks. There is nothing like the feeling of having reef sharks under your feet, then all of a sudden you cannot see them. Not knowing where they were was worse than seeing them. Then some larger lemon sharks came along, and that was it for one of us. Climbing up a swinging ladder was almost impossible without help from above. Luckily, one of the tour guys helped every one of the ladies back into the boat. Once was enough for a lifetime.
Vaitape is the main village and the spot where the tender boats brought everyone. Hard to imagine that this island is one of the oldest of the Society Islands at 7 million years old. Many of the archaeological sights have been destroyed by early Protestant missionaries over 100 years ago. The name Bora Bora evolved from the early name of Pora Pora, meaning either "looming from the darkness" or "created by gods". We always thought Pora Pora meant they get a lot of rain here.
Tours today included an island discovery by le truck for 2 ½ hour for $70. A glass bottom boat was $90 for 1 ½ hours. Three tours costing $150 for 2 to 3 hours were a shark and ray snorkel, motu island lagoon and beach, and a lagoon cruise. A 4x4 wheel drive into the mountains was $170 for 3 ½ hours, while a catamaran sailing with shark sightings was $270. Riding jet skis for 2 ½ hours was $539.
As for us, we left the ship after a light shower had passed over the island. We were not caught up with yesterday's stop, but we had the late afternoon to do that. Meeting with Vini, he escorted us down to the tender platform, and we joined a group going to shore. By then, the majority of folks were already there and on the way to the excursions. Going to the back parking lot, we found a nice local lady who was giving rides to Matira Beach for $5 each. Nice to know the price had not gone up since we were here in 2022. This was good because we were the only passengers and she told us everything that has been going on here in the last few years.
The locals do not like the fact that the larger cruise ships are no longer allowed here. The current government has decided that the smaller ships that hold 800 or less can stop here. That was one reason why last year we got bumped from this port while on the Volendam. What a disappointment. Whatever the reason, we were happy to be here today. Another surprise was finding the famous Bloody Mary's Restaurant and Bar was closed for renovations. Not only was a new restaurant coming, they were already in the process of building a hotel. The first impression we got was a high- rise hotel like in Honolulu. But no…it turned out to be the bungalows over the water hotel. The work began here last year according to our driver, and it should be finished sometime in 2025. There was a very large number of workers here today, and we noticed that the old pier was destroyed. The front of the old restaurant was still in place, and we figured it will work into the new entrance one way or another. Truthfully, this restaurant was pretty basic, but no where up to the standards of modern facilities. We do hope to return again, and find the new establishment doing a successful business.
She dropped us off at Matira Beach and the Intercontinental Hotel. Our visit here would be different as we usually walk the beach back to Bloody Mary's. We did take a lot of photos of this picturesque lagoon, which had already filled up with lots of ship folks spending the day here. Did we mention it was blistering hot today? We had expected more rain, but it never happened. It was even more humid than yesterday if that is possible. Since there was little to no shade on this stretch of beach, we did not stay long.
We went to the Intercontinental Hotel to check out their day pass, which was 7900 Pacific French Frans per person or about $72 USD. That would give you access to the beach, the use of their lounges and restrooms, and a 2 course lunch (beverages were extra). It was very pretty here, but we had our minds set on something other than a buffet lunch.
That would be at the Maitai Polynesia Resort, but they did not open until noontime. We would be back. Further up the road, we passed some smaller cafes, little markets, and several private homes. There used to be a very nice hotel where a private tour was held with our travel company. It is no longer open, and has fallen into a sad state of decay. It was the Sofitel Resort, which sustained storm damage years ago and was abandoned. Further up was the Royal Bora Bora, another property that is still functioning. There were many people here enjoying the amenities of the beachfront and the swimming pool. They did serve a buffet here as well, but we passed.
It was time to head back. The heat was not helping, and the thought of cold beer was calling us again. The Maitai has bungalows over the water as well as hotel rooms above the road. The restaurant by the water is open-air with the nicest breeze possible. We chose a table under the overhang and ordered two large Hinano draft beers. Their pizza is quite good here, so we ordered one pepperoni to share. It was just as tasty as we had remembered….better than even the burgers at Bloody Mary's. The café filled with guests from the bungalows shortly after we arrived. We ordered one dessert of profiteroles to share as it was very large. It was hard to leave since the breeze was so nice and the food so good.
We went right back to the Matira Beach gate where our driver had dropped us off. It seemed like a long time for any other shuttles to come, but one fellow did stop and ask if we needed a ride. He was charging $20, so we said we would wait. We do not think he was a taxi driver, just a private citizen taking advantage of the cruse guests. Finally, we decided to walk to the roadside stop for Matira Beach, and that was here where we found the "le truck" picking up passengers. The ride back was nice in the open-air vehicle decorated with hibiscus flowers as always. Our driver stopped long enough for all of us to take pictures of the new build taking place at Bloody Mary's.
Back at the pier in Vaitape, we walked the road to check out the souvenir tables. There was nothing that caught our eye, and there was even less at the pier building. The ride back in the tender was quick, and we were all happy to be back on the air-conditioned ship by 4pm.
The rest of the afternoon flew by and it was time for dinner again. We did catch the last few rays of the sunset, even though it was blocked by part of the surrounding atoll. We had searched for signs of the dolphins in the lagoon we saw a couple of years ago, but there was no such luck today. So at dinner, we had a bowl of udon noodle soup, a coconut breaded shrimp appetizer, Caesar salads followed by one serving of Bolognaise linguine and a Club Orange plate of sliced leg of lamb. Both good as always. Dessert was a lemon cake parfait in the canning jar, and one scoop of tangy orange sorbet.
We were surprised there was a live show in the World Stage with the Zaandam Rep Co. performing Celtic Spirit. Or the movie, Marlowe, was shown in the Wajang at 8:30pm. All aboard time for everyone was late at 11pm, but there really is not much to do ashore that time of day. Except for the large resorts, everything else would be closed. The ship left exactly at 11pm on the dot.
Tomorrow's port will be Huahine, an island we have only been to once. Hopefully, we get an undisturbed night of sleep with no more surprises.
Bill & Mary Ann
