The Zuiderdam arrived through the opening of the shared reef of the Leeward Islands of Tahaa and Raiatea quite early this morning. Only one of us was awake that early as usual, but it was the only chance to get some photos of this sister island on the way to Raiatea. The scenic cruising was on our side of the ship. This was an unusual approach since most times we sail around the island of Raiatea and dock from the opposite end.
We were docked portside by7:30am under mostly cloudy skies. That was soon to be followed by a sudden rain shower that sent some folks as well as the Captain running for cover. We had been watching the action from the salt-streaked windows of the Pinnacle Grill and had to stifle a laugh. We know….that's wicked. We have been caught in storms a lot worse than this passing shower. By the time the working crew got on rain gear, the cloud had passed and the sun came out full bore…..and warm as ever.
From our viewpoint on deck six, the decorative cobblestoned dock landing appeared to be smooth for walking. But in reality, it was not easy for those guests requiring a walker, power wheelchair, or those three-wheel light-weight scooters. One single man in that type of scooter came down the gangway, and took off going too fast. Hitting the uneven cobblestones, he flipped the scooter over, sending him rolling on the ground. No way could he get up on his own. Unhurt, about four elderly ladies nearby helped him back into the scooter, which was not an easy task as he outweighed the four of them combined.
The gangway was very steep as we watched the groups of tours gathering for either their "le truck" adventure or snorkeling from catamarans. Only one excursion took the guests to see the interior maraes, bamboo forest and tiare plantations. Four tours went to Tahaa for snorkeling, pearl and vanilla farms, and a motu lunch with a beach break. They ranged in price from $130 to $170. We have done the drift snorkeling off of the Tahaa coastline, recalling that it was really swimming with the current and trying to keep up with the boat. Whatever corals that might have been under us we never saw as the waters were too deep.
Anyway, here's a bit of info on this island. There are about 12,250 natives that live on Raiatea and most in the main village of Utoroa. This village is the administrative center of the Leeward Islands, second only to Papeete. The island is 238 square kilometers with the tallest peak being Tefatoaiti at 1017 meters. Multiply that by 3 and that is close to the actual feet in elevation. It has the only navigable river in Polynesia and the largest marae which earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition. It is one of the oldest islands that was settled over 1000 years ago, but it came at a price of internal wars for many years unfortunately.
This port you actually get "two-for-one" with the close proximity of Tahaa, a much smaller island with a population of 5235 people. There are 8 villages surrounded by reefs of 30 to 90 feet in depth. The island is 42 miles around, and there is no airport. The only way here is by boat or helicopter if the need arises. There are black pearl farms, and plantations of vanilla and sugar cane. These days a unique type of rum using the special sugar cane has become popular worldwide with three distilleries in use. We did notice a small yellow ferry boat was going back and forth from Utoroa all day long.
We hung around until 10:30am before going off and after the hour-long crew drill. They sure seem to have many of these necessary drills. We could not help but see the damaged souvenir huts that are located off of the docking area. At one time, these were nice and all opened when a cruise ship arrived. The weather and time have not been kind to the thatched roofs as they are in bad shape. Most are covered with plastic or tarps. It sure isn't the best impression the cruise ship people get when they arrive here. Even the reception buildings are in need of a good paint job. Last November while we were in Bora Bora, we had a long conversation with a taxi driver who filled us in on the local politics – specifically the competition between the Polynesian islands to draw in the tourist dollars. She rated Raiatea on the bottom of the list and felt that Bora Bora was wrong in restricting the size and number of ships that can anchor there. It has created a huge loss of income for the locals. Interesting when you think of Polynesia, you envision paradise, but there are problems everywhere….even here.
Today we took another walk through the terminal buildings then out to the main road. Of course, we packed the umbrellas but never needed them. Walking along the marina where some folks were boarding snorkel tour boats, we passed the gas station. Just for fun, we checked out the price per liter of regular gas. It was 155 Pacific French francs which computed to about $1.50 per liter. Multiply by 4, and the price is around $6.00 a gallon, more or less. That is probably why the boat excursions are on the pricey side as it takes a lot of fuel to operate those boats.
Further up the road, we passed by another Protestant Church, very similar to the Paofai Temple in Papeete. We could not read the name, but it was fenced, locked, and not open to the public. One spot along the seaside here is open grass where the annual Hawaiki Nui Va'a outrigger canoe race is held at the end of October. It is a big deal here, attracting the boat lovers from all over the world. Then we came upon the marina where many tall sailboats were moored. Further up the road, we entered the staging grounds for this race. We believe there are food trucks and other amenities during this race time. At the far end is a sheltered area where a type of swimming area has been created. It is deep water with racing lanes created for practice. There are concrete benches and tables where we sat and watched some high school age guys diving and swimming in the water. If we had ventured further, we may have ended up at the airport. Time to head back.
Crossing the road, we passed by St. Andre Church, where we have always entered from a side gate. It is a quaint 18th century church suitable for a small village like Uturoa. But today the gate was locked and the church doors closed. Funny, that has been the case most everywhere we have visited on this trip. One more place to check out was the marketplace 2 story building across from the cruise terminal. There were a few souvenir tables set up under tents outside the market, but everything seemed over-priced. We could have gone up to the second level of the market to see more pearl and shell jewelry, but one of us was having some knee problems, and did not want to chance an injury. The only way up and down is by steep stairs so we passed on the idea. Most all of the produce and fresh flowers had been sold on the street level, and only some food products were available.
Our next stop was at the open-air restaurant right across from the ship. You order your food and beverages at the counter, and it is brought to your table. Nothing fancy, just ice cold draft Hinano beers and one of the best pepperoni pizzas you can find. They have the edge on the crust and the tomato sauce. Many of the crew members, including Kimberly, were ordering take-away pizza too. It was worth the wait. Just so we remember, this is one island where they do not always take American Express credit cards. Today was no exception. We spoke with the owner's son (one of the waiters) who explained they could not afford the extra charge imposed on that type of card. They were glad to accept the US dollars and Euros on a one-to-one basis. Fair enough. Then he continued saying that this time of year is low season and they get very few cruise ships in town. He added that the island has shut downs with the electricity often this time of year. Like we stated earlier, it is not paradise all of the time.
Back on the ship, we worked online and baked out on the veranda until the heat drive us inside. Then out of the blue, we heard a series of firecrackers going off in town. We remembered it was Chinese Lunar New Year yesterday, and this is one way the Chinese sector celebrates the holiday. Looking across to the center of town, we saw the two-man Chinese "dragon" coming to life and parading to the beat of the drums. The red dragon went from the parking lot and upstairs at the Chinese embassy, pausing on the balcony. If we recall correctly, this is their way of driving out the bad spirits, and bringing good luck to everyone in the Lunar New Year. That works for us.
All aboard was 4:30pm and about the same time the Captain came on with his daily talk. He stated that the winds had come up and the sail away might be tricky. When we pull away from the pier, some of us should be able to see Bora Bora on the horizon, not really far from here. We now have 543 nautical miles to reach our next port in the Cook Islands – Rarotonga on February 1st. He said that the weather at the moment was not favorable for a successful stop there, but time will tell. If conditions are that rough, we hope we don't go there. For tomorrow, he predicted following winds and calm seas. OK with us.
Dinner was quiet in the fact that many people had not shown up in the dining room. The activity and heat of the three days in port must have taken their toll. Our starters were one bowl of Italian wedding soup, or something close to it, and a serving of grilled shrimp which was tasty with peanut sauce. Caesar salads preceded meals of spaghetti with bacon (different for a change), and one short rib meal, which looked really good and reportedly was good. A panna cotta served in the jar and lemon sorbet were the sweet endings of or meal. We appreciate two things – finishing our dinner within a hour or so, and the fact we don't have to prepare it or clean up. Priceless.
The entertainment was a really an usual one. There was a man called John Thiering who is a sand artist. Yes, he creates drawings with sand using his hands and the big screen. You just have to see it to understand it.
Bill & Mary Ann
