Today's port of call is Rangiroa, the capital of the Tuamotus as well as the largest atoll in French Polynesia. It may be among the largest atolls in the world. The two main villages are Avatoru and Tiputa where the ships enter into the inner lagoon. There are 2710 residents with a lagoon surface of 1640 square kilometers. It is so large, you cannot see the entire ring as it disappears on the horizon. They have an airport, a couple of hotels, and pensions. Rangiroa is famous for their amazing dives where you can see hammerhead and grey sharks, manta rays, turtles and if you are lucky....dolphins jumping in the Tiputa Pass as the ship enters the lagoon.
Maybe because it was Sunday, the local officials were one hour late in clearing the ship. We had some heavy rain early in the morning, as we waited to view the entrance of the ship into the lagoon. One of us stayed behind, while the other went to deck six forward. Being able to see both sides of the ship as it entered through the rapids, dolphins were spotted briefly in the front of the bow.
Once the rain stopped, it appeared that it was going to be a very warm day with temperatures in the low 80's and humidity of 81%. The only thing that saved the day was the winds of 15.1 mph. Despite the early morning showers and overcast, the skies cleared up and the rain never came back.
After breakfast, we decided to hang around until many of the guests had gone off. But by 10am, we thought it wise to go over to the atoll earlier since we knew we had a long walk ahead of us. We met with Margaret in the Wajang Theater where priority tender tickets were being handed out. We did not need them, so she had us wait by the Pinnacle Grill until she radioed the "stair guard" on deck one that we were on the way. The tour groups appeared to be using another platform, so the tendering went smoother.
Speaking of tours, there were three of them offered today. There was a ride to a pearl farm for 1.5 hours for $30. A glass bottom boat ride for one hour was $90,while a snorkel adventure was also one hour for $120. Each shore excursion had four starting times, and were fully booked we heard.
The tender ride took about 15 minutes, taking us to the same new pier we used last year. Located close to the Kia Ora Resort, there was a tented seating area to keep the folks in the shade, and also a mini handicraft market with over-priced island clothing and jewelry. There is a small public beach right here as well as restrooms for the guests. Lots of passengers went right here for the day with their swimsuits on and packing their striped beach towels.
We were surprised at the lack of birds we spotted which were mostly red-footed boobies as we were sailing into the pass. Then on the road walk, we saw several pretty white terns landing in a casuarina tree where they had some chicks. Other than a few stray chickens, we saw nothing more.
We began our slow walk on the road heading past homes and the airport all the way to the Maitai Hotel, about a 2.5 mile hike. It is a very scenic walk with little shade, so it ended up taking us up to 2 hours to get to our lunch destination. We stopped in every little bit of shade along the road, thankful for the breeze at our backs. We had expected some passing showers and were prepared with umbrellas. It never happened. We almost wished it would.....
While we were walking the road, the Paul Gauguin cruise ship entered the lagoon and dropped anchor closer to the pass. We assume they were using the older pier. We also heard that several beachgoers had some cuts due to the broke coral-laden beach and surf near the tender pier. Along our hike, we ran into several couples that were walking like us. They were searching for sandy beaches, restaurants, hotels, shops and stores, but there are none up this way. Private homes line the road, and everything is fenced and gated. The most visible form of civilization here was the airport with some picnic tables and benches across the road. Most of the hikers made it this far, then turned around due to the excessive heat.
About a half mile further up the road, we spotted the Maitai Resort sign and prayed they were opened, just like we did last year. Almost reluctantly, the waitress was about to say no, when she invited us in to sit at a window table. Thank goodness. We instantly ordered two Hinano draft beers - the big ones of course. They never tasted so good and refreshing. Placing our order of a jambon and cheese panini to share (they are large), we asked if there were fries with it. Yes, there were, but we asked if she could double them. She must have heard us wrong, and thought we ordered rice, or "riz" which sounded like fries. So we had a bowl of rice arrive with our sandwich. One of us loves rice, so it worked. We finished our meal with one serving of profiteroles, plenty to share and so good. One thing about dining in French Polynesia, you are never rushed. We had relaxed there for at least an hour while watching some of the guests enjoying the pool and spectacular views of the lagoon.
Knowing that one of us would prefer a ride back to the pier, we asked the concierge if there was a van available to get us back. Yes, there was a van that was transferring guests to the nearby airport, and they gladly let us hitch the ½ mile ride. Once they were off-loaded, we climbed back in for the 2-mile drive back to the tender pier. We thanked the driver and tipped him as well.
Cooling off in our room and working online, we waited for the Captain's talk at 4:30pm. He said it was anchors aweigh after 5pm where he would turn around and gain speed to run the rapids on the way out of the lagoon. One of us did see four dolphins jumping alongside the bow for a split second before they dove and disappeared. Never would have had a chance to get a photo they were so quick. We have 227 nautical miles to reach Huahine tomorrow morning around 10am. The Captain warned people to be aware of a high solar index and the rising temperatures that easily cause heat stroke. Dario followed with his evening activities, but then also added that some guests may be more comfortable staying onboard tomorrow in Huahine. What? That was a first to suggest not going ashore. Fast forward to tomorrow, he had to walk back that statement.
Dinner for us was in the Tamarind pop-up in the Pinnacle Grill. On the world cruise this year, we strongly suggested that the Tamarind venue should be one of the complimentary meals we get for a perk. If the ship we happened to be sailing had a Tamarind restaurant, it was included. Long story short, our request was granted for the Volendam and Zaandam and now we can go to the pop-up using one our ten complimentary dinners. Our meal was excellent with starters of an egg roll, Thai beef salad, a wonton soup, and tempura shrimp. We both ordered the wasabi tenderloin which came with tempura onions. We added a small bowl of egg rice and assorted mushrooms. There was no room for dessert at all.
The entertainment was a final performance by Elliot Finkel, the piano man, with Out of the Box program. We missed it sine our meal ran well past showtime.
Tomorrow....Huahine.
Bill & Mary Ann
