Moorea and Pepeete, Tahiti

Moorea, Tahiti

After six long days at sea, we finally saw land -- Moorea in French Polynesia.  There is no cruise ship harbor or dock so the ship dropped anchor off Cook Bay.  We tendered to shore via a treacherous and shallow, but well-marked channel.  The entire island is surrounded by a coral reef and you can see the waves breaking over the reef well offshore.  Our first view of this tropical island was the mountain spires and the crystal clear water and palms waving in the breeze.  There were so many dazzling shades of the aqua water, from pale turquoise to deep blue azur.  We didn’t see very many sandy beaches.

Moorea is a heart-shaped island with two dramatic bays indenting the north side.  The entire island was created by a volcano, and the bays and valleys leading up to the mountains are where the crater was.  The interior of the island has shark-toothed and jagged mountain ridges and peaks rising up to 4,000 feet.  The entire island is covered in what I call heavy, “jungle” vegetation with so many different flowers in many different colors.  The famous Bali Hai mountain peak is located here.  The island is only 10 miles wide and there is a 37-mile main road that circles the entire island.  In some places, the road is just a few feet from the water.  The eight island villages are located along the shoreline as the mountains come right down to the sea.  There is a population of 17,000 and over 1/3 of them commute to Tahiti by ferry for work.  Tahiti is just 12 miles across the Sea of Moon.  The rest of the population works in tourism or agriculture – or it seems, doesn’t work at all. 

The villages and homes look unkempt, with chickens running around all over the place.  Cock fighting is a big activity, with gambling and drinking.  Our guide says they do it because there are too many roosters and that they are noisy.  Umm, I have a bridge to sell you.  Could this be rationalization for this cruel “sport?”  The other past time, is chasing and catching your dinner, because there is no Costco roast chicken here.  Our guide said there was no crime, just domestic disputes; robbery is not a problem because there is no where to run and everyone probably knows everyone. 

Summer is from November to April and is the rainy season.  We were very lucky today as there was plenty of sunshine and a nice stiff breeze.  The high temperature in the summer is 90* and the low 68*.  There doesn’t seem to be air conditioning in the homes; most of the homes we passed on the road had their curtains tied up in a big knot, which hung in the middle of the window.  Many homes had thatched roofs.  There are lots of mosquitoes.  Home prices range from $150,000 to $300,000 for a tiny two bedroom.  I was wondering how the population could afford such steep home prices, but I think I got the answer how it works:  granny and pappy dies and gets buried in the backyard with elaborate tombs covered in flowers.  That way the heirs cannot sell the land. So generation to generation lives in the house.

Pineapples are grown here in the crater.  They just need sunshine and heat.  There is no irrigation as the rain is ample for growth.  Pineapples need six months to grow.  Other products made here are noni juice and there is a perfume factory.

Michael and I had the same tour on the same bus!!  We each took a camera and guess what?  We took mostly the same pictures.  Upon arrival at the tender pier, we were greeted with locals in long boats, native dancers and music.  There were the obligatory vendor tents selling colorful pareos and black pearl jewelry.  A pareo, or sarong, is colorful rectangular cloth that one wraps around they body as a bathsuit coverup or as a dress (but only on skinny people).  We board a nicely air-conditioned bus and started our drive around the island. 

The first stop was Tiki Village, a replica of a traditional Polynesian village, where we had a refreshment (noni juice???) and took lots of pictures.  The locals, both men and women, were heavily tattooed with native designs.  Next, we stopped at an overlook to take pictures of what I think of as a typical Polynesian hotel – little grass shacks built over the water.  Oh, these were so delightful to look at and a week here would be just fine.  The next stop took us up into the mountains on a terrible dirt road with huge potholes to the site of an old temple where there was sacrifices.  I was ready to sacrifice the driver as this was not what the doctor ordered for my back.  One more photo stop and then back to the pier, and a tender ride back to the ship.

Our original plan was to eat lunch on board and then go back to shore and find a nice sandy beach to lie on.  Since we didn’t see any beaches near the pier, we just stayed aboard.  Michael spent the afternoon at the pool, and I tried to watch a movie and rest my back.

Once again, the captain has weighed anchor and taken off early.  After a short tour of Cook’s Bay, we are off for Papeete,Tahiti -- a one hour cruise.

Papeete, Tahiti

We had dinner in the dining room with Gerald and Robin while cruising to Papeete.  The food has been a disappointment as the presentation is exceptional but the taste doesn’t match the looks.  We had patato latkes that had rutabagas and celery in it.  A little greasy, but it was a nice change.  Fussy foods with French names and descriptions is getting to be too much.  I did have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the other night.

I am not sure what to expect in Papeete as lights begin to appear as we get closer.  Oh look, there are two more ships docked next to us.  Great, that means crowds in port.  It was a warm night so off we went for a little stroll in town. Right next to the ship pier there was a large plaza with musicians and many food vendors.  There were families and lots of kids running and playing, riding bikes and skateboards.  It is a pleasure to see the young ones.  It is Friday Night celebration and passengers are welcome along with the locals.  And there was lots of neon signs!  There was a movie theater, restaurants, car dealership and other shops along the main drag.  It did not look tropical in any way, shape or form.  It is said that Tahitians are amused to see the look of surprise that appears on the face of visitors when they see the modern city for the first time.  Pepeete is a very busy trading port, and commercial and business center.  Indeed, we all had that reaction!  Very disappointing at first glance. 

We discovered a huge farmers market that we plan on exploring in the morning and it should be interesting to see and absorb some local culture.  We then take an afternoon museum tour of all things Paul Gauguin.  I hope my back holds out and that I am not doing any damage to myself.  Walking is great; sitting for long periods of time, especially on a bus with poor suspension, is still uncomfortable.