French Polynesia

March 13, 2009

Yes, I think we have found paradise. No, it is not the famed island of Tahiti, where we spent a whole day. Rather the lesser known islands of Moorea and Bora Bora are striking in its dramatic beauty. Yesterday on Tahiti we docked at the main town called Papeete, the main shopping area for these society islands. It was an easy walk into town and we decided to spend the morning in there and then go to the scenic parts of the island in the afternoon. The tourist information told us we could take a public bus close to the waterfall and some other pretty parts of the island.

So, we walked all over, and enjoyed a quite a few minutes in the two story market. I know what you are thinking, “What did they buy this time?” But no, believe it or not we were remarkably restrained (of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that the prices were quite high). Then we walked to the cathedral and the Wan Pearl Museum to learn about the history of the black pearl trade on the island. It was hot and humid, and the museum was more of a hike than we realized it would be. When we got there we realized the museum was really more of a way to promote the shop that is attached. The good thing is that it was air conditioned and provided a free shuttle back to the ship. The pearls were quite expensive, and my favorite item, a pearl necklace made of black pearls covering almost all colors of the rainbow, was way out of our range in price. Black pearls are a specialty of these islands and interestingly enough they are not usually black at all. Rather they come in many colors but mostly shades of gray and green.

In any case we took the shuttle back to the dock, but decided we weren’t quite ready to go back in the ship. We had been looking for the pearl market, and there was a lady at the dock with directions and a coupon for a free gift at the pearl market. Of course, off we went. It turned out that the pearl market was really a two level store. The upstairs was the real market with boxes and boxes of loose pearls. Every time they show you a pearl they must weigh the box it came from. We did see some pearls we liked; but then we had to pick out a chain and a clasp. So after all was said and done a one pearl necklace was going to be $100 to $150. Ronnie said, “We’ll think about it” which I know means there is no way we are paying that for that. So we took our free gifts and ran. Indeed in the market earlier I had seen a man selling necklaces with one black pearl for about $25. I knew the quality and size could not compare, but so …? We found the guy and ended up negotiating a price of about $12.50 for a necklace. Wait a minute, before you say anything, in the Goodheart craft stock pile a necklace really is small and light! At least that’s what we said to each other.

After we met some friends in the town we went back to the ship for lunch, thinking that we would go to one of the waterfalls after a short rest. The tourist information said there was a public bus that would take us there. After lunch we found a taxi driver on the dock and asked him the fare to the waterfalls. He said $40 and we thought “not so bad” until we find out it is $40 per person. Ronnie said, “We’ll think about it” and you now know what that means. We go back to tourist information to find out where to catch the public bus, only to find out that the buses stop at 3 p.m. Since it is now 2 p.m., she said that we certainly could get to the waterfall, but we might not get back. As much as we would like to have seen the waterfall, somehow spending the rest of our lives on Tahiti did not seem worth it! So thinking that the taxi drivers sitting around at the taxi stand in town might be less that those on the dock, we go and ask. Nope, $80. No negotiating or anything. $80. This time we are not even thinking about it, only wondering if these guys need to make money or not. I guess they would prefer to sit around doing nothing.

We walk around the rather non-descript town some more and I remember that the destination tour leader had told us how wonderful the vanilla is on the island. “Like no other vanilla you will ever have.” Ok, as Ronnie said, she sold me, because I do like vanilla! But really it is just a tiny little bottle and I may use it up before I even get off the ship. Rather precious tiny little bottle for $8, but hey, I am happy. That is until I realize the pearl necklace was only $4.50 more!

We finally head back to the ship more than a little frustrated about missing the waterfall. Even more frustrated later on when we find the bridge teachers coming back from their public bus ride to the waterfalls at 4:30 p.m. Guess the buses didn’t stop at 3 p.m.! And I guess you can’t always trust tourist information.

March 15, 2009

Actually, missing the waterfall on Tahiti was not a big deal, since, as I said, that island cannot compare to Moorea and Bora Bora. Moorea is larger and the least commercial and Bora Bora has the nicest beaches. On the tender going to the dock at Moorea we met another couple (Nigel and Carole from the UK) who were thinking of getting a taxi or renting a car. The taxi was going to be $40 a person again (where do they come up with that number?), so we looked into a rental car. Avis was going to be $80 for the car, which would have been only $40 a couple, but then Eurocar offered us one for $60. Another lady named Mary from the ship joined us (her husband was scuba diving), and so even with gas it turned out to be only $15 per person for the whole day.

We had a fun time with Nigel as our driver (and part time tour leader since he remembered a lot of what his tour leader had said the day before on Tahiti). At first I was concerned, because after all in the UK they drive on the other side of the road, but Nigel was quite proficient at driving on either side. We drove up a winding road to a place called the Belvedere lookout for a stunning view of the island, and were almost run off the road by some of the tour buses coming down (thanks to Nigel’s great driving we did not fall off any cliffs!).

We also saw some ruins of early settlements on the island and evidence that they had moais there as well (not the same as Easter Island but similar). We then found ourselves following a tour bus past banana plantations, seeing mangos and bread fruit trees, and stopping at a pineapple farm. They also have this fruit that smells like (yes, believe it) cheese. No one wanted to try it after smelling it. Back to the main road around the island and we stopped at a couple of small shops (no – didn’t buy anything but a couple of post cards). Nigel did buy a grapefruit, which he proceeded to try to peel like you would an orange, only to get it all over his shirt. He shared it with all of us and I have to say it was quite good: sweeter than the grapefruit we are used to in the US. We then tried to find what the rental car people had told us was the best beach on the island.

After a couple of false starts, we found it, and there was a whole group gathering for a big party at some picnic tables under a shelter on the beach. On the way to the beach we had a discussion about the ship’s daily bulletin where it says “Friends of Bill W. meet.” The others in the car wondered who was this Bill W., so I explained that it meant AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) since Bill W. was the founder. Nigel speaks fluent French because his wife is French (not Carole, but that’s another story), and he had got the idea in his mind that this gathering was an AA gathering since there were only soft drinks and no liquor being served. When we approached a fellow came over and Nigel promptly used his newly gained knowledge and said in perfect French that we were friends of Bill W. No, it didn’t work. Turns out it was not an AA meeting and the guy politely asked us to use a different part of the beach. Oh, well, guess you can’t fault Nigel for trying.

We did sit on the beach, and the sand was not that nice although the water was gorgeous with deep blues and greens and it was warm! Nigel and I went for a swim while the ladies sat on the beach and chatted. After a while we changed, went back to the car and continued our tour around the island. We went all the way around in less than an hour, and much to our dismay the only waterfall was closed because of a rock slide. Despite missing the gas station and having to go back a mile or two to find it, we still got back to the dock by 2 p.m. or so, quite happy with an enjoyable day in paradise.

The next day on Bora Bora was similar, although the weather was not quite as nice. There is some debate whether James Mitchener’s Bali Hi and the Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific were based on Moorea or Bora Bora, but it doesn’t really matter as they are both so dramatic with high volcanic mountains overlooking beautiful blue sandy lagoons protected by barrier reefs. Believe it or not we met the same couple, Nigel and Carole, on the tender going to the dock. We decided we were fated to be together. This time, however, we ended up taking a free shuttle to a pearl shop near the main beach, and Ronnie again tried on a multi-colored black pearl necklace costing a mere $55,000. We thanked the merchants for their kindness and walked out toward the beach.

We stopped at a couple of shops on the way (no we were safe: prices high and nothing of much interest), and then came to a nice beach where Nigel and I again went for a swim. We actually could see some of the pretty coral in the clear water of the lagoon, including some pink coral that I pointed out to Nigel. He said, “You know, of course, never to touch the pink coral.” “Oh yes,” I replied, not knowing it at all, of course, and seconds away from trying to touch it. Actually, I did admit to him my ignorance and thanked him for his timely warning.

By this time Nigel and Carole had had enough and wanted to walk back to the pearl shop for the shuttle, but Ronnie and I wanted to keep going a little further to the Intercontinental Hotel, supposed to be the nicest on the island. We had missed it on Moorea where they had dolphins and other exotic fish, so we didn’t want to miss it here. It was quite something, with an even nicer beach which they seemed quite happy to share with quite a few of us from the ship. Indeed the dozen or so people from the ship were about the only people around at the resort. We found some more of our friends from the ship there, including Mary who had shared the rental the day before. We quite happily spent the rest of the afternoon there, including six of us having lunch in the restaurant (Ronnie and I had our first pizza since leaving the states) when a thundershower started.

After lunch I asked about renting a two person kyak, and for $10 it seemed like a very reasonable deal. Ronnie was not interested, but Lorraine, the wife of another man named Don, did want to go, so off we went. We went under the thatch roof bungalows on stilts that reached a hundred yards or so out in the lagoon, and then paddled all the way out to a private island. We got back to shore just in time before another rain shower. It passed quickly and several of us went swimming again. Finally we took a shuttle van back to the dock, sharing it with a dozen of the crew from the ship. It was only $5 a person, but I could see the driver smiling with his 15 passengers going about four miles at $5 a piece. Not a bad haul for fifteen minutes or so of his time.

Today was another Sunday sea day, and our Assistant Cruise Director, Handre, had told me that he would play the piano for the worship service. He is a composer, pianist, and singer, and one of the sweetest and most gentle people you can imagine. We had planned the hymns together, and this time I printed more bulletins thinking I would be safe at 30, but still ran out. My sermon topic was “Forgive us our trespasses,” (part of my series on the Lord’s Prayer) and with Handre playing the hymns so sensitivity, and then playing and singing a beautiful piece of his own composition, the service was quite moving. By the way, for those of you who like short services, we do the whole thing in half an hour. I was gratified by the positive comments and the increasing attendance at the service despite the early hour (okay, 9 a.m. isn’t that early, but actually on a sea day on the ship it is).

At dinner we hosted the singles table for the second time at the request of the ship’s hostess, Elsa. She is a delight, so genuinely upbeat and gracious all the time. Yes, we have come to love many of the staff and passengers, and also have come to understand while people come back over and over again. It is an extended family that makes you happy just to be on board. I haven’t said much about the food on the ship. I guess we have gotten so used to the extraordinary quality of the preparation and presentation of the food from chef Mike. I mean this stuff is incredible on the worst day. Of course there are six or seven courses offered each day, but we usually stick with three or four. One of the great things about the main restaurant is the reasonable size of the portions. The more exclusive restaurants (Prime 7, a steak and lobster house, and Signatures, a cordon blue operation) we have tried several times, but Prime 7’s portions are a little too large and Signatures a little too gourmet for our tastes. Then we sometimes eat at La Veranda, which usually has an international theme and a salad and desert bar. Lunch we usually do at the pool deck where the trio play and they often have special dishes. Today we especially enjoyed the crepes cooked to order right in front of us.

Good bless you all. What else can I say but “Bon Appétit,” the signature sign off of the captain?