Travels

10/21/01 - Today would be our last day on Moorea. This was unfortunate, but we still had two islands to look forward to. We ate a quick farewell breakfast at the buffet and then loaded into a minivan for the 5 minute ride to the airport. Here we boarded an early flight on an Air Tahiti twin turboprop plane to Bora Bora. The plane was small and cramped, but bigger than the puddle-jumper that took us from Tahiti to Moorea. This one seated about 66 people, and had a lot of the features of a big jet. Only smaller.

As we board the plane, the lovely attendant shows us where to sit, and they are piping local ukulele music out of the speakers. The thing that Air Tahiti has going for it is this: all the flight attendants appear to be tall, slender, beautiful Tahitian women. And they serve that delectable local fruit juice! I can't get enough. The flight lasted about 45 minutes. You could look out the window and see the spectacular islands from high in the sky, and they take on a completely different character. It's hard to look at those pictures and not hear dramatic movie music coming from somewhere inside your head.

When we arrived on Bora Bora, we were again greeted with a flower lei and another serenade. This is another wonderful aspect of this trip that never gets old. As cliché as it sounds, you've just got to love it. It is worth noting here that the airport on Bora Bora is not actually on the main island, but is built onto a long motu, called Motu Mute, on the fringe of the lagoon. As a result, once we arrived at the airport, our journey was not yet complete. It was at this point that we boarded a "taxi" (a boat) which was to take us to our destination: the Sofitel Motu. What an introduction to what is arguably one of the most beautiful places on Earth! The small boat we boarded carried us and one other couple, from Boston, around half of the main island of Bora Bora to the hotel. Along the way we were treated to the breathtaking palette of the lagoon. The water had blue, green, turquoise, even some reds here and there, and every imaginable shade in between. We passed countless rows of bungalows jutting out into the water, on both sides of the lagoon, and it was just another reminder that we were somewhere completely different. And of course, all through the 30 some-odd minute ride, we had the peak of Mt. Otemanu rising out from the ocean in all its glory.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we got off the boat and were again greeted warmly by a hostess. Only this time, she was not a native Tahitian, but Japanese. I think her name was Junko. She had recently moved to Bora Bora from Japan to accompany her husband, a Bora Bora native. What a tragedy! In any event, we were given the usual fruit juice refresher, along with a hot towel to freshen up with. We were shown around the grounds briefly, and then directed to our room. Once again, we were over the water, and once again, our patio door faced east, allowing for more stunning sunrises. These bungalows were trés luxurieuse! They were almost brand new at the time -- I think the hotel itself had only been open for about six months at that point -- and everything was spic & span. The woods were not local, but beautiful nonetheless. All dark hues, I think the wood was called "kohu". You can read more about the hotel here. The bed was big enough for three or four. The bathroom had his and her sinks. The shower and toilet were in their own separate rooms. The shower had one of those nozzles that's ten inches in diameter, and dumps buckets of water on you. And there was so much room! The bungalows are a lot bigger inside then you might think. Especially because the rooves are so high; this only adds to the effect. After unpacking a little and lounging around, basking in the decadence, we headed up to the restaurant, which was just down the dock and a few steps up the hill. We ordered some exotic drinks, and two good old CHEESEBURGERS. There were probably three or four other couples in there who had also just arrived, and they were also enjoying cheeseburgers. And considering the place was french-owned, they made the best cheeseburgers I've had in a long time. Something to do with mayonnaise (not exactly my favorite condiment) and possibly French dressing. And the drinks would put Jimmy Buffet to shame. They were enormous. Huge glasses, top shelf liquors, and a fresh hibiscus blossom somehow fastened to whatever giant piece of fresh fruit hung from the rim. I don't remember which drink I chose at this juncture, but I know Meagan was drinking pina coladas, and that would soon be her "undoing".

The rest of the day was spent exploring what there was to explore on the little islet. The motu had a pretty little rock garden and lily pond, with a recycling waterfall and stream. Beyond that, up the hill and through a short path, there was a small clearing with a bench and some chairs for enjoying the view. Straight ahead were the sister islands of Raiatea and Tahaa. To the right were some neighboring resorts jutting out into the lagoon on the opposite side. To the left was another small motu, which was privately owned. I think I remember there being a dog there that barked a lot. And surrounding our motu on that, the ocean side of the lagoon, were the Coral Gardens -- a vast and thriving reef teeming with life. At one point the two of us hopped in a kayak (there were kayaks and outrigger canoes available to use, free of charge, anytime). I'm ashamed to say I did a lot of damage by accidentally scraping the bottom of our kayak across the coral heads. I think everyone who takes those boats out does the same thing, because we saw at least two other boats scrape by. Stupid tourists!

Eventually, we took the boat taxi across the lagoon to the main island. The boat took us to the landing at the other Sofitel, the Marara. This was a nice looking spot; very similar layout and vibe as at the Ia Ora on Moorea, but maybe just a little more the worse for wear. It was a hot day and we wandered down the street aimlessly, but in the general direction of the village of Vaitape. We never made it there on foot though. Along the way, we found the same old shops hawking the same old postcards, pareos, tikis, soaps, swimsuits, calendars, maps, etc, etc.... but we went into every shop nonetheless, and had fun looking around. It was at this time that we also found our grocery store, which we would end up visiting almost every day. It was great to be able to go here and stock up on snacky-foods: crackers, breads, cheese, chips, juice, booze, whatever. We knew we were in for a lot of just hanging around, and we weren't planning on going to that fancypants restaurant or busting open the mini-bar every time we got the munchies. And while the hotel food is as expensive as they say it is, the grocery is completely reasonable I thought -- despite the fact that we managed to spend between $25 and $50 each time went..... Maybe I should rethink that opinion.

Eventually we grew weary of traveling the wild, untamed streets of Bora Bora (ha ha ha) and we headed back to the Motu, for the all-important nap, etc. After which usually followed the making of the dinner plans. Tonight, as was becoming our habit, we stayed at home base and ate at the Motu restaurant. Very high-brow. You might hear a lot of different opinions about this place, but one thing we can all agree on is that it will lighten your wallet significantly. The fare is very fancy french- and Tahiti- influenced, plenty of seafood, a few turf dishes, most of which are on the heavy side. A few dishes were even avant-garde, like mine: I ordered the Mahi-Mahi with bananas and nutmeg! It was delicious, but, as you might suspect, it was like a dessert. Bananas, creme sauce, and a strong nutmeg flavor. If we had gone swimming after dinner, I would've sunk like a stone. I believe Meagan had the lobster ravioli, which she said was so salty it made her lips pucker. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. We topped the evening off with our new favorite concoction of local rum (once we ran out of the Bacardi that we brought) and a local fruit juice. Yum!

Your website is really cool! I just stumbled acrossed it when I was doing a search to find what ear to wear a flower behing (I am promoting a college softball game by having Hawaiian theme night).
You have down such a great job telling about all the little ins & outs that you can't find out reading the "norma" tourist book.
It makes me rich I was out in the middle of some lagoon with the breeze spraying a little mist over my shoulders (and you have some fantastic photos too!)