Moorea

We settled in Opunoha Bay about 1:00 a.m. after a brief sail from Papeete. The outline of the sentinel mountains of Mt. Roa and Mt. Rotui were visible against the starlit night sky when I woke and looked out our window during the night. This is the island that inspired the mythical Bali Hai and is seen even in the dreamy sequence in the movie South Pacific. James Michener was AWOL here as well. He was hired and rehired each time after his many mutinies. His is a very interesting life story. This water is also known as Cook's Bay and the view of the mountain from this angle is the sight you see for Bali Hai. In the morning we met at 8:10 to get our tender for the relatively long ride to the docking area. Because of the layout of the reef protection zone which is quite close to the land we headed out over the reef and back in at the 'river' entrances. We were going on the optional Moorea Panorama Tour and it did not dissappoint. (((The first stop was, of course, for a scenic view of the mountains. Only a few moments for pictures and fresh air. Then we went to a home where they demonstrated making beautiful patterns on cotton cloth to use for sarongs and pareos. Pareos are for the men. Modern ones have, as I think I noted before, a bit of sewing involved to create a cell phone pocket. These cloths were just yardage. The fabric is laid out on tin roofing which actually adds lines to the design. Fabric is rolled and twisted and then quickly dipped in various very watery paints of different pastel colors. It is then slapped down and clothespinned to the tin. Black plastic stencils are randomly slapped down on the now tie-dyed material and left in the sun for about 5 minutes. Yes, just five minutes of sun sets the design and sets the colors. When it was hung up to dry we moved on to see clever ways to wrap and use it. Some of the ladies with us and the men modeled the designs. It looks quite simple to do and quite nice. Pretty sure if I had bought one it would be in a drawer or as a tablecloth since I would never remember how to do it.))) ---This happened on Bora Bora!! We continued on to an overlook of the bay. While we took pictures of the mountains and the sailboats our fellow passengers on ATV's zipped past us. we later learned that it had been to muddy to do much off-roading and one vehicle ended up with a flat tire and those four friends waited for the repair truck before which then drove them the rest of the route. The truck later went back to fix the tire. We continued around the island not realizing that we were also gradually climbing. Then we came to the part of the road that made a turn across a field and began the serious climb up Moua Roa. Then the switchbacks began! We were in a very comfortable but very large bus provided by Hina Pearls. As we climbed higher and higher the turns became tighter and tighter. Several times our, luckily excellent, driver would turn, back up, turn, back up and finally wrestle his way around the tur just to do it again in a few hundred feet. The views of the were scary if you were brave enough to look down! We finally reached the top some 2,949 above our ship appearing so tiny in the bay below. The ocean views were framed by the lush landscape of the Vallee de Opunohu. Breathtaking is an understatement in so many ways! Back on the bus for the equally harrowing ride down. First we had to back out of the parking lot. Pretty sure that at one point the back of the bus, where we were seated, was hanging over the edge of the cliff! We noticed that in both directions the bus driver would give a little honk on the horn as he approached a turn. This was to let any cars or cyclists know that a big guy was coming and they better hang back. It worked and we safely descended, again with many jostling moves on the hairpins. Near the bottom of the mountain was a temple of the ancient religion. Like we had seen before, there was the raised stone platform but this was the largest I had seen. And tall from the ground. The chiefs ground level stone backrests were still in place facing the even more raised platform. Bright green moss covered most of the basalt boulders. Steven walked us around it and explained the various ceremonies that might take place. It was for the gods and also of the gods as both prayers were offered and judgements made. Carol and some others did not exit the bus as we were warned about the mosquitoes. Carol had had enough of that at the last marea we visited. The bus doors opened, we jumped off and then they closed. We did walk around a bit there and heard all about the many chickens and roosters. The roosters do not make good eating - too tough. Back on the bus I had a few moments of fun fear as a wasp had settled on the back window. Since I am allergic, I encouraged Sherry and Michael, yes our speakers were our escorts, to try and get it. When it finally flew to the back door we shouted and the driver quickly opened the door to let it live anither day! As we toured our young guide talked about government, the jobs people had, the importance of tourism. This was a big issue and as he pointed out closed hotels he practically beged us to send our friends back to him. And I would. It is a truly remarkably beautiful and quiet place. Maybe too quiet for me. If you do not want to stay in an overwater bungalow and swim everyday you will be hard pressed to find much else to do. Reading and hiking are options. And spending romantic moments with someone special. Steven pointed out the cinema. Now closed for 3 years. The side boards definitely showed open air between them. You sat on school house chairs under the tin roof. No air conditioning. He said that it was so stiffling that if someone farted the movie was over. Agriculture is second to tourism. There is no high school or college. Kids and most working adults get up at four in the morning to catch the five a.m. ferries to Tahiti. It takes about 45 minutes to arrive and then begin your day. They return on the five p.m. ones in the afternoon. Arriving about six and getting home at seven. So the education rate drops dramatically after grade school. Kids are needed for help with the agricultural jobs, the family farm so to speak, and can not be away all of the daylight hours. Since the government is trying to have slow, sustainable growth it is difficult for outsiders to purchase land. There is a five year wait after the proposal is made. Therefore businesses go elsewear. There are way more women on the island than men. You would think that this would be to Steven's advantage. But families are large. They all stay living close together still he does not know all of his cousins. His great grandparents had 12 children and they each married and had kids. His grandparents had nine. He has only four brothers and sisters. He is related to much of the island so he takes the boat to Papeete when he wants to go to a bar or a club. If he meets a girl he likes he first asks if she is related to this aunt or that uncle. "In Moorea they frown on you laying on the bed with your cousin." Steven found a girlfriend. She came on a cruise ship. He is very nice to her because it is too much work to find a new one! On the way back to the ship we stopped at Hina Pearls where the guide from the other bus directed the driver on backing into the narrow space between the building and the corregated metal fence. At one point he jokingly made a sign of the cross! The pearl company is a family buisness. The tours bring customers to the jeweler. They will even let you select pearls and have a setting made on the spot. We crossed the only main road to take more pictures of sand, sea, and coconut palms. By the way, beaches are dotted with these palm trees, which are not really trees, because coconuts fall into the water and float to other beaches and plant themselves. They will soon sprout from untreated fruit. Back at the port we hopped off the bus and dashed to the dock where there were included tours waiting to leave. The reservation system had not let us book the included tour because there wasn't enough time between our 3 1/2 hour (turned out to be 4) Panorama Drive and the Scenic Lagoon Boat Tour. We made it! Mina, the lead onshore excursion lady with whom we had chatted on previous days, found us a space. Never hurts to be friendly and interested in everything. The catamaran was covered with a roof providing afternoon shade. I took the third seat from the front because the first metal bench was in the sun. Unfortunately someone else got on board at the last moment and they took that last available in front of us. Them and their hats! I was glad when it blew off her head but I really did try to grab it. As it floated on the water we slowed, circled, and the guide fished it out with a hook. At least she couldn't put it back on and block the view. We wove around the reef, out and back through the openings in the coral and over to Cook's Bay. From here we could see the true height of the Shark's Tooth mountain we had climbed earlier in the day. Spectacular view of the real Bali Hai! We watched school kids practicing for the national sport of outrigger racing as part of the Phys Ed curriculum. On shore yellow-green patches of low growth turned out to be pineapple farms. The fruit is only for local consumption, the island has no exports. Most of the fruit is sent to the juice factory we had passed on the back side of the island. The backside is where whatever industry or utilities are located. This includes the five turbine diesel electricity plant. Three in regular use rotation and two for back up. The scenic boat ride also took us past the UC Berkeley Marine Biology facility where lucky - and smart - Masters and Graduate students study and research. We could see the lovely bungalows on the mountside nestled to have beautiful resort - style views. It was a nice tour and reaffirmed much of what we learned in the morning. The 1 1/2 hour boat tour ended and we briefly walked through the vendors area while we waited. There was a beautiful hand carved box but even though another boat won't be in port for a few weeks, unusual here, there was no bargainning. And I did not have that much cash with me. We caught the tender for the approximately ten minute ride back to the Orion. After washing up we had a late lunch poolside so that for dinner we just met friends late and had salad and, of course, dessert. The show this evening was titled Seas the Day and was a first time solo performance in the main theater for Matthew, the talented classical guitarist. He was very nervous as he usually only entertains in the smaller or at least less formal venues. He did so very well.