Sorry for bunching these three together, but the fact is the range from bad to awesome was so extreme that I found it easier to just roll them up in a bundle.
Tahiti was a big disappointment. I guess when you think of Papeete-Tahiti, you automatically think of paradise. Yes it was interesting and a great experience but, Papeete is like most over populated and under maintained cities. There were no really pretty beaches and after Bora Bora, a big disappointment. The largest of the 115 islands and atolls that make up the French Polynesia, Tahiti’s beauty lies in its natural inner beauty its waterfalls, rain forest, fruit trees and tropical flowers.
Mo’orea, on the other hand, was awesome. Located Less than 10 miles northwest of Papeete, Eimeo, as it’s known among the ancestral Polynesians, is Tahiti’s little sister. Shaped like a butterfly with mountain lined wings, it casts a dramatic silhouette against the dual expanse of the South Pacific Sea and sky. Mt Rotui juts from the ancient core of the huge volcanic caldera’s northern rim, separating the luxuriant “twins” (Cook and Opunohu Bays). Do those names ring a bell? They should, it’s where Captain Cook made his infamous landing and Mr. Christian, led the infamous “Mutiny on the HMS Bounty”. I think faced with the same decision; I would have chosen to mutiny as well, it is truly a very beautiful place. This time, John got to swim with the Sting rays and sharks in Opunohu Bay, a truly awesome experience.
And then there was Rangiroa, Largest true atoll in the Society Islands group and one of 4 largest in the world. This coral ring is comprised of 240 motus (islets) separated by more than 100 hoa (tiny channels). It’s 15 square mile land mass, encircles a 630 square mile lagoon. We anchored inside lagoon and upon tendering to the dock; we were able to walk from the lagoon side to the ocean side in less than 10 minutes. If you Google “Rangiroa” you can see the map of the atoll which looks like a necklace. While snorkeling here, we saw, by far, the largest assortment of undersea life, including fish, dolphin, Morey eels and Sting rays.
We leave the Society Islands and head north for the Marquesas and our last stop on this incredible journey, Nuku Hiva.
We were greeted in Tahiti by some sounds and chants!
OMG! She found another fabric store.
Black sand any one.
Nothing like a cool Tahitian beer!
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