∙ Time in location: 3 nights, 2.5 days – a “side trip” away from the ship (as one man put it, “a vacation from my vacation”)
∙ MOOREA BY LAND
∙ We are staying at the “InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea”, a beautiful resort with the same pandamus (local tree leaf)-covered, over-water bungalows that we saw in Tahiti. In fact, it’s the InterContinental Tahiti that I photographed for my Papeete post (without knowing it). See photos below.
∙ As mentioned in my Papeete post, there are some minor “down-sides” to my choice of diversions (e.g., only two TV channels in English, CNN and ESPN, restrictive hours, no night life, expensive and lots of mosquitos that like to eat fair-skinned people). Yet, there are many “little things” to celebrate:
∙ We have closet space;
∙ We have room in our room;
∙ We’re in a stunningly beautiful environment;
∙ We may have only one channel, but it’s CNN instead of Fox;
∙ We have a bathtub that’s long enough for me to lie down and soak my hair;
∙ I can stand at the sink without the ground moving under my feet;
∙ We have high-speed internet for less than what HAL charges for its slow maritime service;
∙ We met Vava and Tom and a couple from Canada, and saw a world that is “young again”; and
∙ They have really good food at this hotel! For lunch, Bill had a ham and cheese calzone and a salad (I ate his salad). I had a Japanese noodle and teriyaki steak bowl. It was soooo nice to eat a meal with flavor (good flavor), which was served hot and fresh!
∙ After lunch, we rented a car for our time here and spent our first day touring the island by land. First, we picked up Tom, our new friend from San Diego who moved here with his Polynesian wife, Vava, six years ago. He was kind enough to join us for our impromptu tour and to show us around. Great guy!
∙ And I got to drive a car again! With our own car, we could stop along the road anywhere we wanted. Free-dom! (On the cruise tours, we’re herded quickly from place to place and sometimes have to shoot pictures through a bus or car window.)
∙ There is one paved road, covering the island’s 37-mile perimeter, and some dirt roads. We drove along Opunohu Bay to pick up Tom. He directed us to a local area, where they seek to recreate traditional Polynesian culture. They had an outdoor communal kitchen, communal garden, dancing area and amphitheater and were preparing for a big event to celebrate their culture. We saw the illustrious “bread fruit”, which sparked Captain Bligh’s voyage to this place – which consequently sparked the mutineers to overthrow the then King (which changed the religion and culture of this place forever). We drove up a dirt road to Belvedere, a lookout point offering stunning views of Opunohu and Cook’s Bays. We visited the former city center of Marae Tethroa (where they’d offer human and other sacrifices) and the botanical gardens.
∙ After that, we visited a local jeweler who “migrated” from Newport Beach, CA, and then stopped at some other small shops for trinkets. Bill even found Dr. Pepper and Mtn. Dew at a local grocery story. Score!
∙ For dinner, we visited a nearby restaurant. Italian by Polynesians . . .! Good too!
∙ BY SEA
∙ Stay tuned for Day 2 . . . assuming there’s something to say/show . . .
∙ THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS
∙ Moorea offers a LUSH tropical setting in the middle of the South Pacific. Where Tahiti is spoiled, Moorea is not. Development is minimal and forbidden in the island’s interior. I’ve never seen a greener place on Earth!!
∙ My opinion of this place was set the moment Vava offered two stranded tourists a ride to the other side: yeah, I like it! It’s "quieter” than I might like, but this is a land I suggest with great ferocity for lovers – or those who want to fall in love. It “oozes” romance, with every turn of its windy road. Oh, and women run topless at the pools and beaches . . . and there are few tourists. Need I say more?
OUR HOTEL
WE LIVE TO EAT AGAIN!
LIVING POLYNESIAN
MOOREA BY LAND
You had me at "TOPLESS"
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