2015 French Polynesia

We are celebrating our fortieth anniversary this year, and the Lady Adventurer asked, 'What are we saving our money for?' I tried to answer, 'to not be destitute during our retirement,' I was pretty well ignored. We were going, and that was that.

What we were going on was a cruise aboard the Oceania Marina from and to Tahiti, and by far our most expensive and extravagant trip ever.

It wasn't at all easy to get there. A snowstorm, a mechanical problem, and generally uncomfortable hours and hours of flying got in our way. We were too shot to do anything more than just walk around the market and town of Papeete as we waited to board our ship. Papeete is the capital of the country of French Polynesia, and is located on the main island of Tahiti. French Polynesia consists of about 117 other islands in five island chains, and we would be visiting a few during this ten day trip.

Three Coconuts Hike on Moorea

'How hard could it be?' I asked rhetorically, 'there will be mostly old people on the ship.' This was my response to all the warnings. About how strenuous this hike was supposed to be. It only had three little walking men in the brochure, and although this indicates a highly strenuous tour, several other ones also had three little men. They couldn't all be that tough.

It was that tough. We joked that it should have had five little men. There were about ten of us with a guide on this Three Coconuts Trail Hike on the Island of Moorea. The rough trail took us up to a mountain pass, between two high, jagged peaks and spectacular views. It was well worth the four hours of hiking through rocks, mud, roots, stream crossings, switchbacks, etc. The guide had helped build the trail. I was impressed. With about a half hour to go on the way back, the sky opened up with a soaking rainstorm. We didn't mind too much; it helped wash off the mud, sweat and blood.

Moorea

Raiatea appeared to be a little more serene. The tour on le truck was certainly easier going. But it was so low key that it was fairly worthless. We stopped at a Marae, an archeological religious site consisting of a lot of rocks. We also toured a vanilla farm before this rainstorm hit, but the highlight of the day was one of our tour guides, who resembled South Pacific's Bloody Mary in every way possible.

This was it: Bora Bora, the most beautiful island in the world… according to James Michener and others. I believe I agree, and the Lady Adventurer probably would as well.

Speaking of Lady A., I should point out that she picked out most of these excursions. But other than a couple minor modifications, I did go along for the most part. Today it would be an 'off-road adventure'. Once again, I thought, how rough could it be? The answer was the same: pretty rough.

Bora Bora

Our yahoo driver took us all the way around the island, and also up and down (and in and out of) some ludicrously bad roads. But it was fun, even when he got out of the vehicle whilst it was moving - allowing it to go driverless on the muddy, rutted two-track trail.

And we got to see a whole lot of Bora Bora. It lived up to its name and reputation. There are colors here in the lagoon that they probably don't even have names for. We saw cannons (from WWII), a pearl farm, an artist at work, and many, many motus (the small islets surrounding the lagoon). It was another memorable day.

Bora Bora Sunrise

Our second day at Bora Bora was nearly as much fun. We took a lagoon cruise that stopped at a beach as well as another spot in the lagoon for snorkeling. This involved getting off our boat and getting onto a tender boat over to shore, where we boarded another boat to get us around the lagoon.

The Lady Adventurer Herself

The lagoon is made up of a reef that surrounds the island, and several motus, or smaller islands near, or part of, the reef. Some motus are long and skinny and flat, but there are other shapes and sizes. Some of Bora Bora's motus are populated, and some have hotels. The island's airport is on a motu.

Our own go-to motu was... I forgot the name. But it was pretty cool for the two dozen or so of us to have our own deserted island to explore. After some fruit and a demonstration of how to crack open a coconut, and after a snorkel stop, where we petted stingrays and sharks, it was back to reality. If you can call a cruise ship reality.

It took us nearly two full days to sail the 900 miles from Bora Bora to Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. It's pretty remote. And it's spectacular beautiful. We will most likely not return to French Polynesia in what's left of our lifetimes, but if we did come back to one of the islands we've visited it would be to Nuku Hiva.

The remoteness of the place is both a curse and a blessing. There is a definite lack of infrastructure, although there is a small airport, a few paved roads through the mountainous terrain, and a small harbor that we tendered to. But this all means that the place is completely unspoilt by tourism, and even by people (there seems to be very few of them here, even though there hasn't been any cannibalism for a while) in general.

During our first day we hooked up with Lakota (I don’t know his last name), and hiked a bit away from town, before walking in town, all the way to the opposite end of the bay. There we visited a small archeological museum run by a very nice lady named Rose, and then had a beer at a hotel overlooking the bay.

'I will wait down here - you go on.' The Lady Adventurer had had enough. I did go on, but was back down in fifteen minutes. 'We are only 5~10 minutes from the top,' I said, 'You definitely want to come back up with me.'

It had been a long, hot second day on Nuku Hiva, and although we'd already done a lot, we were even more impressed with the incredible beauty of the place. The tour took us up into the mountains, and back down into another valley with a settlement town called Taipivai. It was remote, and gorgeous. We also stopped at a cathedral and an archaeological site.

Tehaatiki hike on Nuku Hiva

The real fun began as we made our second attempt at a Tehaatiki hike just after returning to the dock in the main town of Taiohae. Once again it was hot, with relentless sun for the first mile. Then the trail started in earnest, and we had snippets of shade. Although the trail was well maintained, it was still a tough climb.

But when we finally did make it to the summit, it was most definitely worth it. The 360 degree view was outstanding. 'Haepo'o aku Nuku Hiva, O,opaepa.' I just made that up, but in my mind it means, 'You can't do better than Nuku Hiva.'

Our final stop was at Rangiroa in the Tuamotus island chain. The island is one huge atoll - the largest in the world. The land part, sitting on the coral reef, is narrow and completely flat. The color of the entire reef area is beautiful turquoise, and we were able to experience if by glass-bottom boat (Debbie), and snorkeling (me).

We wound up in the same area - the aquarium garden. I surprised Debbie, and everyone else with her by swimming underneath their boat. 'Big white fish,' said her guide.

And that was about it. Except I didn’t mention much about our ship, the Oceania Marina. There was wonderful food to be had, and a lot of it. So much, in fact, that I don’t think I appreciated the quality as much as I would have otherwise. Our cabin was relatively spacious, and Lady A. absolutely loved the veranda.

There was a problem with a plumbing leak that caused our carpeted floor to get wet, and then odorous. But we survived.

What we almost didn’t survive was the trip home: 35 hours from the time we were kicked out of our cabin until we arrived in Cleveland. The first fifteen were in Papeete. I was determined to see at least some of the island of Tahiti, so we booked an off road tour of the interior.

Tahiti!

And we were thrilled that we did so. We saw beautiful valleys and thousands (well, several, anyway) of waterfalls, as well as beaches and coastline scenery.

After the tour and some sitting around the Town Hall, we walked to the famous Papeete food trucks for a fine outdoor dinner.

And that was really about it. All in all, it was a fine journey, but I’m beginning to think that these really long trips are a bit much. But then, maybe we’ll come back again for our eightieth.

 Click here to see my running blog post (it's no big deal though).