Crusing French Polynesia and the Tuamotus: First Day on Moorea

Immediately struck by it's natural beauty, jagged peaks, lush greenery and encircled by the deep blue of the ocean and sky that would be Moorea the true Bali Hai pronounced Moe-oh-ray-ah. The coast drive around the whole Island is only 37 miles so it a great island to explore in 2 days but now I am sad i know i only have 2 more days to be in the heaven on earth but we are going to make the best of it.

Off to the tender we go and it is around 9:30 am we were ready to explore and see what the day had to bring to us. We were warmly welcomed at the dock when we arrived by conch blowers and beautiful local dancers they immediately placed flowers on my head and welcomed us for photos, French Polynesia has had a very warm and welcoming feeling at every Island we have been to the culture here is still very strong i would say even stronger that the Hawaiian Islands.

So off we walked to find a rental car and under a tree we came across the Avis rental car agent, she had quite the nice office under her tree and a small table top, she smiled and had us sign a few lines on a typical contract and said Bonjour here are your keys and have a great day and oh don't drink to much beer and drive. I guess Mike just has that look on his face that says Bud Light!

Shortly after our departure with the car we drove by a place called Tiki Village i had read about this place in my guide books so i asked Mike to stop and he was like that place looks close ( which are other words for i really don't want to stop) but i gave the stink eye and he stopped. Well what a surprise we pulled in and for 12.00 each, the girl at the desk added us to a guide that was just going to start with 4 other people from Australia so we headed in with them. The guide explained to us about the culture and arts of the Tahitians and they showed us an example of how they dye the pareos, then we proceeded to walk towards the ocean and they placed us in an unexpected canoe ride that was decorated so pretty and off to the sea we were taken with very tan men in loin cloths... really really yes i was alive and yes this was all happening! We then arrived a small pearl farm and one of the natives dove in to fetch an oyster out of the clear beautiful waters to later crack it open and see the beautiful pearl that was inside. Once we got back to shore apparently the tribal native did not want me to get my feet wet and pick me up like if i was a queen and took me to shore. I could not have planned this day as it was coming things just kept happening like a Tahitian Traditional Wedding that we were about to attend that just happened to pop up as well. Everyone that was in the tour left but Mike and i stayed to watch the wedding and i am not to found of weddings but this one was special and just beautiful.

We moved along and drove around the Island and saw the Haapiti surf lodge which was the hot spot before Billabong started going to Teahupoo for the annual pro surf tournament. After driving for a bit i decide to get out of the car and go for a hike to a waterfall , oh boy we found our way up a gravel road the guide book talked about and parked the car because the road was just not good unless you had a 4x4 so we headed up. Once we got to a fork in the road i asked Mike to get the compass out and let me know which way was north because that was the way we needed to go but Mike said you want to go is north but this way looks more traveled look at the foot prints so i was like well OK lets try, that makes sense but the book says go north ? Why don't i listen to my instincts, we walked and we walked up a very steep mountain side full of rocks and about 40 minutes later i said this looks more like the desert not a waterfall i know we made the wrong turn, we have now climbed all the way up the mountain and had a wonderful view but no waterfall just heart attacked symptoms and bees swarming all over us. Back down we went to the fork in the road and turned down the original way my instincts told me to go and of course its green, lush , damp looks like gnomes would be hanging out with us walla look its a waterfall, oh hot dam it was just a trickle there had not been enough rain to have the real waterfall look to it. I was on the hunt for the beautiful waterfalls you see all over Hawaii but they just are not in these Islands because they are much smaller and don't have the climate Hawaii does as I found out later. So basically just went out for some exercises to get the stink off that day.

Now we were ready for so lunch so we stopped at the Sofitel had lunch then headed back to the Paul Gauguin to hang out by our pool bar and have some of the pretty tropical cocktails by Alisha. After a beautiful sunset we headed back to get ready for the evening of another great dinner and a Folkloric Show by a local dance troupe called Tiare Tarona Nui and you know what happened next Mike and I were escorted to the stage to HULA!!! So fun, they looked at me like if they have never seen a white girl move her money maker so fast but little did they know i was an Island girl to.