The highlight of our day at Bora Bora was a visit to Bloody Mary's bar and restaurant (I have finally learned how to spell that). This is built of jungle timber, bamboo and palm thatch to look like the old Polynesian buildings described in so many stories about the South Pacific. In fact, it is named after the character in Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific" and the movie "South Pacific" based on the book. The bar was built in 1979 by a guy called Baron George and has become one of the "must visit" places on Bora Bora. It has been visited by lots of international politicians, astronauts, celebrities and bands and they are listed on panels on either side of the entry; they should add my name as well now. Inside it is like something from a movie about the old days in the Pacific. The floor is sand, the seats are cut from logs and windows are just open areas that can be closed by thatch flaps. I found some strange totem poles in the courtyard, you can tell the size by comparing with the small bear (me) at the base of this one. I also found a rather disturbing element. In the picnic area just across the road there are lots of large crab holes. I tried to lure one out by tossing gravel down the hole and I had a big rock to bash it with if it came out, but it didn't so Mum didn't have crab cakes that night. Something new to me is the number of pairs of wheels on the sides of frames in the edge of the lagoon. These are winding wheels for lifts that raise fishing boats clear of the water so that marine bugs and borers can't attach themselves to the hull. There is always something interesting to see on the Pacific islands.
Labels: crabs, cruising, South Pacific, Tahiti
At the moment a vast area of Australia is burning. So far Canberra has escaped the fires, but we have had really bad smoke in the air for over a month; for the past week we have had the most dangerous air quality in the world. Hard to recall that just a couple of months ago we were on Moorea with air as clear and clean as it ever gets. We spent a day on one of the tours offered by the ship. It circumnavigated the island and stopped at the best scenic places. Here are 3 stops. The first row is at Belvedere Lookout, 900 m up on Mt Tohivea, the tallest of Moorea's peaks (it is 1207 m high). The road up to the lookout is one of the scariest I have ever been on, maybe because I was in a big bus instead of a small car. The road is narrow and has several hairpin bends which I would never have believed the bus could navigate. The view from the top is magnificent, looking out over the forest and the 2 large bays, Oponohu on the left and Cook's on the right. Our ship is that tiny white speck at the right side entrance to Oponohu Bay. There are a series of 6 ruined marae (temples) that the road passes close to. The bus stops at Titiroa marae, about half-way up the road. The remains are a large stone platform surrounded by a path and stone wall. I didn't have time to walk right around it, but was told that there were upright "god stones" at the other end. There are lots of wild chickens roaming the area. Later on the bus stopped at Tiki Village where there is a small model marae; I acted as gate guide while the tour group was there. Another photo stop was at Toatea lookout, above the Sofitel Ora Moorea Beach Resort. You get a good view of the coastline and lagoon from here, as well as the over-water bungalows. Tahiti can be seen on the horizon. A long day, but a good one to remember.
Labels: cruising, South Pacific, Tahiti
