February 18, 19, 20 we really arrived in the real South Pacific! Where everyone has been waiting to be TAHITI! We docked in Papeete, French Polynesia, or as we have seen it spelled here - Polineisia.
We docked at 7:00 a.m. and as soon as authorities cleared the ship tours would have began. Because this is the day we are supposed to be in Moorea, it is everyone exploring as they wish! We set out on our own. A beautiful new terminal has been built, and the Silversea Silver Shadow passengers were using every chair and wall to sit on while they logged into their devices to catch up on the news from home. Many seemed to also be joining the ship here. It is a long way to fly to board a ship!
This was a free day for everyone. Many had used the free Wifi onboard to research and book independent tours or plan snorkeling, not a good day for we amateurs to practice though We browsed very briefly at
the crafts for sale in the terminal and then made our way to the ferry terminal
to find information about the ferry to Moorea. It would only be $32 round trip
as the island is just 10 nautical miles away. We could make it out under its
cloudy halo. We thought to go tomorrow, on the middle day. This would give us leeway in
case there would be a storm preventing our same day return. Our saner heads
prevailed because we really didn’t know what we wanted to do when we would get
there. It was just that Carol really liked it last time. If the seas got really rough we may not be able to return the same day!
Moorea - So close, yet so far! Pouring rain all day, Day 2, the day we would have been there!
Roosters roam free everywhere as do chickens which are equally colorful!
We walked around the shops for a while and then a street corner bus tour got our attention, and we took it. For a total of $55, including the tip, we had a 5-hour drive around the island. It was the combination of the East Coast and West Coast ship tours which we had taken last year. Each cost way more than $55! They had better commentary of course, than the young soon-to-graduate marine biologist could share but this was a great tour to all the same places plus some waterfalls of which the young guide and his uncle were very proud
There are so many stray but well behaved dogs, seemingly all female who have already had probably more than one litter, everywhere on all these islands. This one was guarding the bridge to the first, tallest, and most accessible waterfall.
We also stopped at the ancient ceremonial site where they buried the rich and influential and the kings. Carol and I knew the whole story and shared much of it.
We finished the tour at the Grotto which is an interesting spot for the outlet of much of the water on the island. It is a black lake carved into the rock which creates the optical illusion of appearing much smaller than it is.
 |
This photo is not mine. I took several last time and tipped the man who sits nearby every day. He has positioned a bright yellow bicycle quite decoratively centered in front of the opening. It is colorfully decorated with native flowers and quite attractive. The combination makes for a postcard perfect picture, but today I did not have the change to do that!
We continued back past the many pink and yellow churches of Papeete, through some squalid streets and also past some more well kept small homes and businesses. The schools all seems to have murals of local heroes on the the white walls.
Back at the ship we were quite happy that we had decided to take the tour. I was too late for Afternoon Tea but dinner on the pool deck at the Grill was delicious and featured Surf and Turf specialties. Poor Moorea was still wearing its rain cloud hat.
The show tonight was by a guest entertainer, Vertity Teiho-Brown who gave us her version of the Great American Songbook! She lives on the island,about an hour away. We had been reminded today how big Tahiti island that there are several towns on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment