Bora Bora

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Bora Bora

This is the last of the French Polynesian Islands we will visit. James Michener described it as the world’s most beautiful island. The first impression sailing in to the harbor is really awesome, but I still think Moorea is overall the best. We took a taxi, a mini van, to the famous attraction, Bloody Mary’s, where we had lunch and, of course, a delicious bloody mary. It is the owner and founder upon whom the character Bloody Mary in South Pacific is based. The place is unique, and the drink is indeed good. From there we went out on the long dock and sat looking at the clear, blue waters and the mountain across the bay. Moored in the bay was a beautiful sailing yacht flying an American flag.
From there we took a taxi to the beach and then back to the village. We walked around a bit and then headed back to the ship. As you probably know, all of these islands are very old and are formed from volcanoes erupting thousands maybe millions of years ago. A Dutch explorer Roggeveen is credited with being the first European to discover Bora Bora in 1722. Fifty years later, Capt. James Cook claimed the land for the British Empire and France annexed it a century later. It was a strategic WWII Allied fueling station, and American battlements can still be seen around the island. Today Bora Bora has numerous modern hotels with the almost standard over the water bungalows. The Ryndam was anchored near us. It was cruising from San Diego to Hawaii to Tahiti and back to SD. The airport is a short boat ride from the village and to hotels around the island. So, tourism is a big factor in the economy, and the people are rising to the challenge.

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