Blogs from Moorea, French Polynesia, Oceania
May 18th 2012
I arrived in Moorea with such awe. I can't believe how gorgeous this island is. It is one of the many islands of the French Polynesian Islands (probably the most famous island is Bora Bora or Tahiti). Being here makes me realize the necesity of learning French. Granted, most people here speak a bit of English, but I think the reality is, it definitely would help me if I can learn how to speak french for my future visits to France to see Aurelie and of course, here! I came to my hotel and had the luxury of staying in a hut rather than a hotel building. The location of the hotel is very much surrounded by local people in the middle of nowhere next to the beach. The room was ok and definitely has many ... read more
April 22nd 2012
Of all the things that my mother has 'instructed' me to do over the years, such as 'brush your teeth' 'comb your hair' 'wear a bicycle helmet', the one that reminded me of her today was the instruction 'don't go hiking alone'. It reminded me of her because it was good advice.....that I did not follow. Just like the messy haired kid popping wheelies on his BMX with no helmet many years ago, I decided to proceed on a solo hike, knowing full well that my mother would kill me, if the trail didn't. We came back to Moorea on the boat so that everyone could have a couple of days off on this beautiful island, before we head to the Tuamotus. The other day that I had off, I went kiteboarding, which was awesome. I ... read more
March 26th 2012
First of all, I'm not really into heights. I used to like jumping off of cliffs, 50'-60' was the highest I'd go, but that all changed after I jumped off the roof of this sketchy house perched on some cliffs on the west side of Maui--I haven't really jumped off of anything since then. I just don't do it anymore. I won't even jump off the sundeck of the boat. So, pretty much needless to say, I didn't really want to go skydiving either. But, I'll tell you what, I'm soooooooo glad I did. It was the most amazing thing I've done in a long time. I wouldn't say I was scared to go, but I definitely dragged my feet in getting to the airport. They didn't think that I was going to show up. The ... read more
February 22nd 2012
So, basically, no one goes to Tahiti to go to Tahiti--they go to Tahiti in order to get to the other islands that are part of the Society Island chain. Our first stop on our island chain tour was in Moorea, which is about 11 miles from Tahiti. We anchored the boat in Cook's Bay, and were able to have a few days off to explore the area. The easiest way to get around is by renting a scooter, and it only takes about an hour and a half to circle the entire island. The other easy way for us to get around was by tender, but was slightly more hazardous due to all of the shallow reefs surrounding the island. A picture of the island should be in the dictionary next to the definition of ... read more
Last days in French Polynesia, Moorea and back to Nebraska
Published: December 1st 2011Oceania » French Polynesia » Moorea
November 29th 2011
I am going to wrap up my trip here, three days in one post, excluding my last day of straight travel. The remainder of my trip was meant to be spent relaxing on Moorea. I chose a pension instead of a resort. There were quite a few guest houses as well as a hostel style sleeping area; my hope was that there would be some solo travelers and I wouldn’t have to put up with a bunch of honeymooners. Motu Iti is great. I was greeted by the Madam of the Pension, and she showed me to my bungalow, which was very nice and clean. Nothing too special, no AC, the windows swung wide open and there was mosquito netting over the brightly covered bed. Opting for my swim trunks I had been there for no ... read more
October 16th 2011
Our flight from Auckland to Tahiti left of October 7th at 5:00pm. The plane landed in Papeete on October 6th at 11:30 pm. So at 9am on October 7th we were walking towards Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand AND we were laying by the pool at the Sofitel Hotel in Tahiti. Never have we been so baffled by time change. We spent our first day in Tahiti getting accustomed to hearing French everywhere, figuring out how much 100 francs really equated to, and navigating our way through the famous Papeete market. Our flight had landed the day before Liza’s parent’s (Brian and Kit) cruise ended, giving us time to explore the town before heading to Tahiti’s neighbouring island, Mo’orea, for the rest of our vacation. On the morning of October 8th, we ... read more
September 8th 2011
I had a conversation the other day with someone about manic depression. They had worked with someone who suffered from this and was not medicated. The story told of the ups and downs of his mental state and I couldn’t help but wonder how this puzzle of ins and outs related to my own life. My daily existence is up and down, never paced evenly and I fear this becomes passive aggressively addictive. Not that my state of mind changes, I am always happy. But my state of life changes, speeds like a roller-coaster and then slows like a snail. My rollercoaster had me in Moorea a few weekends ago. An unauthorized partner in crime and myself snuck away to relish the pace the island offers. No real plan in mind – just simply to enjoy. ... read more
Traveling is to ME as Heroine is to an Addict
Published: September 4th 2011Oceania » French Polynesia » Moorea
September 3rd 2011
Around 5:45 p.m. the sun starts to fall. I like to find myself sitting on our top deck looking west. The backdrop is of Moorea, an island outside of Tahiti and the sun perfectly and precisely descends through the mountain peaks cascading its bright rays across the crystal waters and the heat warms my skin. Our need to explore is at a heightened level more so than others. Almost like a drug. The more we get it the more we want it. When it’s been awhile a need rises inside you and it must be fulfilled. So off to Moorea we go. We packed our crew car once again with the basic necessities, clothes and liquor. Drove to the ferry, boarded and awaited the adventure ahead. As our ferry cruised across the bays from Papetee to ... read more
February 13th 2011
Saturday Feb 12th, 2011 Society Islands- Latitude 23 degrees 43 minutes south- Longitude 160 degrees 29 minutes west Miles traveled- 5965 Pounds lost- 14 Everyone has in their mind the vision of the perfect tropical island. Jimmy Buffett has a classic song called "One Particular Harbor". Moorea is that place. Saw tooth mountain peaks surrounding a tranquil lagoon where the coconut palms sway in the cool, fragrant trade winds. A lush paradise filled with friendly natives, cascading waterfalls and abundant flora and fauna. Now that we have been here, we know we must someday return to explore this island at a more relaxed pace. Papeete,Tahiti was crowded, congested and altogether not the same. The short 10 mile crossing to Moorea was like coming into the Polynesia of old. Much less developed, Moorea still retains its charm ... read more
February 9th 2011
Tuesday Feb 8th, 2011 South Pacific Ocean Latitude 19 degrees 12 minutes south- Longitude 144 degrees 49 minutes west Pitcairn Island is now 836 miles behind us, but the impact of our visit there is still fresh on my mind. We did not get to go ashore, but the inhabitants came onboard to sell their wares and give a very interesting presentation of their life on this remote island. The story of their struggle to survive for over two hundred years since Fletcher Christian and his mutineers ran the HMS Bounty ashore here in 1790 was fascinating and intoxicating. Direct descendants of those original 18 Royal Navy sailors and their Polynesian women; the 43 people who came onboard were a pleasant mix of island friendliness and blatant capitalism. There are only a total of about 60 ... read more
