MOOREA YET AGAIN

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MOOREA - YET AGAIN

After disembarkation and shopping in Pepeete for last minute necessities, we broad the Moorea Ferry for an hour trip to Moorea. The vessel is older and the trip takes an hour rather than the ½ hour by fast ferry but we’re in no hurry.
A contingent of firemen from Moorea are returning home after fighting wild fires on Pepeete. Now they have fires to fight at home. Joe sits and reads while I look for photo ops and there on the top deck are a group of musicians. They obviously enjoy playing and singing together and provide an impromptu concert. So here I am, standing in the tropical sun, feeling a fresh breeze to cool me down and listening to great native music, all for the price of a ferry ride (thirteen dollars). What a bargain!
We pick up our bags and the car and set out for the hotel. On the way we pass the firefighters preparing to tackle a blaze high in the hills. It’s been a busy season for them. The islands have not had major rainfall in five months and everything is very dry.
As we drive around to Cook’s Bay we see evidence of both development and the recession. Some of the shops that were not here before are now closed but there is still plenty of activity. Since the interior of Moorea is so mountainous, most building is down near the shore along the one main road that rings the island.
The Sheraton is located on the point between Cook’s Bay and Opuhonu Bay. It is a lovely property and we are quickly registered and sent along to our garden bungalow. We thought about an overwater bungalow but couldn’t justify the price. We are only a few feet from the beach and the bungalow is beautifully decorated. Deep pink Bougainvillea flower petals are scattered on the duvet in an attractive pattern. On the coffee table, desk, end table and sink, white plumaria flower heads decorate the room. Sliders lead to our deck. The bathroom features a large shower and a large claw foot bathtub. We settle in and then head for lunch when the skies open up. It is a soaking raging windy downfall. As we head by the pool, the attendant hands us an umbrella. Our first afternoon is monsoon time but we are happy for the locals who have run out of water at home.
Gwen and Paul from the ship are sitting at the bar. They splurged for the overwater bungalow and are very, very happy with their accommodations. We decide to read and nap. I enjoy the large tub. The rain lets up in time for dinner. We set out to find the restaurant recommended in the tour book. LeMahogany is closed. Maria’s Tapas is closed. Alfredo’s is open but we were hoping for light meal after the huge lunch portions. So back to the hotel were I order a Cobb Salad and Joe inhales another humongous hamburger. The hotel kitties come around for a handout and although I try to stop him Joe just has to give away his fries.

Day two is drizzly. We eat a hardy breakfast and set out to sightsee, hoping the weather will clear. Our target is the Belvedere Lookout and we start up a paved road into the hills. The road becomes gravely with potholes and ruts but we persevere. There are no road signs and we make a couple of false starts onto private property but finally intersect with a paved road and head inland to the mountains. Though it is still drizzly, we stop at an ancient Marea or temple complex. It was well constructed and is well preserved. It is too wet to explore it all. There are many compounds and platforms covering more than acre but the trails are now running streams.
The weather brightens as we reach the Belvedere. We have beaten the tour busses from the Paul Gauguin, anchored in Cook’s Bay. The views are breathtaking. Waterfalls drain yesterday’s rainfall down the cliff face. We are alone except for the chickens and two local ladies who are waiting for the tours. It is still and silent except for the bird sounds. It’s all ours.
On the way down the mountain we meet the tours. We got out just in time. We continue around the island, stopping here and there to take pictures or just inhale the scent of flowers or watch the locals.
Back at the hotel we enjoy another wonder lunch and then it’s time for me to check out the snorkeling. From the shore it doesn’t look promising but a woman at the pool tells me that it’s quite wonderful so I give it a try. It is wonderful, great, an aquarium. The coral is healthy and colorful. The fish are friendly, the species varied and abundant. Obviously people feed them but the aggressive species have not overwhelmed the others yet. I confess I also brought a roll for them and they swarmed around me vying for a nibble. The overwater bungalows provide their greatest haven. I spot a couple of critters that our new to me. I also spot another green moray, the entire head is out of the coral and even the teeth are visible. I keep my distance but watch carefully. We eye each other and I move off to explore. I swim until my fingers are wrinkled. It is the best yet.
We’re off to dinner at Alfredo’s. They pick us up, very little parking here, and we enjoy a fine meal, escargot, veal piccatta, and delicious wahoo. The only discordant note is the “entertainment”. A middle aged guy in a cowboy hat sings along to music and backup provided by his computer. He’s okay with ballads but the up tempo tunes are painful. He had a pleasant baritone voice but insists on trying for the high notes. We hear Sinatra and Elvis, both must have been spinning in their graves, and numbers from the fifties, sixties and seventies. It could have been worse but I wouldn’t have missed him if he took a break, which he didn’t.
Our last day and I spend the morning in the lagoon saying goodbye to our fish. We take the ferry back to Tahiti and check in at the Sofitel resort. The airline is putting us up here and Cindy and Rich are in the lobby waiting for their room. Ours is ready so we drop off the bags, change into bathing suits and head for the pool bar. A refreshing drink and a cooling dip and I’m feeling human again.
We meet Cindy and Rich for dinner. There are five couples who are here compliments of Air Tahiti Nui and our table of ten confuses the wait staff. We all enjoy drinks, on our dime, and a magnificent buffet, on the airline, and off to bed and a 5:00am wakeup call. Meet Cindy and Rich the next morning and they tell us all the drinks went on their tab. Since we all provided our room numbers it shows how confused the staff was. In the end, the hotel wrote off the drinks. Thank you Sofitel.

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