Rangiroa, French Polynesia

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Arrived at our hotel, Kia Ora and went snorkeling out front our hotel. It was kinda cloudy water but we saw a huge “Giant Morey Eel” and a bat ray, along with plenty of fish. Amy almost got bite by the eel having stood right next to it then putting her face in the water and it was within a few feet of the eel. Later we went on an outrigger canoe, which wasn’t very exciting, then swam in the pool and went to dinner with a Polynesian dance show at the hotel.

I woke up and ran to Avarotu which was about 5 miles away one trip, very hard run cause it was like 95 degrees out. I ran to get dinner (pasta, which we were gonna cook in the coffee maker again.) Got back and rested a little. Then we ended up renting bikes and riding to town and getting better food and seeing the Avarotu Pass (where the water flows in and out from the ocean to the middle of the atoll.) We went back the other way and saw the Tiputa Pass on the other side and went shell hunting with some success. While riding from Avarotu to Tiputa, I decided it would be fun to explore a dirt road that appeared to go to a beach. We started riding down it to see it turn into a house, then there was barking and realizing there was no fence around the house. We turned around but the two dogs were gaining on us and barking. Right about when they were a few feet away I yelled at them and they stopped. Thankfully we didn’t get bite.

Later that night we attempted to make spaghetti in the coffee maker which caused our rooms electricity to go out. The maintance came and fixed it and told us the coffee maker made it go out and they would fix it tomorrow. Well we needed to eat tonight so we tried the coffee maker again and out went the electricity. This time we knew where the circuit breaker was and I fixed it. Hunting mosquitoes and off to bed.

Did scuba in the morning. Saw a sea turtle, black-tip reef shark, barracuda, tons of fish. Went about 25 meters, for about 41 minutes. Super sketchy dive guides. I got down to about 200 psi and Amy to 300 and had to share with the guide during decompression. They never checked our certifications, no buddy check, no equipment check, and Amy and I had only air gauges but no computers. It was fun though. It was half swimming and half a drift dive through the Tiputa Pass. On the way back in we saw some Manta Reyes and jumped in and snorkeled with them. Got back and fed the shore fish bread by hand, swam in the pool during a quick rain storm, then went wine tasting of local Tahitian wines at the only Tahitian.

Renting bikes is good, the island is small no need to rent a car. Mostly a dive/relaxing island. If you don't dive or like relaxing, don't go here. It is very small and not much to do, but if you dive it is great.

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Photos

bikes
shell hunting