French Polynesia – Part 4

January 17, 2013 anchored off Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia – The Sky Is Falling

About 6:45am, we entered the lagoon of Bora Bora through the Teavanui Pass in the coral reef.  Bora Bora is a hybrid island atoll, with the original volcano crater making up the island’s central land mass,  surrounded by a large lagoon (31 sq. mi.) with 30 plus motu and a coral reef.  The vast majority of the ~9,000 population live in small villages along the 20-mile road that circles the island.  Almost all non-subsistence activity on Bora Bora is related to tourism.

Bora Bora, Teavanui Pass

Welcome to Bora Bora.  Hope you like rain.

Silver Whisper anchored at 7:00am in the lagoon off the village of Vaitape.  We had booked a tour that departed from Vaitape Wharf at 8:00am.  It was an early morning for us, and by 7:30am, we were aboard the tender headed for the island.  The only problem was, it started to rain before we reached the wharf.

Viatape Village and Wharf from the Lagoon

It would only get wetter from here on.

The tour was listed by Silversea as “Discover Bora Bora by Le Truck.”  It was a trip around the island on the circumferential narrow two-lane road.  “Le Truck” is the local slang for a bus, which is a 2 ½ ton, 4x2 commercial truck (Mercedes in this case), with a locally-built passenger cabin on the frame to the rear of the cab.   Think wooden box with holes cut in it and full of bolted-down, plastic chairs, and you have “Le Truck.”  To add a local flavor, “Le Truck” is usually decorated with ti leaves and local flowers.

Le Truck

Quick, how do you spell “Student Driver” in French.

Note the “T” in a red field on the front of the truck.

Le Truck, Interior View

The plastic seats and flowers scream “First Class’

Bora Bora Expressway “BB1”

Keep Right Except to Pass!

It was off the tender, get dampened by the light rain, and into “Le Truck” for the tour.  The guide began his presentation pointing out local mountain peaks, then a U.S. Army ammunition bunker remaining from WW II.  There are a number of U.S. Army WW II artifacts on the island, including seven coastal defense guns (non-working), a radar site (abandoned), ammunition bunkers (hopefully empty), and Motu Muti Airport (operational).  Sounds like most US infrastructure these days!

U.S. Army WWII Ammunition Bunker

What an investment, if you could only think of a use.

Our first stop was an early mission church.  We could get off “Le Truck” to take photographs, but the church was closed, because it was Thursday, or some other religiously obscure reason.  Luckily, it had stopped raining and the views of the countryside and the church were very photogenic.

Early Protestant Mission Church

No Visitors Allowed.  Only the Godly.

Our next stop was a local home-based factory which produced tie-dyed pareu.  The family had set out trays of local fruits – banana, mango, papaya, coconut, and star fruit -- and made beautiful tropical flower arrangements.  Gathering up the 25 or so of us, we were given a demonstration of tie-dying and stamping designs for fabric.  The processes were Interesting, but not nearly as interesting as consuming wonderful fresh fruits.   Some of the people on the tour complained about the commercial pitch – the pareus were for sale.  But, J & E didn’t mind.  We just kept eating fresh mango and papaya and considered the demonstration the price.  Cheap, when you know a mango can cost anywhere from $2.50 up.

Tropical Fruit Snacks

I’ll just stand here and browse.  Thank you.

Tie Dyed, Pareu Demonstration

Your choice of patterns and colors.

We continued around Bora Bora, making occasional stops.  Some were for scenic views and others for interesting creatures, such as land crabs.  (It’s a small island.  What you want, lions?)  Our final stop was at the most famous restaurant/bar on the island – Bloody Mary’s,  Bloody Mary’s is named for the comic character from James Michener’s, “Tales of the South Pacific,” and made famous in the musical comedy by Rogers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.”  Remember the song, “Bloody Mary is the Girl I Love?”  Basically, Bloody Mary’s was just a large, tourist-trap bar that served food.  Because it was not yet noon, only the bar and the gift shop were open.  Is seems that tourists will buy booze and t-shirts at any hour of the day or night.  J and E wandered about and looked at the celebrity endorsements, but we were not impressed enough to buy the t-shirt.

Land Carbs Inspecting Tourists

You know, I don’t think they’re edible. (Translated from French)

Bora Bora, Scenic Views

Except for the clouds and rain, just like the post cards.

Bloody Mary’s Entrance

E with her wind-blown, damp-hair look.  Just perfect for the occasion.

During the two-plus hours to travel the 20 miles circling the island, rain squalls had come ashore intermittently, but had not kept us confined to “Le Truck.”  However, leaving Bloody Mary’s, the rain began to fall in sheets.  This continued for the entire 15-minute trip back to the wharf. 

On arriving at the wharf, there was no tender in sight, so we had to hide among the curio/handicraft vendors in the local crafts market near the wharf.  (Not that getting inside was really very important; we were already soaked.)  When the tender finally docked, it was back out into the rain and into the tender, where we joined about 50 other half-drowned passengers for the return voyage to the Silver Whisper.  The rest of the day the sky continued to fall, and there was no way to avoid near drowning if you went on deck or ashore.

Upon returning to the ship, first a hot shower was in order, then a hot cappuccino or maybe two, and a hot lunch; finally, almost warm again.  We know it is not cold at 60 Deg. F for most people, but it is like freezing winter for a wet Hawaii man.

At 5:30pm, Silver Whisper upped anchor, sailed out of Bora Bora lagoon, and set course west-southwest for Rarotonga, Cook Islands.  It was still raining.