Life’s Not Always a Beach - October 19

We were planning to get a day pass at the Hilton Moorea today, but. . . .

When we woke up it was POURING and the wind was blowing at 15 mph. The hour by hour forecast was 50-60% chance of rain all day. We could see ominous black clouds in one direction. 

We made the decision not to go ashore. This is a tender port — we would have to be ferried ashore by one of the ship’s tenders or lifeboats. It is a tedious process. Then we would have had to take a taxi to and from the Hilton. If it stops raining, everything will be wet for awhile.  So we decided to stay on the ship. If the sun comes out, we can go to the pool.

Appropriately, today’s cappuccino was a snail. It symbolized our speed today.

Moorea is 8 miles from Tahiti. Moorea and Tahiti are part of an archipelago called the Society Islands. The Society Islands are part of French Polynesia, which is a “French overseas collectivity.” In other words, French Polynesia is not an independent country, but has some sort of administrative relationship with France. The people of French Polynesia have French passports, though French Polynesia has its own flag. The flag includes an outrigger with five figures representing the five archipelagos, and a disc depicting the sun and the sea.

Moorea is less developed than Tahiti. It is very beautiful with its dramatic volcanic ridges and lush greenery. We are anchored in a scenic U-shaped bay. The tender pier is located at one end of the U, and the Hilton is located at the other end. You must drive along the entire length of the U to get from the port to the Hilton, and it costs about $25-30 US each way, and then you have to pay for the day passes.

We went to the Moorea Hilton several years ago. It had picturesque over-water bungalows in a crystal-clear lagoon that was never more than chest deep. We wanted to go back and spend the day sitting on the beach there, but we wanted the sun to be out when we did so.

It’s silly to avoid the beach because it is raining, as if you wouldn’t be getting wet on a sunny day. Isn’t that half the fun of going to the beach? But who wants to go to the beach when it’s pouring?

View towards the pier, from our ship

These are some of the Hilton’s bungalows, as seen from our ship.

View toward the bottom of the U

In the afternoon the sun came out, so we took the tender into “town” to walk around. The town was tiny, the pier was incredibly crowded, and there was no place to walk on the narrow road leading from the pier. We browsed at a small market at the pier and went back to the ship as soon as possible.

A small church near the pier

Back on our ship we watched a man paddle a small outrigger across the bay, and as we left our anchorage, a whale surfaced nearby. The sun came out and lit up the lagoon and bungalows. It seemed so peaceful, uncomplicated, and unspoiled.

  

Today’s fabric is Natural Healing Batiks - Dot Teal Ravine, by Kathy Engle for Island Batik.