Sat 18 Nov through Mon 20 Nov

We sat around a big part of the day, went for lunch at the beach, and then flew back from Bora Bora to Papeete. There are 7 of us flying to San Francisco, and we had a five hour layover before continuing on to Toronto. After checking in at the airport and waiting in the lounge we were told there would be a 10 min. delay, then many more announcements for more delays. Apparently the lights showing emergency path to exits don't work.  Excuses ranged from 6 techs working on it, borrowing a part, blah blah. We were supposed to take off at 8:40. They finally canceled the flight at nearly 2 am. They said there were no hotels available so they put a pile of cots/camp beds in a building next to airport. It was 3 a.m. by the time that was sorted out, I laid there all night listening to snores! I am not impressed.  We managed to get a day room at a hotel but can't get in it until 1pm, it's now 9am. It's going to be another one of those days. Rescheduled flight is 11:45 tonight. The hotel tell us they did have rooms last night. Damn United Airlines. I haven't forgotten we had a 4 hr delay coming here too. We spent the day hanging around the hotel, getting some sleep and going out for lunch with another couple who were stuck there too. We finally arrived back in Toronto Monday evening, 24 hours late. We’ll put that down to experience.

Fri 17 Nov

Today was a special day, it’s our last day touring together as a group, and we will be spending a big chunk of it in the Blue Lagoon of Bora Bora. We met our lagoon cruiser (boat) at the pier of our hotel at 9:20 a.m., and we met Captain Tao, who would show us around. Our first stop was near the reef, the water was so clear and light blue. This is where the mantra rays were swimming. Most of us got in the water, in our snorkel gear. I was a bit nervous (first time) and hadn’t gone far from the ladder yet. Captain Tao could see I was nervous and came to coach me. He held onto my hands, told me to relax and that he wouldn’t let me go. He was very assuring! So I did it - they come close and I stroked them several times, they are very soft and smooth. I got my head down in the water and had a good look at them 👍 WOW, so elegant.

Our next stop was called the coral garden, I got into the water again and could see hundreds of multi-coloured fish around us. A lot were striped, and different sizes. The third stop was to swim with the black tipped lagoon sharks (reef sharks) - this one I passed as the water seemed really deep. Ian got in for the experience but a lot of us were content to watch from the boat. We could clearly see about 11 of them swimming around the boat, they didn’t bother anyone. They looked to be about 4-5 feet long.

After all that excitement we went to a private ‘motu’ (islet) for lunch. We had rice, bbq chicken, beef and marlin - all delicious. Followed by fruit and coconut cake. We sat at a big picnic table in the water and dangled our feet amongst the little fishes, who we soon discovered, liked to eat any food we dropped - such as rice. Captain Tao had serenaded us on the boat with his songs and ukulele playing, he did so again after lunch, along with his cousin who’d organized the bbq lunch.

We returned to the hotel about 3 p.m. for a rest before meeting at 5 for drinks, watching the sunset and our last dinner.

Thursday 16 Nov

We had a circular island tour today in Le Truck, and traveled the coast road and went through many small villages. There are about 10,000 people living and working here, some at resorts, some as fishermen, mechanics etc. It is busy compared to the smaller islands we’ve been on recently. It is not a cheap destination, understandable as almost everything has to be shipped in. They do a good job keeping things clean and tidy, some things are shipped to Australia for recycling.

We toured the island, stopping many times for photos, and once for some fruit sampling and a demonstration of painting local Pareos. They needed a model so it was an opportunity to see me in a skirt - guess you all missed it 😎. We passed the bungalow Marlon Brando rented when he was here in the 60’s filming The Bounty (it is now an air B&B). Our final stop was at Bloody Mary’s, a famous bar and restaurant. There is a list of famous peoples names who have been here - Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, James Cameron, Denzel Washington. It was only 11:30 but we decided it was the perfect time for cocktails/beer. There is a wall full of dollar bills people have signed, so of course our group did a group dollar signing. Someone will have to return in a few years and see if it’s still here! They will soon be building a bigger place as it is so popular. We then went back to the hotel for free time for the remainder of the day. We are having a rest, then spending time on the beach, in the water, then a late afternoon meal and another beer I think.

 

Wed 15 Nov

This morning we disembarked from the ship. The crew was very busy, getting everyone‘s luggage off the ship and organizing transfers. We left shortly after 9:00 and headed to the airport at Papeete, only about 10 minutes away, for our flight to Bora Bora, the best known of the Society Islands. The flight was about 50 mins. and we had wonderful views from the plane. Bora Bora consists of a main island, two smaller volcanic isles and numerous flat coral islets (known as motus) that fashion a semi-circular wreath around half the main island. When we landed we quickly retrieved our luggage and transferred to a water shuttle taking us across the lagoon close to our hotel, we then boarded Le Truck to our hotel. We were once again met with Lei’s and cold fruit juice drinks as we checked in. Our rooms are built on the hillside and overlooks the water. We had a late lunch and spent some time on the beach. We paddled in the clear water and watched the fish swimming around us. There is a little coral (they are trying to grow again) and a few rocks, but it is very easy to wade out. Some of the group were snorkeling, but we’d just eaten so decided to wait. Later, the group went for dinner to Lucky House, a ten minute walk away. I had lagoon fish which was light and tasty.

Mon 13 Nov - At Sea

 Today was our spent at sea as we returned the 1000 miles back towards Tahiti. It was a lazy day, sitting in the shade with a book and going for food or drink every few hours 😀

Tue 14 Nov

 We arrived this morning at Rangiroa, we entered through a narrow channel in the lagoon. We went in on the barges and they landed on the edge of the beach, dropped down the front and we walked off. We found a good tree with some shade, as the sun was really hot. Most people went in the water and swam or snorkeled. The was both sand and coral so some areas were a bit bumpy to wade in. The crew set up a picnic lunch under some sun shelters for us. There aren’t many people live here but four local (very skinny) dogs appeared and waited patiently for scraps. I think this happens every few weeks when the ship arrives. There was also a French naval ship anchored in the area, not sure why, maybe they were having a break.

We returned to the ship mid afternoon and have now set sail again for Papeete, Tahiti - we will arrive in the morning and will disembark.

Sun 12 Nov

We arrived on the island of Fatu Hiva this morning. There was an option of a 10 mile hike . . . we declined, or free time in the village of Omoa, which sounded better. We left in the barge at 8 a.m., there was the usual community welcome with the villagers in a square selling their wares and a group of musicians. There was a demo of Tapa, which involves stripping of the outer bark of a piece of wood,and peeling back the inner bark. It is then beaten with a piece of wood making it thinner, this makes a tap tap sound, hence the name. Once it has dried completely they paint pictures on it. The villages are similar that they are small, usually have a nice church and a general store. The people are very friendly and the children were pointing out the way to the centre. After the visit we returned to the ship for a buffet lunch on one of the decks while we sailed around a bay and anchored near the village of Hanavave. We again went ashore - we are getting very good at jumping in and out of the barges. We are always welcomed with a flower to put behind our ear, often a gardenia. We had a demo of how the women make coconut oil with a floral fragrance in it. Non for sale today though, it’s all been sent to Papeete for a special conference.

We had a Farewell to the Marquesas, with musical entertainment, on the deck as we sailed away. We said our goodbyes by throwing a flower into the sea - if it doesn’t sink this means we will return one day.

Sat 11 Nov

We’ve had another busy day - who said cruising was lazy! I was worried I’d finish my book and have nothing to read, I’ve barely read half a dozen pages.

We are still on the island of Hiva Oa but we’ve sailed around to Puamau on the other side. We took the barges at 8:30 to go ashore to visit the archaeological site Te l’lpona. The sea was a bit rough and it was quite the feat to get us all onboard and off safely on the pier. No injuries 😎. Once ashore we took 4x4’s for the short drive. We were told not to sit on any red stones or walk on the top platform (that was only for the elite). Of course the French don’t listen and had to be told off several times. Our guide said the spirits will get their own back, those people won’t be able to pee pee later 🤣. Time will tell. The site has large tikis (next in size to Easter Island). Sacrifices were made here! At least there doesn’t appear to be any more cannibals.

We then walked down and had an opportunity to swim before going back on the ship. We had lunch while we sailed to another island, Tahuata, which is only 4 km away, and the smallest island in the archipelago. We went ashore again (not as rough) and visited the main village of Vaittahu. There was a lady yelling welcome (in Marquesan) and a guy blowing a horn. We went to the covered square and there were musicians playing guitars and ukuleles, and locally made handicrafts for sale. Lots of wood carvings and also bone carvings - very intricate work. We also went in the Catholic Church, the style was again beautiful woods and river rock, and a large stained glass window behind the alter. Our guide sung three songs, he does like to sing but he does have a good voice. On the walk back we passed a plaque commemorating the French landing here in 1595. We took the barges back to the ship again, very easy this time. Showers and a rest were on the list! While having dinner tonight we could see some of the crew, through the window, and they were fishing, so after dinner we went out and hung out with them for a while. They caught five yellowfin tuna (they kept) and a barracuda (they threw back). One caught something big but it broke the line.

Fri 10 Nov - HIVA OA

We docked at Atuona, on the island of Hiva Oa this morning. It is the second largest village in the Marquesas. After breakfast you could either walk up to the cemetery or go on the bus provided. As it was all uphill, and 28C, we decided on the bus. The cemetery is of great interest to the French passengers as the artist Paul Gauguin, and Belgian singer-composer Jacques Brel are buried here. Both had simple graves. It is in a lovely spot, with sweeping views of the harbour. 

After that we walked down into town and visited the Gauguin museum, where there are copies of many of his paintings - the originals are in art galleries around the world. We had a look around the village before heading back to the ship for lunch and a rest.

We had the option of going back ashore this afternoon but decided to rest and watch the guys at work unloading/loading cargo. They are kept so busy and are experts at using the cranes and tow motors- picking them up and positioning them within inches.

Thur 9 Nov

We sailed through part of the night and reached the island of Ua Huka. We entered a small bay/channel (Vaipaee), backwards, and the crewmen had to do some daring maneuvers to tie up the ship to both sides. Two men entered the water on a small pontoon, with a motor, and one had to jump onto the cliff edge to tie up to the concrete post, both sides.

Once we’d watched that we had a quick breakfast before going ashore. We all had to take the little boats. The sea was rough and we had to hold hands with the seamen and jump into the boat when told! I was glad they knew what they’re doing.

Once on land we got into 4x4’s to explore part of the island. The coast line is craggy and rocky, the water is beautiful shades of blue. There are only 670 inhabitants here, but during the day we went to an arboretum, a cultural centre, handicraft store, a few museums, and stopped at various viewpoints along the way. We ended with a buffet lunch at a local family restaurant. After that it was 4x4’s back into town and a return to the ship or a hike first. The villages we visited were Hokatu and Hane. It was another very hot day, with the humidity building, we were glad of our showers when we got back. The ship departed and anchored in a bay just around the corner for the night.

Wed 8 Nov

The ship sailed at 4 a.m. this morning and we reached the village of Hakahau, on the island of Ua Pou while having breakfast. We could see the soaring mountain spires, unique to Ua Pou, it is often called The Cathedral Island.

We had signed up for a hike up the hill to the cross for terrific lookout views, that started at 8 a.m. to avoid the heat. Good job the base of the cross at the top had some steps, which made good seating to rest for a while. We then went for a walk around the cultural centre and looked at the local handicrafts. There was lots of jewelry, wood carvings and flower stone carvings. We bought a tortoise carved from flower stone, which is only available here and in Brazil. After that there was local music to listen to, and local fruits to taste (served on a banana leaf), followed by a Marquesan show (like the Haka), which seems to get more fierce as we go along. We then went for a local buffet lunch, which seems to be the best way to feed everyone from the ship (separated by language again). We then walked to the church and looked at the beautiful wood carvings, due to the temperature here there are open areas to allow the breezes through. 

We then returned to the ship and changed into swimsuits to go have a paddle/swim in the bay where we are docked. There was lots of unloading of cargo again today, and local kids playing in the water for hours right next to the boat. The water was lovely and warm, very refreshing.

Tue 7 Nov

After sailing 1,000 miles from our last stop at Fakarava, we reached Nuku Hiva early this morning, our first island in the Marquesas. We had to set our watches 30 minutes ahead (which caused lots of confusion because mobile phones/smart watches didn’t do automatically). We disembarked at 7:30, down the gangplank as we’d docked at a wharf in Taiohae Bay, the tiny administrative capital of the Marquesas. (This is where Herman Melville, a 23 year old sailor, jumped a whaling ship in 1842 and later wrote Typee and Moby Dick)

The island is quite big and covered with lush green jungle. The houses look very smart and inviting. We got into groups of four and then got into 4x4 vehicles, all driven by Polynesian women. Our first stop was at the Cathedral of Taiohae, we couldn’t get inside, but did manage to look in several doors (they were doing a re-furb). We then went to see performers put on a welcome song and dance, complete with drums, grass skirts etc., they were quite fierce looking. We then continued touring the island, we went very high up on hairpin bend roads and had several photo stops - the scenery was awesome. Next we went to an archeological site of Mea’e Kamuihei in the jungle, with its giant banyans and  petroglyphs. The Nono bugs and Mosquitoes were ferocious here. After that we had a traditional Marquesan lunch and a very welcome beer. It is very humid here and quite hot, but luckily it was overcast and that kept the heat down. After that we were dropped off back in the village were we could wander around, or shop, before walking back to the ship. We passed the French Governor’s house, overlooking the bay, with lovely gardens, and further along a well kept cemetery. When we got to the ship, there was still some unloading of cargo going on.

Mon 6 nov

Today was an ‘At Sea’ day. After breakfast we went to a talk about our day trip onto Nuka Hiva tomorrow, so we know what to expect. Then we relaxed and chatted with a few other English speaking passengers before having lunch at 12. At 2 pm our group met on the bridge, as Chris had arranged for the Captain to give us a tour and answer questions. The Captain was French, age 33, married with a young baby, and had been in his role on the Aranui5 for two years. He works two months then has two months off, as do many of his crew. We were with him almost an hour. His uniform was a white golf shirt with the captains bars visible on his chest, and shorts - not what we expected. There was a lecture, a Tahiti dance class and a Ukulele class also scheduled but we gave them a miss. We are meeting the group for happy hour and Chris is going to talk about Migration in Oceania before we have dinner.

 

Sun 5 nov

We arrived at the island of Fakarava today. We anchored in the lagoon, near the village of Rotoava. We went ashore on small boats from the ship. There was a group of welcoming musicians on the pier, and a cultural centre was open for the sale of jewelry and handicrafts. 

There were various options for people today: swimming, snorkeling, bike riding. We chose to walk alongside the beach, then back into the village and looked in a church, and also watch a coconut demo which showed the differences between older and new coconuts, the fibre inside, and the difference between the water and making coconut milk. We took the boat back to the ship and managed to shower while we were still anchored (and not moving). Once everyone was scanned ‘as back on board’ we set sail for the Marquesas. We all sat on the back deck for an hour before dinner, and the crew were all presented to us. There are 130 of them, are they are all very friendly and like to chat to us, big smiles all the time. There are 175 passengers, mostly French, and 32 English speakers. We’ve been put into two separate groups (by language) for talks and visits ashore.

 

Saturday 4 November - transfer to the ship

 Today we took the ferry back to Papeete at 11:15, arriving on time to board our ship, the Aranui 5, at 12:15. We get checked into our cabins and set sail at 4 p.m. The ship was built in 2015, a custom-built, passenger/freighter that sails from Tahiti to the Marquesas, Tuamotu and Society Islands in French Polynesia. The ship has 103 cabins, a restaurant, two lounges, two conference rooms, a small pool, boutique, a gym and Sky Bar with panoramic views. It is the main supply line to this archipelago. Our cabins are spacious with private balconies. This will be our home for 11 nights. 

Friday 3 November - Moorea island tour

 We left the hotel this morning and drove around the coast road of Moorea. It is smaller than Tahiti and we took about three hours. The first stop was the pineapple factory, where they make juices and also many liquors and wine. It was only 9:30 but we didn’t have a problem sampling about eight different drinks - they were very free and easy with the samples. I’d have to say my favourite was a coconut one, very smooth. We got back on the bus but I don’t remember where we went next (just kidding). We stopped for a few photo’s at some scenic spots, including Opunohu Bay and Mt. Rotui. We then had a free afternoon at the hotel, which we used to sort out our luggage as we leave to board the ship in the morning. We also went in our private plunge pool just outside in the garden and practiced using the snorkel gear and floating - we haven’t been in a pool for about four years so it was good to make sure we could manage it! 

While on the ship, for 11 nights and internet access will be spotty, I will update the blog as I can..