Well, our first 10-day French Polynesian cruise is over and we say goodbye to 10 of our friends and family members as they go back to Atlanta. Seven of us continue for 17 more days to Los Angeles as we visit a view more stops in French Polynesia and Hawaii. After going off the ship with our friends that were leaving us, the other 7 took a taxi to a resort on the west side of the island where we are being picked up by Kali to take us on a tour of the island. Kali was one of our previous guides when we were doing some pre-cruise tours and had taken us around Tahiti in jet skis. This time he was taking us around in a nice motorboat that comfortably fit all 7 of us.
Initially we headed a little south to avoid some rain on the other side of the island and once again watched some of the spinner dolphin swimming around while asleep. Kali was somewhat angered by one of the French guides that was driving his boat too fast towards the dolphins. He said that some of the new French guides did not show enough respect for the island and its wonderful wildlife. Kali is a native Moorean who wears his tattoos proudly and maintains many of his native traditions. He is one of the people on the island that would prefer their independence from France.
After the rain clouds moved away, we headed east to the other side of the island. We went right past our cruise ship and went by many cargo ships in port. One of the ships, the Aranui 5, was unique in that it was both a cruise ship and cargo ship going island to island dropping off supplies while entertaining cruise passengers around the French Polynesian Islands. Along the way we passed some sea caves that you can crawl from one side of a narrow peninsula on the island to the other side. We were told though that the passage requires you to crawl in spots on your hands and knees and can be a bit claustrophobic (definitely, not for us!). After about an hour or two of going around the island we came to Pointe Venus which is at the end of Matavai Bay.
Pointe Venus was where Captain Cook arrived in 1769 when he was chartered to calculate the distance between the earth and the planet Venus. This promontory in Tahiti was one of the places he put an observatory to take his measurements. Pointe Venus is also where the Protestant missionaries came ashore 28 years later to make their mark on the French Polynesian islands. They forbid people to worship other religions, to speak other languages other than French, and told the natives they were no longer allowed to have tattoos on their bodies. Kali explained to us the religious significance of tattoos and how you got your first one as a teenager in a temple with a special ceremony. After you received your tattoo, you paraded around the tribe to show off your new tattoos. Tattoos in French Polynesia are very sacred and tell your whole life story.
Pointe Venus was a nice place to walk around. There was a black sand beach all the way around the promontory. We had some great views of the Tahitian mountains across Matavai Bay. The girls found a nice shopping area there and each one of them bought some sarongs which they later wore on the ship. There was a large lighthouse on the point, and the whole area was a very popular place for people to visit on the weekend with families everywhere having a good time. When we were done exploring, we went back to the boat and Kali fed us some fresh fruit he had prepared. Pineapple, coconuts, bananas, mangos, and papaya were the primary fruits that grew plentiful in the area although they also had passion fruit and bread fruit along with a very unusual looking red ball fruit called lychee. Kali showed us how he cut and prepared the pineapple and mangos in a unique way.
We headed out on the boat again back to where we came from. Along the way we passed some floating bars which are rented out to groups to have parties out on the water. There are many of these floating bars with thatched roofs floating around the Papeete lagoon at least a half mile off shore. On this day we saw one group of guys in one and a group of just girls in another. There was one floating bar that just seemed to have several families having a good time. It was just another way for people to get out on the water and have a good time. We stopped near one of these floating bars to do a little snorkeling. It is amazing how shallow the water is in this large lagoon that surrounds the island and how many fish and coral reefs abound. We went by the Hilton on the way back and thought we saw a few of our group sitting around the pool enjoying a few drinks before they headed out very early the next morning. Kali didn’t take us back to the resort but instead took us right to the cruise ship. We stopped almost right under the bow of our ship and climbed up some steps to get up to the large pier. What service! It was another great tour, to start our next cruise. Not too many port stops on this cruise but a lot of sea days to relax after we had been so busy the last couple of weeks snorkeling, riding ATV’s, bike riding, and doing so many other things.
Just a few more blogs to go to finish this wonderful adventure!
Regards,
Sharon and Greg
Initially we headed a little south to avoid some rain on the other side of the island and once again watched some of the spinner dolphin swimming around while asleep. Kali was somewhat angered by one of the French guides that was driving his boat too fast towards the dolphins. He said that some of the new French guides did not show enough respect for the island and its wonderful wildlife. Kali is a native Moorean who wears his tattoos proudly and maintains many of his native traditions. He is one of the people on the island that would prefer their independence from France.
After the rain clouds moved away, we headed east to the other side of the island. We went right past our cruise ship and went by many cargo ships in port. One of the ships, the Aranui 5, was unique in that it was both a cruise ship and cargo ship going island to island dropping off supplies while entertaining cruise passengers around the French Polynesian Islands. Along the way we passed some sea caves that you can crawl from one side of a narrow peninsula on the island to the other side. We were told though that the passage requires you to crawl in spots on your hands and knees and can be a bit claustrophobic (definitely, not for us!). After about an hour or two of going around the island we came to Pointe Venus which is at the end of Matavai Bay.
Pointe Venus was where Captain Cook arrived in 1769 when he was chartered to calculate the distance between the earth and the planet Venus. This promontory in Tahiti was one of the places he put an observatory to take his measurements. Pointe Venus is also where the Protestant missionaries came ashore 28 years later to make their mark on the French Polynesian islands. They forbid people to worship other religions, to speak other languages other than French, and told the natives they were no longer allowed to have tattoos on their bodies. Kali explained to us the religious significance of tattoos and how you got your first one as a teenager in a temple with a special ceremony. After you received your tattoo, you paraded around the tribe to show off your new tattoos. Tattoos in French Polynesia are very sacred and tell your whole life story.
Pointe Venus was a nice place to walk around. There was a black sand beach all the way around the promontory. We had some great views of the Tahitian mountains across Matavai Bay. The girls found a nice shopping area there and each one of them bought some sarongs which they later wore on the ship. There was a large lighthouse on the point, and the whole area was a very popular place for people to visit on the weekend with families everywhere having a good time. When we were done exploring, we went back to the boat and Kali fed us some fresh fruit he had prepared. Pineapple, coconuts, bananas, mangos, and papaya were the primary fruits that grew plentiful in the area although they also had passion fruit and bread fruit along with a very unusual looking red ball fruit called lychee. Kali showed us how he cut and prepared the pineapple and mangos in a unique way.
We headed out on the boat again back to where we came from. Along the way we passed some floating bars which are rented out to groups to have parties out on the water. There are many of these floating bars with thatched roofs floating around the Papeete lagoon at least a half mile off shore. On this day we saw one group of guys in one and a group of just girls in another. There was one floating bar that just seemed to have several families having a good time. It was just another way for people to get out on the water and have a good time. We stopped near one of these floating bars to do a little snorkeling. It is amazing how shallow the water is in this large lagoon that surrounds the island and how many fish and coral reefs abound. We went by the Hilton on the way back and thought we saw a few of our group sitting around the pool enjoying a few drinks before they headed out very early the next morning. Kali didn’t take us back to the resort but instead took us right to the cruise ship. We stopped almost right under the bow of our ship and climbed up some steps to get up to the large pier. What service! It was another great tour, to start our next cruise. Not too many port stops on this cruise but a lot of sea days to relax after we had been so busy the last couple of weeks snorkeling, riding ATV’s, bike riding, and doing so many other things.
Just a few more blogs to go to finish this wonderful adventure!
Regards,
Sharon and Greg
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