For the last leg of the trip we left the Marquesas and headed south first to the island of Makatea in the Tuamotos and then to Bora Bora.
Christmas Eve and our visit to Makatea was a disaster from start to finish. This island, a coral atoll of massive white cliffs, was once an industrial powerhouse with a thriving phosphate mining industry. The island boasted a train, shops and a school. When the industry collapsed, the island was soon deserted. There are only about 60 people living there now. Not to be mean, but I am not sure why anyone would stay on this island.
The plan was to stop at a scenic look out, visit an underground cave with a natural pool to swim in, and then get to a picnic where the locals were to provide us with a feast and ukulele music. Everyone was invited to take the three-mile hike to the picnic spot. Those who could not make the walk would get a ride. That included us.
After days of sunshine, the weather turned and it was raining. Not showers, but tropical, drenching, pouring rain. We had on rain jackets but clearly not enough to withstand the fall. On the boat from the ship to the dock, the water was rough with cresting waves that slammed into us. We got off blessed by the sea water. And the rain continued. We found our SUV ride and got in. Then things fell apart.
For some reason, the driver of the SUV drove us a little way and then told us to exit the car. He was speaking French but since all of the French people started to walk, we gathered that he told us to walk. We thought maybe we were just going to a nearby building to wait. But there was nowhere to stop. We just kept walking…and walking…and walking on a dirt road through a jungle. We caught up with the people who were voluntarily hiking, which was concerning. No one in our group was prepared for a walk or a downpour. The hikers were unprepared for rain too. One guy had a golf umbrella and I was jealous, but for the most part, people were wearing fully inadequate rain jackets or no jackets at all. Everyone was wet through.
Now I would like to say, gee, this was fun. Indeed, afterward, some people on the boat proclaimed to us that it was such a fun time to walk in the rain. But honestly, I thought they were nuts. It was a cold rain, there was wind, and everyone was soaked. If that is your idea of fun, well, more power to you. It was not fun for us and for those who were not supposed to be walking to begin with, it was very unpleasant.
After we walked about a mile, we came upon some guides and I proceeded to lay into them. I asked why we were walking when we were supposed to be riding. They explained that the SUV had been going back and forth to the boat landing, and we were to have waited for the SUV to come and pick us up again if we did not want to walk. That was not what we were told and I was furious. They agreed to find us a ride to the picnic area. When we arrived, there were already many, many people from the boat who had been driven there, sitting under tents, dry as a bone. I guess, unlike us, they got the correct information. Eventually, the hikers straggled in, and we got ready for the food.
I have to say, we appreciated the locals who, despite the rain, provided the food and they kept us entertained with ukulele songs. The pork that came out of the barbecue was delicious. But nature did not care. We were tromping around in mud, trying to be positive but it was hard given we were cold, tired, and soaked. Even sitting under the tents was pretty miserable. There were not enough chairs. The rain kept pouring down. The tents roofs, weighted down with water, felt perilous. People worked to clear them but it was a difficult task.
After all that fun, it finally came time to get back to the ship. Everyone was lining up for first dibs on an SUV ride back to the dock. One of the guides who I had been having words with motioned for us to get in one of the trucks. The rain persisted and we continued to enjoy being drenched, waiting for the boat to come from the ship. I was shivering from the cold, and keep in mind, we were in the tropics! When we got back, I stood in the shower for a very long time, doing my best to empty the ship’s hot water tank .
But all is well with a little Happy Hour cocktail and ukulele music. It was Christmas Eve and Santa came to visit us in the lounge.
Then God granted us a gorgeous sunset and double rainbow. Check it out:
Christmas morning we woke up at Bora Bora, the volcanic atoll in the Tahitian Island chain. We had been to Bora Bora a few years before, so we were pretty familiar with it. The skies were dark and rain was again in the forecast. The morning was to be spent shopping in the village. We were concerned that the shops would be closed but no, there were too many cruise ships in the harbor to stay closed for Christmas. In fact, the cruise ships had landed so many people that it was actually crowded. We wandered around for a bit then returned to the ship.
There had been a beach lunch planned for our group, but those in charge allowed that we did not have to participate in another picnic in the rain. Smart move. It held off a mutiny.
In the afternoon, we were scheduled to go snorkeling. I had my doubts since it was raining but we figured if we are going to be in the water, what difference does it make? It turns out, it made a big difference. It was not just raining. It was storming. We stopped at a spot known for manta rays. As we started to swim, the seas began to swell, waves bobbing us up and down which made swimming difficult and snorkeling even more so as the water was topping over the breathing tube. The rain was coming down so hard it felt like sharp sleet on my back. The churning water became cloudy, which made snorkeling pointless.
I became concerned that if we went too far, returning back to the boat against the current in a storm would be difficult. I decided to turn us around. It was raining so hard we could not see the boat. I signaled to the guise and he led us back. Others quickly followed until there were only two people out. The rest of us stood on the boat with little cover waiting for their return. It was so cold that one woman went back in the water to wait. She was right: it was warmer in the water than on the boat. The captain finally returned and we went off to another snorkeling spot. The rain had eased and we all went in for a quick look around and to warm up. Sadly, in comparison to our last visit to the island, the coral did not look good and there were few fish. We were told that red algae blooms, and a cyclone had impacted much of the coral. All I can say is, this was not the most positive experience. Another hot shower helped me to recover from the chills.
That night was Christmas dinner. The dining room was packed, and the crew sang as we entered. What fun!
All in all, a Christmas I will not soon forget.
Our final day in Papeete Tahiti, I was pretty sick and Matt was starting to feel sick too. But we managed to check out the huge local market for after-Christmas shopping. Selling everything from food (fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood) to jewelry (lots of black pearls) to trinkets, my favorite part was the flower market section, an ikebanist’s dream.
And just for fun, the Town Hall and Administrative building with jungle fowl.
A Yank Among the Kiwis 