TAHITI and BORA BORA

Why is it that just the mention of Tahiti brings thoughts of paradise, beautiful women in grass skirts and outlandish French artists living the Bohemian life style? It just ain’t so! Papeete is a traffic clogged city with very few tourist amenities such as street cafes and the like. Civility rules, but just barely. Set at the base of an extinct volcano, it is an architecturally uninspiring sprawl. We’ve been here before and opted to ride the public bus around the island. No air conditioning and seats that look like they were part of a feeding program for unwanted dogs. Not a single seat back was intact, foam and vinyl strips blowing in the breeze from the open windows. For 700 French Polynesian Francs ( about $9.00 ) we rode along the coastline for 70 km each way, seeing life as it is in this island nation.
Just before arriving at the turnaround point, we ran into a high school letting out, around 12:00 noon! The bus immediately became a school bus for the remainder of the journey. Have you ever been on the T at home when a bunch of high school kids get on at one stop? They take over the car and are generally so noisy you can’t hear yourself think. Not these kids. They took seats and did not speak to each other the entire trip. Their only communication was upon exiting at their homes, giving a hand signal of a fist with the thumb and little finger extending outwards, similar to what you see in Hawaii.
When we reached the turnaround point, which was on a dead end street in a residential area, the driver promptly grabbed his lunch box and exited without a word. Fifteen minutes later he reappeared and commenced the arduous undertaking of transporting us back to Papeete. We spent a total of four and ½ hours on this trip and got to really see the countryside and living conditions away from the city.
Tahiti’s beaches are all volcanic, having black sand. They lack the beauty of a white sand beach as the sun’s reflection on the sand below the water makes the water color gray instead of the beautiful shades of turquoise seen elsewhere.
Bora Bora is an overnight tender stop. Built up somewhat since we were last here in 1990 but still ranks as one of the most expensive destinations on earth. Thatched roof huts extended out over the water run around $1200 a night in season. About the only reasonable buy here is South Sea Island Pearls and that would appear to be a result of competition. Since we’re here overnight, we thought we might go ashore and get ripped off for a nice dinner with wine. Gina says if we want to get ripped off for wine, we might just as well stay on the ship!
Drinks are so expensive on the ship that the bar stewards are not making any money. People are just pouring wine in their rooms and taking the glass to dinner with them. I personally have purchased only two glasses of champagne and one beer since boarding three weeks ago. Happy hours have suddenly appeared, two for one drinks at certain hours. People buy, the wait staff makes their tips and everybody is happy. The Carnival Corporation business plan isn’t working with these folks.
Day two in Bora Bora was spent at the beach, a $5.00 open air truck ride from the port. You can walk away from shore on this beach for at least a mile without going over your head. Looking back at the verdant mountains looming over the beach, one gets a view unequaled in my experience. Bottom line – Bora Bora is expensive and unique in its beauty.
Joe Wagg