French Polynesia Postcards: MOOREA, Cook's Bay

How many candles are on those brownies?!

Celebrating Art's birthday at Cook's Bay on the island of Moorea:

Banana beignets for breakfast,

in a spectacular setting

A Polynesian dance show was the perfect gift

After the show the musicians sang Happy Birthday to Art and the four gorgeous women shimmied in a circle around him. What a memorable evening!

Format change?

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With extended stay visas in hand, we get to explore French Polynesia until it's safe to sail on to Oahu (after Hawaii's hurricane season). Itinerary is very fluid; we'll spend most of our time in the Society Island group, then retrace our route through the Tuamotu and back to the Marquesas--now our point of departure rather than our point of arrival.

We're excited about visiting places we had to bypass in 2015. That said, from the blog's--and therefore your--point of view, much will look the same. We don't want to repeat ourselves, and we think that at least in the well-travelled Societies we'll have internet access more frequently than we did in other island nations. Hence a format change: we'll try uploading fewer photos more often (with explanatory text rarely needed).

So: here are postcards from our first stop, Tahiti!

Mape trees at the Botanical Gardens

The largest tiki in Polynesia outside of Easter Island,
moved to the Gauguin Museum from Raivavae
 (the museum is permanently closed, but we..ahem..found a way in)

Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands

Roulottes (food trucks), downtown Papeete

Autonomy Day Parade
(red-and-white flowered patterns are ubuquitous in Tahiti)

An open rehearsal for Heiva i Tahiti
(their musicians are pictured above)

"The Most Beautiful Island in the South Pacific"

Or so Raivavae is described in sources as diverse as the Lonely Planet Guide and
Charlie's Charts of Polynesia. Since all the islands we've seen have been beautiful, how can one make that judgment?

We found the answer to that question. Raivavae has steep volcanic peaks, lush jungles, and a jewel-blue lagoon. It is as dramatic as legendary Bora Bora, but without all the resorts and crowds. We stayed two weeks, just living.

Everything was huge:
flowers, leaves, trees

Yards along the road were well groomed
(note bananas and papaya overhead)

There are only about 1000 residents on the island,
most of whom keep busy raising food for export
(taro field, above)

A typical house: bicycle, satellite dish, great backdrop

One day we rented bikes ($3 each) and rode around the island (+/- 15 miles).
How to feel like a kid again: a purple bike, with foot brakes!

Scene along the road:
outrigger canoe, bananas on sticks in the water (to keep bugs away),
motu--small islets--out at reef's edge

After-church finery
(I love the hats!)

People work hard to keep yards and the road clean;
this man is carrying old banana fronds on a wheelbarrow to dump in the jungle

The closest motu to the anchorage is Moto Tuitui;
we dinghied there for a picnic.

Motu Tuitui as seen from a nearby ridge,
with the wide ocean beyond

How did we get up the ridge?
 By wielding a machete to clear the nearly hidden trail,

and pulling ourselves up
with a conveniently placed cable.

Harvesting pamplemousse, our favorite FP fruit.
They grow everywhere here, and we were told we could take
as much as we wanted. Yay!!

One of the four little grocery stores along the perimeter road;
no set hours, but when the gate is open, the store is open.

This is one entire aisle, and there are three aisles.
No fresh items needed since everyone can get fruit, vegetables and chickens from their yards!

These large stones are the remains of a marae (open air temple);
there are many on Raivavae, but they are not cleared 

This tiki, however, is well cared for.
It is the only one left on Raivavae, and many believe it still possesses mana (spirit power).

Okay, here's yet another sunset photo.
But this was our view from the cockpit every evening,
and we wanted you to see it too!
(add your own gin & tonic)