On Vacation

After about 36 hours of travel time, we are back in WI in time to experience the most perfect weather ever for Memorial Day weekend. We enjoy about 3 weeks vacationing in WI. seeing many of our favorite people in the world – and now we’re back to French Polynesia along with Owen, Sarah, Will, Sam & Eleanor after a few delays and finally landing in Raiatea. Quick grab all our luggage (yes, it all made it!), & take a taxi/van to the public dock where Nutmeg is awaiting. Cast off the dock lines and away we go to Taha’a to drop anchor, have lunch and snorkel off the stern. A beautiful snorkel for Eleanor’s first time and she proves to be a natural mermaid.

In the same lagoon as Raiatea is the smaller island of Taha’a, all encircled with many motus which are among the most gorgeous in Polynesia. During our “family week” we sail, snorkel, play games, read, nap, fish, eat well in spite of not catching any fish, enjoy sunset and happy hour and also visit the nearby island of Bora Bora. You can spend a pretty penny here for a luxurious hotel / overwater bungalow. Many are located on their private islet requiring special water shuttles to go anywhere and to get back to your bed. I think I’ll stay on Nutmeg – our very own floating island and all inclusive resort. On Bora Bora we enjoy some nice shopping in Vaitape and have a great lunch at Bloody Mary’s. With a beautiful blue lagoon and two majestic mountain peaks covered with lush green tropical trees & plants, overall, we find Bora Bora a bit boring – the snorkeling isn’t as good and the island lacks the small island character. A great place, however, if you are looking for that special luxurious resort vacay.

Back on Taha’a we dinghy into a restaurant’s dock and walk down the road to learn how black pearls are cultured at the Champon Pearl Farm. We receive a personal tour explaining how a small bead made from the shell of a mollusk from Mississippi is inserted into the Tahitian black-lipped oyster along with a small piece of mantle tissue. The process must be quick or the oyster may not survive. If the graft is accepted by the oyster it takes about 2 years to produce a pearl. At harvest, the grafter makes a second incision to remove the pearl. If the mother oyster is healthy and the grafter judges the quality of the harvested pearls satisfactory, the oyster is grafted again. One oyster can produce up to 5 pearls, one at a time. Black pearls are black or gray with shades of blue, green, silver and pink and are graded based on size and shape. We then had the privilege of a personal explanation of the farm's unique jewelry they produce and help picking out our favorite pieces.

On our way back to the dinghy we make reservations at the small family restaurant, Le Ficus, (where we had tied the dinghy) for a traditional Tahitian dinner and entertainment later that evening. What a fantastic experience! With about 30 other diners, Maria gathers us all around the in-ground pit oven where the evening meal had been prepared. She explains how the beef, pork, chicken and lagoon fish were all slowly cooked and covered with banana leaves and woven leaf matts to keep the heat and smoke in. They then serve the food buffet style along with many other traditional Tahitian options of plantains, taro and banana/tapioca dessert. During the meal we are entertained with musicians singing and playing Tahitian drums and ukeleles. Then arrive the female dancers shaking their booties to the fast beat of the drums joined by a young male dancer with energetic moves and strong thighs. Highlighting the evening is a fire dancer – a young man who started fire dancing 20 years ago when he was only 9. This is no “Marriott Tourist Event” but truly a Le Ficus family event honoring their grandmother who instilled pride of their heritage in each one of them. Tho Grandma, the matriarch, didn’t honor us with her appearance, she was certainly revered.

On our main excursion on Raiatea we dinghy up the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia, pulling the kayak and both SUP’s. We tie upriver to walk thru the Botanical Gardens of Faaroa, a delightful paradise of multiple varieties of tropical trees, flowers and shrubs. Our return voyage back on the kayak and SUP’s is a unique experience on the calm, clear waters in the heart of a beautiful and soothingly quiet rainforest.

Throughout the week we enjoy many great snorkels – with giant glowing clams, various butterfly fish, bright wrasse, clownfish huddled in their anemones, many colorful fish large and small, eels, rays and even swim up close with several shark. The most amazing snorkel is the Coral Garden of Tahaa, a crystal clear narrow channel between 2 motus. With a fairly strong current, we drift over multiple shallow coral heads surrounded by schools of fish; the show is intense.

The last morning here, Sam spots a whale visiting Raiatea and hanging out in the inner lagoon for some time – an early visit before the official whale season starts. The surprise visit helps bring happiness to the sad last day here - and another box Eleanor can check off her list. We get in some final card games on Nutmeg (lots of ShangHai, UNO, Banana Spit and Chicken Foot Dominos thru the week). Go in for a late big lunch to fill everyone's bellies before their long travel back home and lots of hugs and kisses and goodbyes.

Oh, it is suddenly so very quiet.
Love and Miss You All!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Gma & Gpa