Dream Come True... Bora Bora!
Once the sun had risen, the infamous turquoise waters glimmered before us. Wow! Never in my life had I seen water this color… The weather was perfect for a day of exploring. Once again, this would be a “tender” port. Not one to wait in long lines, we chose to enjoy the view from our balcony and drink coffee before venturing to our water taxi.
Ordinarily not a fan of the immediate port area, this was an exception. We weren’t bombarded with vendors, instead a local band greeted us with amazing music. Tahitian dancers performed and then posed with tourists. A good sized craft fare with local artists and their beautiful creations. Of course, there was a booth selling cocktails and waters. It was a treat to experience their culture… they had volunteers who shared information on the history, economy and what to see… Very special.
This was an unusually busy port. Everything seemed so organized! We chose to do an open-air bus tour because it included bar hopping and no one would have to drive. Considering we were on an 18 night cruise, a land based excursion seemed more appealing. We would have plenty of time on the water! The color of the water was incredible… Our ship sat majestically in the background overlooking the beautiful bay.
With the intense sun beating down, we found one of the only places in the shade to wait for our tour number to be called. We stood in front of a brightly painted wall. Click on the photo to open it up and get a better idea of the colorful art. The “view” from our waiting spot caught my Mom’s eye… considering the guide, she probably wished we’d chosen a boat tour instead…
One comfortably seated on our bus, the first thing I noticed? Bunches of flowers… hibiscus, bougainvillea and other tropicals carefully tied above the seats. What a nice touch… it wasn’t until later that I learned there was a purpose.
Apparently, the beautiful flowers were intended as food for sand crabs. Unfortunately, several buses had toured the area before us and the crabs were rather full…If you click on the pic, it will open up and you can get a better view of a slightly curious crab. He peeked out but never fully emerged.
An interesting piece of trivia… In Bora Bora, deceased family members are laid to rest in a place of honor right on the property. Often in the front yard, the burial spot is usually quite ornate. We saw these tributes all along the highway as we traveled around the island. Maybe I can talk my kids into doing this! ha!
Watching out the windows as we weaved through the winding roads, I noticed several rocks with petroglyphs carved into them. Most had similar carvings so I decided to research the significance. Interestingly, there isn’t much documented history on this phenomenon throughout the Society Islands. Apparently, a research group began to gather information in the early 1980’s. It was determined that the turtle, which is very commonly seen, is in honor of Firiamata-o-Vavau, the founder of Bora Bora. In addition to being the first royalty, he was a warrior and skilled at navigation. One tidbit of information that caught my eye is that he fathered NINE sons in five different locations, including New Zealand.
One of my favorite parts about Bora Bora was that driving around, a majority of homes had colorful fabrics as curtains. Flowing in the wind, the beautiful pieces were used in windows and doorways. Such a sense of freedom and lightness… reminded me of my decades on Kauai!
