Week 5 French Polynesia and Sea Days

 After 5 days at sea following our visit to Hawaii we landed in the beautiful island nation of French Polynesia.  Our first stop was on the island of Bora Bora. The island is lush with palm trees, flowers, grasses and other vegetation. French Polynesia is a society of islands forming an archipelago with many of the islands being atolls. An atoll is a volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs. 

Bora Bora island is a smaller island with a population just over 10,000. Tourism is its main economic source. The people we met were welcoming and very proud of their island. Due to the coral reefs, the Neptune had to anchor outside of the reef and we tendered to the island. We selected the Bora Bora Cruise as our extension but switched to the Le Truck tour due to ease of getting on and off the boat. The tour was bumpy as the roads are partially unpaved. We saw numerous thatched bungalows on piers in the water, visited an outdoor workshop that dies fabric for sarongs, and Marlon Brando’s bungalow used in the movie Mutiny on the Bounty. After the movie, Brando used it for himself. We also stopped at the famed Bloody Mary bar and restaurant. This place has been closed since Covid and has just recently been reopened. Jeff bought a t-shirt. 

Musicians greeting us on Bora Bora

Tie-dying sarongs 

Bloody Mary’s Bar

One small section of the famous people who have been to Bloody Mary’s

Church on island

Marlon Brando’s bungalow

Tiki along a private driveway

                                                               One of many hotel bungalows

                                                                    Beach on Bora Bora

The next day we visited Moorea. Again, a very lush island with high volcanic mountains and coral reefs. We choose a panoramic tour and later in the day a Scenic lagoon boat tour. Moorea has a population of approximately 18,000 people. As with Bora Bora, they are highly tied to the tourism trade. The people are very friendly and many speak three languages: Tahitian, French, and English. Both islands only have K-8 schools and their children take a 5:30 am boat to Tahiti for high school returning home around 5 pm. 

We visited a mock-up of a traditional Tahitian village and this one had several reproductions of Paul Gaugain’s works

Photo op in the village

Traditional style house

Viking Neptune anchored off Moorea

Mountain with 3 meter hole in the top on Moorea

Breadfruit tree- still a staple in Polynesia 

Our lagoon tour boat

Carved into the mountain is a topographic map of Moorea along with a yellow gecko 

Moorea translates into yellow gecko

Hen trying to avoid the drenching rain at Belvedere Cove Overlook

Yes, I was crazy enough to go take a picture!

Tahitian snorkeling guide with native tattoos

No, I did not go snorkeling as I stroll the picture from a friend who was on this man’s boat.

                                                                Scenic coastal picture

Our third island was Tahiti and we docked in Papeete. The population on the island is over 300,000 and it is the main island of the nation. We took the West Coast Highlights tour to visit outside the city. We went to a restored ancient religious site, the botanical gardens and fall, and a beautiful grotto. In the morning, we walked into the city and visited several markets and walked along the city parks.  French Polynesia is known for their black pearls or Tahitian pearls. Yes, I did get earrings. 

                                                                            Grotto

Temple site- replica Tiki

Hillside at temple site
 

A fruit that is native Tahiti’s form of Viagra

Beautiful flower in gardens

                                                                       Waterfall in Gardens

Entertainment on board the Neptune is varied and so much fun. I signed up for a felting class and made a Gnome (calling him Sven), went to a native Tahitian dance/music show, Dancing on Deck, viewed the boat building contest, and attended a Violinist performance. 

Sven

                                                                        Tahitian Dance

Dancing on Deck

                                                        Friends at the Dancing Show

 Violinist
 

Week 4 Hawaii and Sea Days

It is hard to believe that a month has gone by already. We had some beautiful sea days and a couple of rough sea days that really unbalanced Jeff but he made it through. We were in Hawaii on the 16th and 17th and then we set sail for another 5 days to reach French Polynesia. So that will be in Week 5’s blog. 

Hawaii was beautiful and the weather had sprinkles in the afternoon but no real rain to disrupt our excursions/activities. We were docked in Honolulu which allowed us to walk right to the center of the city. The area was very safe and we were near the medical offices associated with the University of Hawaii. Our first day we took the Scenic Oahu island tour. It was really nice as we were able to see and photograph many of the beaches and land formations on the island. We even had some “excitement” when we stopped at our lookout point. We get to the parking area and saw rescue vehicles and a helicopter. A person had ignored the do not go past this point signs and, with the high winds, somehow was injured. They were trying to get him off the mountain side. On the third helicopter attempt they were able to drop a fireman to prep the party for evacuation. Winds up the side of the mountain were 50-60 mph. When we returned to the ship we decided to walk to Iolani Palace and the iconic police office and Hawaiian king statue. These are often shown in Hawaii 5 O and Magnum PI. We were too late to tour the museum and see the quilt made by the last queen while she was under house arrest by the US government. 

Aloha Tower at night

Coastal Oahu

Coastal Oahu

Rescue Area

                                                        Start of “no trespass area” that the person entered

Police Station and Statue

Iolani Palace

The next day there were no excursions that we wanted to take so I decided to find a fabric shop with traditional fabrics. Of course I found one. Google said 1.4 miles and so we decided to walk. So we walked and walked and walked though Chinatown, not so safe areas, passed Costco, and after walking 2 miles we arrived. To say the least, we took a taxi back to the ship. Jeff could not have made it back. I did buy fabric for when I get home. 

                                                                Chinatown

                                                                My fabric

That afternoon we sailed away for Oahu for another set of sea days.

Diamond Head

                                                              Honolulu, Hawaii

There is so much to do on board the Neptune that we can’t do it all. As I said, there were several entertainers, an Explorer Society get together where our friends, Michael and Kathleen were awarded for being the passengers with the most Viking sails, twenty-five. We took the Behind the Scenes tour of the ship with the General Manager Ronald to see how they maintain the ship. We crossed the Equator yesterday evening and in the afternoon they held the “traditional” first time crossing ceremony. Instead of tossing you in the ocean the polywogs jump into the pool to become shellbacks. Fun watching crew members in uniform jumping in. They only saluted the fish this time as in the past they had to kiss the fish.

Kathleen and Michael

Bakers

Bakery fresh bread everyday

Sheets enter wet

Sheets come out folded

I don’t think there is enough alcohol on this ship !!!

Cruise Director taking the plunge- she is now a Shellback

And now to the Costco Apple Pie Challenge

And you all thought Costco’s Apple Pie was large!