Last excursion didn’t look very good this morning as it was POURING! Some discussion amongst the group as to if we should even bother. Never a doubt in Rich Rediker’s mind and we decided to bring rain gear and see what happened.
Took the tender to the pier in Maroe and eventually found John-Pierre a local Huahine guy with his boat Poetina I. Jean-Pierre has been on Huahine the last 35 years doing these day boat tours. His company name is a combination of his two daughter’s names. Today his niece had come over from Raitea last night on a speedboat to help on the boat. I bet she got here way faster than we did! We asked one of the crew what the ship did all night as Huahine was in sight from Raiatea. They said they went way out to sea to dump waste and replenish water for the ship before docking this morning.
Huahine is actually two islands, Huahine Hui and Huahine Iti with a bridge the road passes over to go from one to the other. We were on the water most of the day so it isn’t matter to us.
Hilo! On one of the islands.
Female body shape - face on the left side of the other island.
Local lore has it that a Polynesian guy named Hilo came to Huahine and his “member” id prominently displayed on one island. 150 feet high! The other island has a female shaped mountain and the legend was that they were forever separated and Hiro’s tears created the lagoons in the middle.
Ready to go under the bridge.
Jean-Pierre at the helm.
First stop was a bit of snorkeling off of a small motu after crossing under the bridge. We were told to stay on one side of the island as the other side was “dangerous”. No fins - I tried for a bit but the current was really strong so I got back in after a short look at the coral and fish. Not really too impressive compared to the other islands.
Back in the boat and headed towards the river and the sacred blue eyed eels. On the way we passed a pearl farm and stopped for some shopping. I got a inexpensive black pearl necklace strand, we got a small set of black pearl earrings for Mackenzie and a mounted drop black pearl for Connie.
The pearl farm in the middle of the lagoon.
Decorative shells on the wall of the pearl farm.
Explaining the pearl making process.
Clam shells are placed in the water like this for 18 months after the clam has been readied for the process.
Getting off the Poetina I heading to see the blue eyed eels. Jean-Pierre on the left.
Local school. Quite colorful.
Went quite a way to the river, passing Jean-Pierre’s house along the way. Walked up a road for a bit passing a local school (closed on Sunday). Jean-Pierre bought a can of Mackerel and threw it into the water when we got to the spot where the eels stay. They thrashed around pretty well - hard to see their blue eyes and ears in the glare.
The group in front of the sacred eels sign.
Sacred eels in the muddy river. Really big suckers!
Closeup of a sacred eel.
Making my Maori face with zinc lip gloss war paint.
Connie says I would scare no one.
Off to Jean-Pierre’s summer house on another motu where we had our local food lunch. Quite the operation - he owns a large piece of land with palm trees. Our lunch was served buffet style on a picnic table in the water. Bobi and Richie “cooked” the raw tuna ceviche, adding lime juice lettuce, cabbage, carrots and onions and cucumbers. Cary helped by squeezing coconut “milk" out of raw coconut shavings with a coconut husk. All tossed togethers for a delicious salad. Chicken with mushroom and beef stew served over basmati rice. Dessert was banana and shaved coconut with optional chocolate sauce! Delicious. Beef, fruit juice, rum punch and water to drink.
Cary Claver squeezing coconut milk onto our raw fish salad.
Buffet line, motu style.
Lunch!
Eating our lunch in the water!
Posing with Jean-Pierre's family. They played and sang and danced for us at lunch.
As we finished out lunch Jean-Pierre’s 18 year old son pulled in with his Dad’s second boat Poetina II with 40 or so persons on it. They were to have a meal of the same food we had further up the beach.
Jean-Pierre's niece and Lisa Claver on the beach (reef) side.
Connie and Bobi collecting coral pieces on the reef side.
Gayle walking ahead back to the lagoon side of Jean-Pierre's property.
We walked across some land to the sea side edge of the motu and did a bit more snorkeling in shallow water with swift currents due to the waves crashing on the reef. Coral pretty desolate but people saw quite a few fish. Since you could pretty much stand I “swam” around for a bit as well trying not to be hurled onto the coral by the waves. Headed back to the boat and set sail into the harbor.
Last snorkeling in a really fast current.
Rich asked if there was some better snorkeling available and Jean-Pierre took us into the middle of a channel. The current was REAL strong so everyone just got in a floated down stream. Gayle and I stayed in the boat looking down and the boat and the snorkelers were really cruising along.
Jean-Pierre basically floated behind the snorkelers and picked them up after a while before we headed back to the ship.
We have been packing in the room as we have to have bags ready by 10:00 tonight if we want the crew to collect them for us tonight. We have to get off the ship tomorrow back at Papeete at 9:30 so one last dinner tonight at the Red Ginger Asian Restaurant and a breakfast tomorrow until 9:00.
Hard to believe the cruise is almost over!
We will lug our luggage to the ferry terminal (very close) for a 11:30 ferry to Moorea. Rich has arranged for the Hilton to transport us to our over-the-water bungalow room! We are all pretty excited to see our rooms!
Last sunset from the Oceana Marina!
No comments:
Post a Comment