Bora-Bora

Jarek
Thu 9 Oct 2003 23:32
Alex, my younger son, had spent a week with us and left last Saturday.
Marinario and Kasia left yesterday and then we (two boats) left Bora-Bora a
couple of hours later. We are bound for Tonga, with a possible stop at Niue,
weather permitting. The weather is not too great, we are making about 4
knots running free down light EbN winds. As usual, quite a heavy swell makes
it uncomfortable and tough on sails and rigging. Lets go back in time a bit:
On Thursday, Sept. 25 late afternoon we left Cook's Bay, Moorea for a
overnight jump to Huahine, about 90 miles away. A day before, I got a word
from Alex that he might be able to get vacations and join us in French
Polynesia for a week. Iridium satellites got a bit busy while we hammered
out the details. The time window was rather narrow: to get out of the area
for hurricane season we planned to leave Bora-Bora for Tonga and Fiji on
October 5. That was already quite late and we did not want to delay it any
further. By the time we arrived to Huahine next morning, Alex had booked his
flight arriving to Papeete on Saturday, September 27 in the evening. He
would be taking first flight to Raiatea on Sunday. We all were looking
forward to spend some time with Alex: everybody in the group knows him well.
We enjoyed a couple of days in a beautiful Baie d'Avea at southern tip of
Huahine and then moved to Fare, by Passe Avamoa, to position ourselves for a
half night jump to Raiatea.
Early Sunday morning we entered lagoon of Raiatea through Passe Teavapiti
and an hour later tied up our boats at Visitors Dock of Apoiti Marina, about
a mile from Raiatea Airport. Alex was already waiting, so a bit later we
moved to an anchorage by Motu Taoru known, and justly so, for great
snorkling and spectacular breakers at the barrier reef. Then we motored to
Baie Faaroa to do a two mile dinghy trip up Aoppomau River, reportedly the
only dinghy navigable river in French Polynesia. It winds through a tropical
forest interrupted by a house and a plantation here and there. Alex's fluent
French and knowledge of many Tahitian phrases had made interaction with
local people much easier. As a result, we got a six-year-old guide, Harold,
who took over control of our outboard and drove us all the way back to Baie
Faaroa, explaining some details of the forest on the way. Before we left the
bay, Bent, a Dane from a nicely maintained sloop "Tico Tico" recommended
that we stop at Naonao, an islet at southern tip of Raiatea.
Next day we tide up for a few hours to a stone wharf in Opoa Bay to visit
Taputapuatea Marae - the most sacred spot in all of Polynesia. It was not
spectacular at all - just several stone platforms, each crowned at one side
with a row of vertically installed flat, narrow stone tablets. It used to be
quite neglected but now everything was cleaned, well exposed and
supplemented with poster stands explaining the history and details of the
exhibition.
Water was crystal clear at Ile Naonao and the breakers at barrier reef were
even more spectacular than by Motu Taoru. There were a neglected airstrip
and a helicopter pad at that tiny islet. David, the only dweller there,
represented rights of his family to the islet, which had been bought by a
British hotel owner. There were some legal cracks in the transaction and
David lives in the island to prevent construction of a hotel.
On Wednesday morning we left Raiatea heading for Bora-Bora, point of
departure of our guests. We enjoyed thoroughly their stay with us. They are
all experienced sailors, so limitations and routines aboard a cruising
sailboat did not require explanations. They are also our long time friends
and it was a great opportunity to spend time together. Not to mention mine
enjoying company of my grown up son. The visit spiced our cruise
wonderfully.
On Bora-Bora, we moored our boats for a couple of days at Bora-Bora Yacht
Club while doing some sightseeing and then moved to an anchorage by Motu
Tapu. Stan Wisniewski, who owns Motu Mai Moana with a small hotel paid us a
short but very much enjoyable visit.
French Polynesia is very beautiful. But the most striking feature of these
islands is a heart warming, unadulterated kindness of most people here.
Note, they are not "noble savages". They drive cars, watch TV, go to work or
school, use money everyday. And yet... I will stop right here, as it takes a
real talent to describe this rare phenomenon and it has already been done.
We just have to look up those pages at our leisure... I am looking forward
to meeting such people as my journey continue. Perhaps, I will learn from
them. On the other hand, they look at us, "the sailboat people" with some
apprehension. They have seen a lot of coral broken by dragging anchors,
smelly garbage bags left here and there, big laundry done at a public water
tap at wrong time, etc., etc... They do not differentiate between cruisers
and charter boats, but of course bad apples are everywhere. It is up to each
and every of us to soften or, perhaps, reverse that ugly image.