Ola all!
The next stop was Tahiti! Tom had done some research and found the only backpacker friendly island: Moorea. Despite this, Moorea was still one of the most expensive places we've been on our trip. Oh well, Paradise was definitely worth its price.
After freezing our noses off in Patagonia we were so glad to reach the warmth of Moorea. Initially we stayed on the north side of the beach, in Cook's Bay. Cook's Bay is the one on the right hand side on the photo, although Captain Cook actually anchored his boat on Opunohu Bay, the one on the left. I'm afraid this is the only bit of historical information we have on Moorea. Well, that and the fact South Pacific and Mutiny on the Bounty were filmed there. After three months of gathering information on other cultures we decided to take some time off!
For a week we just walked around the island, relaxed on the beach and snorkeled through the coral reefs. I think the photos are self explanatory, really...
In one of the days we visited a nearby island where a small lagoon was prepared for the tourists. Here lived several stingrays which actually behaved like cats: they would brush against your legs in demand for attention. Then they just stayed in the shallow water by you, while you gave them a good scratch on their backs. It's the most amazing feeling, such a velvety animal, both in the way it swims but also in how it feels... I want one... There were also small "lemon sharks" (you can't be afraid of them with a name like that)! They were being fed, although the seabirds were very quick in and managed to snatch food from the water sometimes, until one got itself deservedly bitten by a shark!
We then moved to the south side of the island, where we stayed in a really cool place called Mark's Paradise. Paradise had two dogs, one cat and an awful lot of cochroaches, as Tom found out the first night we were there. Luckily I was already fast asleep when they decided to show up so Tom had again to deal with them on his own. He's getting really good at it too!
Paradise was also close to the best beach in the island, Pinapo Beach, so we decided to hang around for a few more days. We hired some bikes, which had no gears or brakes, but did have a huge wicker basket on the front. Fortunately the main road on the island is flat! The trouble is we are both used to cycling a lot back home, and its quite hard to remember you don't have brakes..... as Tom found out to his cost. On the way to the beach, he spotted a nice looking creperie and did a quick detour to check out the menu. Unfortunately, it wasn't that far from the road, and upon remembering he had no brakes, had to crash into and mount a large kerb (narrowly missing a tourist strolling along) to avoid taking a rather closer inspection of the creperie than planned! The cycle back home was less eventful, although this time we managed the 10km journey with a roasted chicken sat in the basket (how french)!
The only cultural event was one night at a "local traditional village", purpose built for tourists. There you could learn all about the pearl culture in the region, the agriculture, the tattoos and other aspects of the life of tahitians before the french arrived. The best part was an evening show, where pretty young women with straw skirts, long black air and flower necklaces softly sang and dance, while barely dressed tattooed young men played with fire. Very entertaining, I should say!
Unfortunately a week in Paradise sent our budget down the drain and we had to leave. Arriving in Auckland in the middle of a rain storm quickly brought us back to reality...
Beijinhos,
Vania
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