Bora Bora by 4 x 4...

That is what we did today. We were off the ship by 8:15, another tender port so we waited patiently for our number to be called.

On the dock we looked anxiously for somebody who would satisfy our search for a four wheel drive of Bora Bora. The island is only 18 miles around the perimeter so we are not talking a great deal of territory to cover. We were successful with a woman who located a driver for us and we are off, just like that.



After a short drive along the coast road we soon turned off the blacktop and up the nastiest piece of creek bed I have ever driven or been on in a vehicle. Land Rovers are tough as nails. We four in the back were somewhat surprised by the roughness of the trail we were on. It was two hands holding on and feet braced as much as we could.



Soon we were up into the hills and vistas galore. The water and islands look like something out of a fairy tale book when seen from above.




Our driver 'Coco' was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English.


Over the course of the three hours we circumnavigated the whole island and went up to the three main observation points on it. Throughout the island are remnants of WWII in the form of very large artillery pieces, now just covered in graffiti.


It was a very hard-riding day, even on the paved roads. It seems that everything is either under construction or being renovated. There are no high rises, somebody said one of the by-laws was that no building could be higher than a tree. Makes sense to me.




We asked to be dropped off at a restaurant so we could get a bite to eat. Our waiter, a very handsome man told us a little about his time as a pearl diver, he said this is a 'much nicer job', an understatement.


That lunch took three hours between the meal and the swim[s] and a relaxing time under a shade tree. Some of us read, some of us paddled and some of us slept. Back on 'La Truck', the local bus/truck that circles the island and back to the tender area.


Time for a quick 'shop-around' and back into our A/C room to do the shower and photo thing. We were in port with another Holland America ship, the Ryndam today.


Yesterday there were three ships, plus, there are scads of lovely beach hotels, many four and five star resorts. I suspect that the island can draw from America, Australia, NZ, and of course the mother-land France/Europe. The place is very cosmopolitan and a truly international place.

I cannot be a judge of course with only a day in each but I would rate them in order of Moorea, Bora Bora and then Tahiti.

Moe went ashore and strolled a bit around town. She disposed of her Polynesian Francs today as this is the last 'French' Island. Western Samoa in two days, and that is an independent state, not related to any major power.

All-in-all it was a great day in paradise for the Cutlers and Robins!