Raitia, French Polynesia

Day 78 of our 180 day trip around the world finds us on yet another French Polynesian island, Raitia. Last evening we departed Papeete and sailed toward another beautiful island as we slept, waking just as we were pulling into port in Raitia. 

 

sailing away from Papeete last evening

 

island hopping

but waking up to this...

 

As you can see, it is still very cloudy and overcast here in the Polynesian islands. Raiatea, meaning "faraway heaven" and "sky with soft light" is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is also considered by locals as the most sacred island in the South Pacific. 

Despite the inclement weather, it seems that most of the passengers are off the ship today, either on planned excursions or shopping in one of many stores within easy walking distance of the ship. Ronnie got off for a short time this morning to pick up some treats for our room stewards but I've been a slug all day - still a lot of coughing and no energy. I've started myself on an antibiotic (the only one I have with me) so hopefully it will get things turned around. Ronnie isn't feeling 100% himself so I'm hoping he's not coming down with the same thing I have. :-(

Back to Raitia - supposedly there is a rare flower grown here that grows at no other place on earth. It is called the Tiare apetahi and is considered the "emblem of the holy island". Each dawn the petals open with a slight crackling sound. Legend describes this as the "sound of the broken heart of a common woman who was not allowed to marry the son of the Tahitian king." The flower structure where the petals are arranged or developed are only on one side. I can't imagine its scent being even more wonderful than plumeria!

Moorea, French Polynesia

Moorea is a heart-shaped island in French Polynesia. It is known for its dramatic volcanic peaks, turquoise lagoons and relaxed island vibe. It is only a short ferry ride from Tahiti and is advertised to travelers who are “seeking adventure, culture and indulgence in equal measure”. 

This was the scene as we pulled into Moorea early this morning. I took the first 2 and last  photos from our balcony. Kudos and photo credits to Ronnie for the remaining photos today.

 

first view from balcony as ship enters Moorea

sun burns away cloud covered peaks

 

Unfortunately, my upper respiratory stuff worsened overnight, so I was in no condition to go on our planned excursion today. It would have been nice if we had had time to find someone else to go in my place but we needed to be off the boat by 8 a.m. Anyway, there were others Ronnie knew from the ship who went. I just hated to waste an excursion ticket. Anyway, I think they had a good time but it was extremely hot and everyone got jostled around pretty good in the back of an open 4x4 with bench seats.

 

today's tour guide

coconut soap for sale

 

pineapple fields

 

gorgeous beaches, crystal clear water

view from our balcony

 

As you can see, we are surrounded by beauty on every side. But to be honest, today has been a complete downer because we are all so sad for our friend Tom who lost his wife yesterday during a snorkeling trip. Some who were with Ronnie today were also with Tom and his wife yesterday when it happened. Tonight we sailed to Papeete where he will board a plane to fly home with her body tomorrow morning.

One couple in our Bible study group is spending the night tonight in an over water bungalow. The husband was bit by a trigger fish today; thankfully those are not dangerous. I’ve been resting in our cabin all day, only stepping out on the balcony to take a few photos of our beautiful surroundings. As always, thanks for tagging along. It really boosts our spirits to hear from family and friends. 

Rangiroa, French Polynesia

It was another hot but beautiful day in the Polynesian islands. We arrived around 7 a.m. and were off the ship by around 8:30 a.m. Rangiroa (“huge sky”}  is the old Paumotu name of the Rangiroa’s atoll. An atoll is a body of water separated from a large body of water by a natural barrier (I had to look that up). 

 

Rangiroa means "huge sky"

We did ride the tender over to the island today – it was just too gorgeous not to! I’m so thankful, though, that we didn’t have an excursion planned. We walked around for a bit under umbrellas (the sun is brutal!) but didn’t stay too long. There were the usual arts and craft booths set up for cruise visitors and of course different excursions offered, mostly to do with snorkeling and water-related sports and one to a local black pearl factory. 

 

bridge from tender to shore

Oceania's Vista - our home away from home

We were greeted by male and female hula dancers along with a drummer. I managed to snap a few pictures as we passed by. After my one hula lesson, I've developed a greater appreciation for their artistry.

 

Rangiroa is the largest atoll of French Polynesia and the second largest in the world. The inhabitants of Rangiroa live in 2 main villages - Avatoru and Tiputa, 2 islets separated by a pass. The rest of the atoll is almost uninhabited except for coconut plantations where the coprah is cultivated. (I had to look that one up too.) Coprah is “the dried, white flesh or kernel of the coconut, produced by sun-drying or smoking. It is primarily processed to extract coconut oil and is a valuable agricultural commodity used in making soaps, detergents, shampoos, and margarine. The byproduct, copra cake, is used as livestock feed.” I think it’s cool how all the parts are used, and even the shells are used in craft making.

 

jewelry made using black pearls

  

Although it was only 82 degrees, the humidity was high, making it feel much hotter. Oceania really looks after us by offering wet towels from an ice chest and ice cold water as we straggle back to the tender.

 

 

 

 

I think I may have relapsed from my crud, maybe from overdoing it the day before yesterday? My cough has returned and I’m not feeling well. Unfortunately we have excursions booked (and pre-paid) for the next 2 days, so I will drag myself out unless there is just no way.

Here’s a link on Rangiroa if interested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangiroa As always, thanks for following along.

 

PS This afternoon there was an "code mike" announcement over the ship's loud speaker. We all know this is not good when this happens, or at least know that someone's health is in serious jeopardy. Never do we expect it to be someone we know. However, a couple from Ft. Worth that we met on our 2023 ATW cruise is once again sailing with us. They had an excursion to go snorkeling this afternoon. Apparently she collapsed and died from a heart attack while snorkeling. He will be flying home with her body the day after tomorrow. I won't mention his name, but please pray for him. Of course he is still in shock.