I must admit I was a bit hasty in giving my impression of Bora Bora. True, the downtown is a long strip mall affair, however when it comes alive (any day but Sunday)it takes on more of a marketplace atmosphere than a strip mall. That means that the local people bring it alive, turn it into a hub of activity hosted by the friendliest people. The thing about Boa Bora that makes it different (sort of) from the rest of French Polynesia is that it is the oldest island in French Polynesia, and perhaps in the Pacific. Like most of the islands here it was formed by a volcano, in this case one that occurred some 17 million years back, even before I was a boy. According to the history told to us the volcano and the island created by it has been sinking into the ocean about 1 millimeter a year for all those years which sort of explains why the anchorage in the lagoon is about 80 feet deep and is in what was the caldera of the volcano. This sinking island story was hard to grasp until I read some other, stuff which provided a scientific basis for understanding the geology of this part of the world.

According to local lore it was the first Polynesian Island settled and they came by canoe from Asia. From a more recent time it was also a US military installation during WWII. We learned this from a local guide who is the grandson of one of 126 children born to Polynesian women with American fathers. This guide provided us with a tour of the island where we saw everything from local places to 5 star hotels, which interestingly have something in common. All the big hotels have a facility on the island of Bora Bora plus a facility on the motu between the island and the reef. All the natives have a birthright to a piece of land which runs from the mountain top to the sea and out to the motu. Thus they all have two homes, one they use during the week, and a weekend getaway on the motu. Same as the Four Seasons, but no room service. Anyway I was incorrect in my initial assessment of Bora Bora; it is quite beautiful, the people are charming and it is a place I definitely want to return to.

Having said all that warm, fuzzy stuff I would be remiss not to tell you we left there yesterday afternoon, headed for the island nation of Nuire, about 1100 NM south west of Bora Bora. As I write this it is about 0100 Saturday morning and we are motoring in very light winds. The weather forecast suggests these conditions will change late this afternoon, and we will have a good sail the balance of the way. More later..........