Moorea was peaceful and lovely. The scenery was actually as beautiful as advertised, with sharp peaks rising up around, and amazing rolls and folds of terrain following streams and rivers running down. While Cook's Bay had the capital (Paopao) with a couple stores and a snack stand at the bottom of the bay, with some restaurants and small hotels sprinkled around the 2 miles deep Bay, the larger bay to the west (Opunoha Bay) was almost absolutely pristine, and even eery in the evenings with the native fires emanating smoke (maybe cooking or defending against bugs? I don't know; we didn't have any). THis bay is the one that is so undevelopped, it's amazing! And peaceful, entertaining at all hours watching the play of sun and shadow on the folds and rolls of the mountains and valleys around our tiny solitary home, as the boat pivots at anchor with the wind shifts.
From Cook's Bay, on SUnday we walked up to the interior of the island: a path led us through dense mountainous trails past Marae or polynesian shines that were closed down in the early 1800s by leaders making nice and converting to Christianity.We reached Belvedere, (at the center of the island) well named for the great view of the two bays to the north. We had a picnic lunch and then started the 10 km back. Up and down trails, then dirt roads, trying to reach the concrete road for the last 3 km. On the way we were stunned by the iron wood trees, the banana, pineapple, mango and breadfruit plantation. The agricultural lycee or high school for all French polynesia trains its future generations on Moorea at this Lycee Agricole which was taken from the Germans in 1914.
Finally, and luckily for us, after about 4 km we were able to hitchhike with a dad and two kids in their pickup.
Mostly a restful week- reading Somerset Maughm's Moon and Sixpence, some agatha Christie, making a cockpit table, Nathaniel on his Grapes of Wrath. Playing our new Ukelele and the guitar. Yesterday we just made a passage back to Papeete and the city.