10/2/13
More Photos Here
We are back in Papeete, Tahiti, the main hub of the Society Islands, after a blissful month anchored in Bora Bora. The first two weeks the weather was calm as one could possibly imagine in these islands, not a breath of wind. The lagoon was glass and you could see down into the crystal waters at least 60 ft. Mornings were spent doing yoga with cruiser friends on a deserted white sand beach island looking up at the glorious Mountain of Bora Bora. Afternoons we took the dinghy around to explore, eat lunches at several of the nice restaurants available, snorkeling and even had a spa day to top it all off! I enjoyed paddleboarding in the mornings and liked to count the sting rays and eagle rays along the way. We were unfortunate to hit a shallow coral reef and knocked out forward gear on our outboard. No parts & no repair in Bora Bora so repair had to wait until Tahiti. (Just had her fixed) Our smaller dinghy did the job until the wind came up and produced some sizeable waves inside the lagoon. We managed for a couple weeks but it wasn't dry transportation!
Getting to Bora was the pinnacle of our dreams in the South Pacific and she did not disappoint. We had heard cruiser whispers through the travel vine that she was commercial and a bit run down. Over the years we have learned to take advice and perspectives with a grain of salt and each day can be a different experience. It is true that the town of Bora was not paved with gold as one might imagine after years of planning to come to this oasis in the middle of the Pacific but we enjoyed her rustic charm and if you get off the beaten path it's not hard to find a lot of local flair. We met a family on one of the beautiful islands inside the lagoon of Bora who invited us many times for day long BBQ's and Tahitian fare. It was a truly special friendship and we appreciated their welcoming hospitality - something we have been looking for quite some time now. It was the perfect cap to a great first season in the South Pacific. The snorkeling, food options, hospitality of the people and sheer beauty of the islands truly made the entire trip. Please enjoy the photos which I hope speak volumes.