Today was one of those days that I'll remember forever, for all the best reasons from start to finish. It would have been a great day anywhere, but to have a day this good in paradise...priceless!!
Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands; only Tahiti is larger. It has a surface area of 105 sq. miles and there is a 93 mile long road that encircles the island along its deeply indented coastline. Raiatea and Tahaa share the coral barrier reef that surrounds both islands. Uturoa (population of 4000) is the largest town in French Polynesia after Papeete on Tahiti. It has a nice wharf area, with shops and restaurants (one of which has 30 minutes of wifi with the purchase of a beer). But, even more exciting for us...we could see the Champion grocery store just across from the cruise ship pier. We knew what was on the agenda for this afternoon!
It was hot and crowded in the Panorama Buffet, so, after watching as the Pacific Princess docked, we went down to the Club Restaurant for a cooler and quiet breakfast of a plateful of fruit and cottage cheese. Then we returned to our cabin to enjoy the best wifi we've had to date on the ship, good enough for me to make a quick phone call to Mom using Vonage (for free! Get the app!) and also to call Princess in California to get some recently established cruise credits applied to an upcoming cruise. Administrative duties completed, we stepped off the ship and were hit with an oven-like heat and bright sun. There is no getting around it on these islands: sun equals heat equals sweat. Drenching, enveloping sweat. There is no sense trying to stay dainty and dry. Most buildings and buses lack air conditioning, and, without it, in the ocean is the most comfortable place to be.
We met up with our pre-arranged dive operator, Te Mara Nui Plongée, right at the Maritime Wharf area in Uturoa at 10am for a one tank dive on the reef between Raiatea and Tahaa, within sight of the Pacific Princess. Still, it required a short boat ride, barely long enough to get our equipment together, to reach the dive site. We spent 40 minutes at a depth of about 50-60 feet viewing some of the healthiest coral and abundant sea life we've ever seen. The ubiquitous black- and white-tipped sharks, rays and many different kinds of fish...wow! The vis (visibility) seemed endless, and the bright sun accentuated all the colors. It was a perfect dive morning!
After our return to the marina, we walked right back to the Pacific Princess. We were starving (diving always does that to us), but didn't want to eat too large a lunch; dinner was going to be at the steakhouse on board at 6pm. Instead, we showered and went up to the buffet for a light lunch of pizza (G) and salad (me). It didn't go far, but then we didn't want it to, either. The view of Tahaa and the reef from that open deck behind the buffet was simply stunning, and we could see several excursion boats moored inside the coral reef where we had just been.
While we were eating lunch in the buffet, we could feel the air temperature suddenly drop by at least 15 degrees and a rain shower moved in. What a relief that was! Raiatea this morning was one of the hottest places I've ever been. We were lucky to have dived during the hottest, sunniest part of the day.
After lunch, we walked around Uturoa, and eventually made our way to the Champion grocery store, which, we were excited to see, is as fully stocked as anyplace we've seen in the Caribbean or French Polynesia. Mouthwash! Nail polish remover! Fabreeze!!!!! And at prices not too, too much higher than at home!! We were able to stock up and pick up a snack for our cabin steward Bianca (French madelines), and then made our way back to the Pacific Princess.
Orange bell peppers, imported, for over $8 a pound
Just outside the security gate (which was the same kind of laid-back security we've seen throughout these islands), a local lady was selling gorgeous leis and crowns of fragrant, colorful flowers for $5. We've been seeing more floral crowns every day on the ship, and it was finally my turn. I had a beautiful one to wear this evening on the ship, and even had a colorful top to wear with it.
By then we were ready for a nap (yes, even me, can you believe?!?). We had several plans for later in the afternoon, starting at 5pm when a children's folkloric group was coming on board to perform on the pool deck, then dinner at the specialty steakhouse on Deck 10 at the back of the ship, then another folkloric group was performing at 9:45pm this evening. The Pacific Princess wasn't sailing until 11pm, and it was nice to have the opportunity for more local entertainment to come onboard.
We went directly from the first folkloric show to dinner at the Steakhouse, and what an experience that was! We were seated at a wonderful table overlooking the back of the ship, the Windstar Wind Spirit docked just behind us and a beautiful sunset over Tahaa with Bora Bora in the far background.
Discussing steaks with waiter Mariana from Poland (nearly every woman is wearing a crown!)
