We weren't greeted with rain today the way I suspected we might be. In fact, though it was often a bit overcast and windy, it turned out to be a very nice day, weather- and other-wise. We were up early and on Deck 11 forward (we call it 'On Deck with Douglas, now) for our arrival to Raiatea, and docked starboard to the pier, which means that the pier is just a few feet away from our cabin (cover the porthole with a pillow, please!).
Raiatea features some of the best ship wifi of the entire cruise, so we took a few minutes to take care of some administrative things (I also downloaded news and NFL scores) and I made a phone call to Mom (for free, using Vonage. Get the app!), who was sitting in a power-less house in Ohio due to high winds (but it was back up within a few hours, thankfully). We then went to the Club Restaurant for breakfast before returning to the cabin. We've been spending French Polynesian Franc (CFP) bills, and getting back all sorts of change, which we've been depositing in a highball glass on the vanity. The glass was nearly full; it was time to figure it all out. G emptied the glass and I had paper in hand to tally the value of the coins. G said the first large coin was worth 2000 francs. Wow, that's over US$ 20. We must have a fortune in the glass! He then pronounced the next coin to be worth 2000 francs. Ka-ching! Feeling even richer, he moved on to the third coin, which was worth...2008. Okay, so those were years, not values, and the actual value of those particular coins was 100 francs, just over $1 each. Fortune found and immediately lost...welcome to our world.
We walked off the ship with nothing in mind other than to get some exercise and then swing by the Champion Supermarche for a few things. G keeps making noises about climbing Mount Tapioi in Utorua, but I keep deferring, hoping for a cooler day (which may never come). Still, he wanted to at least find the start of the road/path going up the mountain (another example of 'let's just do the next bit' but then there's always a next bit and a next bit...) But, to appease him, I was up for at least that. We first walked along the waterfront for awhile; today's windy conditions had brought out the kite surfers and we sat and watched them for nearly an hour, which was quite entertaining.
Uturoa harbor with the island of Taha'a in the distance
Kitesurfing in the strong wind
This surfer put on a good show doing flips and spins in the air
Mount Tapioi, which is calling G's name
We found the road which leads to the 2.2 mile path up the mountain, so naturally we had to do the 'next bit' and find the path, but suddenly the 'next bit' turned into bites, as we were under the canopy of trees by then and the 'moustiques' were out in force and we hadn't brought DEET. Mosquitoes in French Polynesia are a real issue and are carrying some serious diseases. We go days without encountering any (beaches are generally pretty safe) but anywhere there are lots of trees, including motus, do have them. They are such an issue that we see posters like this one everywhere in storefront windows and hotels:
Deterred from climbing further, we turned around and immediately spotted this beautiful garden with tomatoes and lettuce and peppers and beans, among other veggies. We were quite intrigued; it's the first large vegetable garden we've seen in French Polynesia. We were admiring it, taking photos, when we became aware of the tall fence around the garden. A tall fence topped by barbed wire.
It was the Uturoa jail. ;-) Moving on...
We circled back around to the waterfront area and started our errands. Even the crew gets excited about the three 8-aisle supermarchés in Uturoa, which tells you how desperate we all are for shopping. We needed toothpaste (I got Colgate, because I recognized the brand but was surprised to see it was manufactured in Thailand), more Genie laundry detergent (which is really good stuff) and I got some coconut oil that is scented like the ubiquitous tiare flowers and smells divine. For 490 CFP (about $5), it was a really fun purchase.
Everywhere, every food store has baguettes for 53 CFP (price controlled and regulated). I have to laugh when I think about artisan breads sold at home. They are plastic wrapped and then placed in paper wrappers and then placed in shopping bags. Not so here...they just sit in crates on the floor and people carry them in quantity in their arms walking home.
Laden down (and we have to take our own shopping bags here, as there are no free bags), we returned to the ship. It was about 3:45pm by then and we were starved, but that's a dangerous time where what we eat will definitely ruin our appetite for dinner at 6pm. But pizza and beers just tasted so darn good right then. We debated skipping dinner altogether, but we have such a good table by the window that we feel a bit guilty when we do. So we went, determined to eat lightly but it was Italian night, with my favorite spinach, pecorino and pine nut salad and penne arrabiata and limoncello sorbet and...I'm so full tonight I can barely move, which is not something we generally allow ourselves to do. I don't like it.
We're heading out to see comedian Tony Daro's show in the Cabaret Lounge and then will stick around for the folkloric show Raiatea Nui at 10pm. We sail at 11pm tonight, and cruise very, very slowly across the channel to Bora Bora tomorrow. They're predicting rain, but then they predicted rain for today and we never got any. The beautiful colors of the Bora Bora lagoon only pop when there is sun, and we are all hopeful.