Ohe´ French Polynesia!

Ahoy Mates!

We hope that you enjoyed Kauaii, Oahu and Hawaii as much as we did. Thanks for continuing with us on our journey to French Polynesia. This is an area of the Pacific that invokes visions of towering verdant peaks, indescribable hues of blue water and perfect beaches shaded by tropical palms. You will not be disappointed.

During our 1950 nautical mile passage from Hilo to Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas we crossed the Equator. As you know, The Equator is an imaginary line approximately half way between the North and South Poles and is about 25,000 miles in length.

On day 12, we “Crossed the Line”. When crossing the equator, sailing tradition demands that one pay homage to King Neptune. This usually encompasses a variety of odd rituals, from drinking nasty potions to uttering incantations and other nasty hazing experiences, including sexual assault. On our voyage, all we needed to do was kiss a fish and get doused by ice cold water in order to graduate from a “polywog” to an honorable “shellback”.

Although I have crossed the equator before, I never received the proper initiation. Robin and I made the transition together and after the proper baptism, but without the aforementioned assault, were quite painlessly deemed “Shellbacks”.

Soon thereafter, we entered the waters of French Polynesia.

French Polynesia is a collection of 118 islands and atolls scattered over an area the size of western Europe with a much smaller land mass. It is about halfway between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia and as far south of the Equator as Hawaii is north and is in the same time zone.

NUKA HIVA

We anchored at Nuka Hiva in French Polynesia on Day 14. Nuka Heva is the largest of the Marquesas and their people are most likely the ones that first settled the Hawaiian Islands in 400 to 500 AD. The Marquesas are often the first stop for sailing circumnavigators after they pass the Panama Canal over 4,000 NM away.

After tendering in, we joined a tour of the Taipivai Valley. First, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral built in the 1800’s in the small town of Taiohae and then boarded a 4×4 SUV type pickup in a caravan of 15 vehicles. We marveled at the tortuous and winding climb up the mountain on our way to the tour of the awe inspiring Taipivai Valley.

The roads were narrow yet paved and the roadway network was only recently completed in 2008. We stopped for photos of some magnificent vistas and then visited a village meeting site for some refreshments and a sample of breadfruit, papayas and bananas. The breadfruit chips were especially tasty. After a stop at Hooumi beach we returned to the ship happy with our introduction to French Polynesia.

With a couple of more sea days to prepare for touring and scuba diving we enjoyed some free time and also some enrichment lectures on Oceanography and Worldwide Naval History. Robin, of course, wowed some of our fellow cruisers with her latest needlepoint project.

RANGIROA

Day 16, Thurs Day February 14^th, Valentine’s day. The Insignia anchored in the Rangiroa Lagoon.

We had to board tenders again for the five-minute ride to the pier. Thanks again to the crew for a well-organized and timely tendering. While Robin toured the Gaugin Black Pearl Farm, I was picked up at the pier in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and deposited at the Yaka Plongee dive shop for a 10:00 am dive. The current was right for a drift dive between Avatoru and Tiputa, usually their signature dive.  In a 4 to 6 foot chop, the guide Thomas and I back-rolled, Mike Nelson style, into the current. How were my underwater photos, you ask? Let’s just say, it is tough to compose photos when you flying underwater at 1.5 knots! Also, the visibility was not ideal at only 40 feet, but you know me . . . I don’t complain!!  We did manage to spot some schooling chevron barracuda and the usual striking reef dwellers like colorful Butterflies and Moorish Idols.

TAHITI

We arrived at our half way point of the cruise in Tahiti on Day 17. By 7:00 am Insignia was docked in Papeete,  a bustling, multicultural city of about 200,000 people, not the idyllic island town that most people imagine.  The majority of Tahiti; however,  is a scenic island with lush landscapes and large waterfalls which is what we explored on our Jeep Safari.

The vehicle was actually a 4X4 pickup-like vehicle with bench seating for 8 in the rear bed. We entered the Papenoo Valley and travelled on mostly unpaved deeply pitted roads, crossing some rivers and streams to get some great views of the valley, mountains and waterfalls.

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Our bodies were only mildly tortured by the three hour jostling. After return to the ship all discomfort was forgotten as  it was time for lunch, relaxation and preparation for cocktails and another fabulous dinner.

BORA BORA

The next day we anchored in the Bora Bora Lagoon, the quintessential tropical Pacific island. With its lush vegetation covering the extinct volcanos contrasting with the vivid turquoise water it’s about as close to Bobamala as one can get.

I sampled the fabled diving with a two tank dive, one in the lagoon and one where we intended to go outside the reef and meet with  some sharks and rays. The wind was blowing 25 knots and the sea was at 6 to 8 feet, so it was decided to return within the lagoon to try our luck spotting a Manta Ray. Bad luck. The visibility was actually very poor on both dives, but overall, the experience with Eleuthra Bora Divers was a good one with helpful and capable guides.

While I was diving, Robin was enjoying a tour of the lagoon in a Catamaran, followed by a swim in the crystalline blue water with its inviting 80 degree temperature.

The next day we were again at sea on our way to American Samoa. To keep the tradition alive of eating yourself silly on a cruise ship, we enjoyed a lavish Sunday Brunch. On the Insignia World Cruise this is a quarterly extravaganza of food, ice and food sculptures, delectible desserts and impeccable service from the wonderful crew.