On with the show!

7 June 2010

Today it was difficult deciding which would be a worse way to die while jet skiing:

A. Being the last one in line, dumping my jet, nobody notices, my body goes bouncing and breaking across the water like a skipping stone carelessly thrown along the surface.... And I get eaten by a shark.

B. Clipping along on my jet at a brisk 35 mph, the wind in my hair, crashing into a coral reef bed, careening into, and being knocked unconscious by, said coral reef bed, sinking through the waves...And I get eaten by a shark.

C. Getting eaten by a shark (obviously, said shark flew up and out of the water, chomping me right off my jet.)

Quite obviously, none of these scenarios took place today....but that doesn't mean they weren't all three clanging about in my head like warning bells during our 2 hour jet ski adventure... But I digress...

As if a week in absolute paradise isn't more than a girl could ever hope for, Susie graciously afforded me the opportunity to receive a traditional Polynesian massage this morning. We journeyed into the jungle, past the beach bungalows and jungle huts with their personal jacuzzis, all the while appreciating the beauty surrounding us. After a 5 minute walk, we came upon the Manea Spa. A man-made building so cleverly hidden among the palms and tropical flowers, I've never seen. It seemed as though this place had always been here, and all of the surrounding trees and buildings had grown up around it. A brook runs along the front of this enchanted place, its surface covered to overlapping with lily pads and flowers. Given a pareo (sarong) and shown into a waiting room looking out past the brook, which wound its way around the whole building, and into the wilderness, I waited... I was soon escorted into a glass enclosed room for my massage.

Polynesian massage is my new love. Unlike Swedish or American massage, they focus on moving bad energy out of the body and bringing positive energy in. I left that room a new woman...a woman drenched from head to toe in monoi oil, for one, but a woman with a newfound respect for the strength that lies in the hands of a tiny Polynesian woman....I wonder if she'll fit in my suitcase...?

I somehow managed, through my monoi induced haze, to make my way back to the bungalow, where Matt was ready for some snorkel action before we headed out on our jet ski/Imightgeteatenbyashark adventure!

Wet met with our guide, Andre, just before 1pm, he explained the ins and outs and basics of how not to kill yourself and others via jet ski, and then we were off!

Andre took us moderately slowly out past the farthest bungalow, steadily towards the raging, midnight blue Pacific. Stopping just before 2 buoys, he told us we were floating on the threshold of what islanders call "the point". This is the one and only place in the atoll of Bora Bora that ships pass in and out transporting goods and tourists. We did not go out past the point, but, instead, made a wide zig-zagging berth for the opposite side of the main island of Bora Bora.

The words to describe the varying shades of blue do not exist in any vocabulary, photo, dream or narrative. If it really were possible for Mary Poppins to jump into chalk drawings, then I like to think we jet skied through a watercolor painting today. The depths of water varied so drastically, it seemed as though strips of aqua met walls of absolute darkness with airbrushed precision.

We paused briefly in a relatively circular area of mountain and surrounding islands, where Andre explained to us that we were currently floating on top of the mouth of the volcano that formed the island of Bora Bora and the surrounding atoll. The area was roughly 50 miles across and seemingly bottomless. Still trying to grasp the magnitude of the volcano that lay dormant below our floating jets, we sped away to the next part of the island. It would seem, there is no end to the beauty and majesty in this remote part of the world.

During the course of our first hour, we circled the main island of Bora Bora, stopping once on a sandy beach to give our derrières a break. We anchored out and floated on our backs in the waist deep water, until a dog belonging to a local artist swam out to greet us. Andre informed us that the dog (he didn't know the dog's name) often greets him around this time of day at this part of the beach. When he had had enough, the dog paddled back to shore, and we mounted our waiting jets to explore more of the southern side of the island.

I don't have the proper vocabulary to describe the varying beauty, greens and blues, but I can say that no postcard, film or photo has ever/will ever do justice to the Eden that is Bora Bora.

Sadly, our afternoon came to a close and we headed back to the bungalow in a frenzied fit of joy. Since it was still relatively early and sunny, Matt and I decided snorkeling was in order. We made it a bit further out today, but not quite all the way into the dark blue waters looming past our bungalow.

When dinner time rolled around, we all made our way up to the main part of the resort for dinner in the outdoor restaurant. Now addicted to the best raw tuna we'd ever eaten, we headed to the Polynesian buffet being offered that night in conjunction with a traditional Polynesian luau. Personally, I was hoping for a giant pig being roasted on a stick over a grave-sized pit, but the Mahi Mahi was quite a satisfying runner up.

The show began with 4 young Polynesian men in traditional costume, who were soon joined by the same number of women. Their numbers grew to include 3 more of each men and women, and the show was spellbinding. I didn't know whether to watch the hips and skirts flying around at lightning speed, the strong, bronzed arms and legs telling a story of war or the delight in all of the faces of the performers over sharing their history and heritage. There was a band of drummers driving all of the dancers forward in their fever pitch movements, lead by a solo voice which seemed to resonate from the very earth we sat on, mesmerizing all who drew near enough to be enveloped by the beauty of the scene before us.

All too soon, the dances came to an end. Keeping with the spirit of sharing their heritage, the dancers wove in and out of the crowd, choosing resort guests to join the dance on stage. For some reason, maybe it was my wild island hair, I was pulled out of my seat, away from my espresso and led up to the stage and taken thru the movements of the hula by a man-child no older than my youngest brother... He showed me the arms bit, encouraged my hip shaking, and danced around me like a smiling, circling, friendly vulture.

In the end, I did my best Beyonce and took my seat in the crowd as quickly as possible!

...All is possible...

To say Bora Bora is beautiful would be a gross understatement of the truth...

Bora Bora is exquisite.

To have spent any time in this remote, untamed part of the world, I feel like a newly enlisted member of an elite group of individuals who have glimpsed Eden and wish never to return to Earth.

This morning, anticipating the sunrise, we woke before 6am, laying in bed waiting for God's morning spectacular.... I can tell you, we did not wait in vain. The sun here is an altogether different being than the one most of us know at home. Here, she takes her time, rising up out of the water, over neighboring mountainous islands, shaking the ink of night out of her hair, spreading her generous arms, greeting those awaiting her in breathless anticipation with a glowing kiss of heat.

I can only imagine life awakening to meet her every morning, stretching and smiling and thanking her for all the joy she brings. The days are short here, with the sun rising around 6:30am and setting close to 5:30pm, so we must do all we can to spend every waking moment together.

Matt and I headed to breakfast this morning, all the while marveling at the beauty surrounding us, wondering if our pictures would even begin to do it justice. I like to think we had a typical French breakfast... croissant, cheese, egg, fruit and juice...not to mention the vast quantities of Nutella...

We rushed back to the room for bathing suits, towels, books and sunscreen, proceeded to the beach and...just...sat. Typically, Sundays on the island are a day of relaxation and reflection. French Polynesians are a religious people who do not work or open shops (not even for tourists!) on Sundays. Boats do not leave the mainland for any of the surrounding islands, so where you are is where you are until Monday morning.

Sitting on the beach, marveling yet again at all that surrounds us, is all we need in this week of life. Plans today are few and far between....sunning on the sand, swimming in the ocean, swimming in the oceanside pool....sunning on the sand....

The overwater bungalows the lucky few of us occupy sit only in roughly 2' of sea. Each has a 2'x2' square hole cut into the floor, surrounded by a cube of glass, the top of which slides off to allow residents to feed the various types of fish that swim below. The owners of the hotel managed to convince the island officials to allow implementation of a faux coral reef system to be installed underneath the bungalows, as well as a coral nursery nestled in the middle of the boardwalks connecting the bungalows. Dual purposed, the reef system provides a safe area for snorkeling and allows the introduction of new fish species into the area. It's also just plain fun to induce a feeding frenzy via bits of bread through a hole in the floor :o)

Matt and I took snorkeling gear and explored the water beneath many of the bungalows, including our own, as well as the coral nursery. Twenty feet or so out the back of our bungalow, the water turns from a crystal clear aqua to a rather menacing, but still incredibly beautiful, velvety dark blue. Neither Matt or I were brave enough today to explore much farther than the aqua waters, but curiosity won and we decided to brave the inky depths in the morning...

Sitting in the bar/lounge area on the second floor of the main building, rain falls, rushing through the top layer of palms to the earth. The sound of rain on the thatched roof of the open air building is enough to coax one to sleep on this lazy Tahitian afternoon... Susan and Matt are playing pool in the center of the room; beyond them lies the tangled jungle of palms and vegetation. The sun never ceases to shine, even through the burst of rain. Almost as soon as it begins, the rain passes, leaving a damp, humid, glistening scene in its wake. Birds take up in song and the freshly washed vegetation outside sparkles with renewed fervor.

As much as I thought it would be a crime to spend a single unnecessary moment indoors (ie: aside from sleeping, which, in truth, could be done outdoors...), it's still as though we're communing with nature, for the vast majority of buildings here have no glass in the windows, providing a direct path to nature beyond the walls. We noticed that a hush had settled over the world around us; birds stopped singing and the murmur of voices below us had all but disappeared....soon enough, another burst of rain crashed through the trees, and we decided to wait it out during lunch, but by the time we arrived, the rains were gone.

We had lunch at the Polynesian equivalent of a cafe, fixed between the pool and beach. Between the three of us, we shared a round of fresh tuna with sliced cucumber and carrots in a lime/coconut milk sauce. It was so delicious, we all vowed to order only that for lunch tomorrow! Not that everything else we ordered wasn't perfection...there's just something to be said for tuna sashimi in coconut milk. I also had smoked salmon on toast; Matt had a seared red tuna salad and Polynesian pizza; Susie was smart and stuck with greek salad and tuna.

After lunch (and more ray-soaking-uppage), Matt and I ventured out on foot through the shallow waters, past the farthest bungalow, towards the small islands that make up the atoll surrounding the main island.....We didn't make it, unfortunately... Instead, we found a coconut and decided to wrestle it open on the rocks near the beach. Matt did an amazing job of pounding the hapless fruit onto the rocks and, not too soon after, we were drinking the remainder of the coconut water (that hadn't leaked into the sea) and nibbling on the fleshy insides.

Wanting to go further out into the water, we borrowed paddles and life jackets from the activity desk, threw 2 kayaks into the water, and paddled out towards the horizon... It wasn't long until, instead of paying attention to nature, we were laughing and splashing each other and trying to hitch rides on each others kayaks, which Matt was able to do the longest.

Not wanting to miss what we heard to be glorious sunsets, we paddled back to shore and headed back to the bungalow to watch the show from our back deck. There is no rushing in Bora Bora.... even the sun knows this, taking all the time she needed to dip and wink at us while she slid behind the palms and into oblivion... jusqu'a demain, l'soleil.....

Three showers, 2 relaxing hours and one nap later, we headed out to dinner at the resort. Seated outside on the patio, we have a perfect view of the moon and tiki torches burning and reflecting on the ocean. As always, the food was perfection.... Susan ordered pumpkin soup and a fresh tuna plate. I also decided on pumpkin soup, as well as a fresh salmon and mahi mahi carpaccaio. Matt went with fresh tagliatelle pasta and sea scallops in a white truffle cream sauce.

Stuffed to the gills (no pun intended!) and sleepy from the sun, food and activity, we return to our bungalow to rest our eyes and bodies for another fantastical day in paradise... All is possible...

A bientot, mes amis!

2 tickets to paradise....ok three....!

5 June 2010

Bonjour, mes amis!

The French Polynesian Islands, being nothing short of amazing, are where I will come to die.

Upon waking this morning, we were greeted by the glorious sounds of dozens of birds outside singing their little hearts out, begging us to come outside and bask in the sunshine and ocean....so we did...

Susie and I went down to the open air restaurant for a breakfast of fresh fruits, croissant, french press coffee, and some good ol' scrambled eggs and bacon.

From the balcony of our suite, we are none of us able to take our eyes off the beauty that is Tahiti. We do not overlook the ocean, instead our view is towards the interior of the island and the volcano that formed this beautiful landscape. Embedded into the side of the mountains are various styles of homes and villages. Birds fly in a constant stream back and forth over the crest and into the clouds that seem to be content merely brushing the tip of this part of the earth.

We head down towards the oceanside pool which is separated from the sea only by a retaining wall. Poolside, there is a man made beach and a bar with submerged seats, so that leaving the water never has to be an option when one is in need of refreshment. We order a fruit blend of pineapple, mango and strawberry, content to sit and soak up the Tahitian rays and watch the natives paddle out towards another island, more remote than ours, to catch a few waves. Mostly they sit on their boards and talk, as the waves are few and far between this early in the day. Tourists and natives alike head out in motorboats, kayaks, jet skis and sailboats to take advantage of the crystal waters and swift ocean breezes carrying them far out to sea.

For now, we are content to stay in the safe harbor that seems to be our personal slice of heaven, for we are seemingly part of a tiny group of vacationers occupying this side of the island.

After a lunch of fresh baguette with ham, cheese and spicy american mustard, we gather ourselves and our things to board the plane for Bora Bora...

We were told by the travel agent that Bora Bora is the most beautiful of the French Polynesian islands, and many people, upon first sight of the island, promptly burst into tears. Expecting the worst and best, I crane my neck towards the window, silently willing the dual prop engine plane faster through the clouds. It is late afternoon and we are chasing the fast setting sun through the clouds and onto the tiny island of Bora Bora. When the plane finally descends through the clouds, the view is better than any picture, any dream, any imagining..... Simply put; breathtaking.

We are greeted with lei's and smiles at the airport, our bags are whisked away before us and we are guided onto the boat that will take us from the airport to the satellite island of Tevairoa and the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort.

In the open air hotel lobby, fresh lime juice and damp towels are presented to us, while we wait to be shown our home away from home for the week.... Nothing less than an overwater bungalow. Amazing.

We planned on having dinner in one of the resort restaurants, but we are so obsessed with our bungalow, we decide on room service. While waiting for our various foods to arrive, we brave the waist deep ocean water, get freaked out at the thought of sharks, turn all the lights on and off several times, find all the clever places where glass has been installed in the floors and countertops to allow prime water viewing while bathing, brushing teeth, lying in bed, sitting on the couch, writing at the desk, marvel at the week to come.....

When dinner finally arrives, we are no better than kids at christmas; choosing to sit on the floor around the glass box which serves as a coffee table and a window to the coral world below us, we watch the fish swim lazily by and discuss tomorrow's adventures...

A bientot!

Oh! The humidity!

So, the thing is....... I'm writing from Tahiti. Bam. Awesome.

Long story short, my incredible cousin, Susie-Belle Owens sent me a text a few months ago asking if I was free the first week of June for a Tahiti vacation....Being 1st April, I naturally thought it was a cruel joke....after much deliberation and reassurance from her son, Matt, as well, I soon realised this was indeed NOT a joke, and I was set to go on an adventure to Tahiti!!!

Fast forward to: 4th June.....

.......After a trip to from my apartment to the hotel in rush hour, a bus from the hotel to LAX, numerous security checkpoints, a walk to the gate, another bus from the gate to another terminal, a short walk across the tarmac.... we were on the airplane to Tahiti!!

The plane ride was pretty much as wonderful as they come.... We were given a menu, movie list, free alocohol, pillows, a blanket and a little goodie bag filled with a sleeping mask, socks, earplugs, hand wipes and earphones. Matt, Susie and I watched Leap Year on our little individual televisions, ate dinner, and were generally ridiculously excited to be in the air. Susie and I kept trying to decipher the French announcements before they were announced in English... She was much better than I was....

When we finally landed in Tahiti (specifically Papeete), we flew through customs and were greeted with lei's and a bus to take us to our hotel. We are staying at the Manava Resort in Papeete.....Ridiculously gorgeous.... Sadly, the sun had already set when we arrived, but on the flip side, we flew through a gorgeous sunset!

We checked into the room and ordered dinner...Cheeseburger for Matt, Mahi mahi for Susie and Sashimi for moi! Honestly, the best sashimi I've ever had in my life. I had coconut citrus tuna tartar, pepper salmon sashimi and wasabi mustard tuna sashimi...Ah-May-Zing.

After dinner, Susie and I dipped our tootsies into the pool and chatted for a bit.... Tomorrow we have a half day here in Papeete before we catch our little puddle jumper to Bora Bora. For those addicted to Google maps, like myself, we are specifically staying on a tiny island part of the Bora Bora atoll called Tevairoa at the Pearl Beach Resort (which actually shows up on Google maps!) We'll take a 45 minute flight from Paeete to Faanui (on Bora Bora) and then a boat to the resort, where we are living in an overwater bungalow for a week!!!

Stoked.

The weather here is fabulous (hence the title...) and reminds me so much of the Florida I love and miss....