Had to meet our excursion group at 7:45, so we were up early and down to the International Café by 7:00 for breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Once off the ship, we joined hundreds of other passengers boarding tour buses and heading to various parts of Tahiti. Our tour followed the island's east coast before returning to Papeete.
Our first stop was the James Norman Hall Museum. Ever heard of him? Neither had we. Born in Colfax, Iowa, Hall turned out to be a fascinating man. During World War I he fought for the British, the French, and eventually the Americans. Since Americans couldn't initially enlist in the British Army, he claimed to be Canadian. Later he went to France, where he became one of the 38 founding members of the Lafayette Escadrille before eventually joining the U.S. Army Air Corps.
After settling in Tahiti, Hall began writing adventure stories, many of them set in the South Pacific. His son also found success, working in Hollywood and winning three Academy Awards, including one for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Our next stop was Point Venus, home to a black sand beach that is considered one of the island's most popular. I don't know about the popularity, but I did learn a few things about sand. Black sand is created when volcanic rock is slowly broken down by countless years of pounding surf. In the South Pacific, some white sand beaches have a much more unusual origin. Certain fish eat coral, digest it, and...well...poop out white sand. I know what you're thinking, but it needed to be said.
Point Venus gets its name from the spot where explorer Captain James Cook brought an astronomer to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun.
The Blow Hole didn't quite live up to its reputation. It blasted out plenty of air but very little water. Even so, the roar was impressive, as were the waves crashing against the nearby rocks.
The view from One Tree Hill overlooking Matavai Bay was spectacular. This is the bay where the Marlon Brando version of Mutiny on the Bounty was filmed, and from the overlook we could see our favorite island, Moorea, just 13 miles away. It's said that One Tree Hill once had e xactly one tree. Not anymore. Today it's covered in a sea of lush green vegetation.
A stop at the Monument to Captain Bligh and the Tomb of Pomare V gave us a chance to stretch our legs with a short walk before continuing on.
Back in Papeete, I was amazed at how skillfully our driver maneuvered the bus through the busy streets. Our final stop included a walk through the Parliament Building and its beautiful grounds, where the last Queen of Tahiti once bathed in a large stone pool that is now home to colorful koi.
After the tour bus dropped us off, we returned to the ship for a short rest before heading back into town for lunch and a little shopping. Papeete is easily the largest city we've visited since Honolulu, and it begins right at the cruise pier, making both objectives an easy walk.
Our first stop, however, was Le Retro, where we found a sidewalk table and enjoyed a pair of Hinano beers. As we looked for lunch, we discovered that most menus were entirely in French, and the prices seemed a little steep—around $25 for a salad. Since finding an English-friendly menu wasn't proving easy, shopping quickly moved to the top of the agenda.
After browsing several jewelry stores, Barb found what she had been looking for: a black pearl necklace. I know—I always thought black pearls weren't supposed to exist either. But once she saw the necklace, the decision was made.
The whole pearl-growing process is pretty fascinating. Local divers harvest young oysters and suspend them in nets while they mature. Later, skilled Japanese technicians carefully insert a small nucleus into each oyster to begin the pearl-forming process. Two to four years later... voilà—a beautiful black pearl.
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye to the South Pacific and return to the ship for our voyage back to Los Angeles. We will always remember these beautiful islands and hope to return someday.
We were back aboard and having lunch by about 2:00. Around 5:00 the ship eased away from the pier and turned northwest toward Los Angeles.
Just like that, our island adventure was over. Well...almost. We still had eight relaxing days at sea ahead of us—time to unwind, reflect on an unforgettable journey, and slowly prepare for the return to everyday life. We were back aboard and having lunch about 2:00. At about 5:00 the ship pulled away from the pier headed generally Northwest toward Los Angeles. Yup it's over except for the eight sea days ahead, which will be our time to really relax before getting back to everyday life.
Aboard the Crown Princess
017° 33' South
149° 33' West
Posted from my iPad 2 Air
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