Now that we’re back in the world of fast internet connections, we were finally able to view the videos/movies that our crew last year, Aaron Hodgins, put together. Here’s the trailer! I’ll post some of the videos tomorrow.

Legally we could have stayed in French Polynesia till September. Back in the states this winter we went through the P.I.T.A. of getting our long stay visas giving us 6 months to relax and meander through the country at an “island pace.” It involved a quick trip to Atlanta, a short interview, and about hundred pieces of paper from banks, police offices, and insurance companies. We had to prove we had enough money and coverage to afford our stay and cover our asses. Thanks to Photoshop, a scanner, and some artful and creative productions on my part, we passed muster with flying colors. Once we arrived, it seemed our visas also canceled out the process of posting a bond; something everyone does when entering the country by boat. Basically you put enough money in some sort of escrow account to cover a plane ticket out of the country so they could put you on a plane and throw you out if they so choose. Everyone complains because you lose money on both banking fees and the currency conversion. I’ve heard of boats losing up to $300 per person not to mention you have well over a thousand dollars each tied up in some foreign bank. The guys at immigration never mentioned a bond to me so I certainly never said a word to them! All in all, the visa was probably worth it even though we chose not to stay for the entire duration. Why didn’t we stay? I hate to keep talking about it but, as Margie mentioned in her last post, cost was a limiting factor for us in French Polynesia. We aren’t paupers living out here in a floating trailer park but my keel is still full of lead ballast…not gold. Cost and value are important to us. And it seems we aren’t the only ones. With the exception of the brand new Four Seasons (where a cheeseburger at the pool will run you $30), the resorts in Bora Bora were operating on less than 30% occupancy. Here in Aitutaki, the Pacific Resort is booked solid for the next two months. This is the first week since January that the resort we visited this morning, the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, isn’t full. They’re back to full occupancy next week. And we didn’t even think it was a nice place! Obviously people are starting to figure it out. The same experience, same beauty, similar culture, and better food (in our opinion)…half the cost. On Bora Bora, if you’re staying at one of the island resorts (on the motus) and you want to eat at one of the three or four restaurants on the main island it can cost you $100+ to get there and back not including the meal. It’s just a boat ride away! Don’t believe me? Check out the reviews at Tripadvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) Here on Aitutaki, you jump on your $12 a day scooter and head off. And let me go ahead and put this out there. OVERWATER BUNGALOWS ARE OVERRATED AND OVERPRICED. I know people are finding our site by googling Bora Bora so if this helps just one honeymooning couple make up their mind, I’m satisfied. If money is no object, head to the Societies, get yourself a bungalow, and relax to your heart’s content…if not check out some other places. Start here. I’m in love with it and I’ve seen some fascinating places. www.pacificresort.com

Saturday morning brought with it gloomy skies and clouds that hovered right on the tip of Otemanu Mountain. One glance at the glassy surface of the water and off we went in search of the manta rays we heard were hanging out on the eastern most tip of the island. Saw several eagle rays but no mantas. With the sun trying to poke through later that morning we headed over to the St. Regis. Again, no problems dinghying up and checking out the property. For those of you who followed our journey last year, you may remember us talking about running into Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, & Jason Bateman in Tahiti. Couples Retreat, the movie they were in French Poly to shoot, was filmed at the St. Regis resort.

Set on 44 acres, the St. Regis offers 91 overwater and beach villas, 3 restaurants, two pools, a spa located on a separate island, and the Royal Estate, which is a 3 bedroom retreat that includes its own private island, pool, and chef’s kitchen all for the low, low bargain price of $15,000 a night. The whole resort is obviously very luxurious but unfortunately it was a ghost town! Drew liked the layout there better while I was more partial to the Four Seasons.

That night we joined Jeff & Julie for drinks and dinner at the Sunset Bar back at the Four Seasons. They have a brand new thai chef with an all new sushi and thai menu. Drew and I both had a salad that was great while Julie & Jeff had the pad thai with tofu and shrimp. Their dishes came out looking so good I had to be rude and ask for a taste. Shouldn’t have done it. Delicious! Been craving it ever since…

Sunday morning we woke up and both made calls back home to wish both our dads a happy fathers day. Always great to speak to the family. After catching a morning cruise with Zen, Drew had to drag me off of their catamaran. So spacious and such a different feeling than a monohull. No worries though, Dosia, you’re still #1! Jeff, on Flashback, pulled out his spinnaker sail later that afternoon and we all got to do some spinnaker sailing. Best way to describe the spinnaker sail is that it is that big, poofy, oftentimes colorful, sail you usually see on sailboats. When set up right with ropes attached like a swing, if the wind catches that thing you will go flying! Cole and Monique, of Zen, probably took top flights that day and got a good 45 to 50 feet off the water. All with Mt. Otemanu in the backdrop. We had such a great time! We’re going to hate to leave both French Polynesia and the company of the great people we’ve been sharing these waters with for the past few months but we know we’ll see them again somewhere down the water. And we’re already looking forward to it. We’ll see you in Aitutaki, the Cook Islands!

Dressed in our best (which for us these days is anything without a stain), Drew held out his hands and did the all too intriguing “pick one.” Oh…decisions, decisions…okay, left one. 4S. “Okay, looks like today it’s the Four Seaons, tomorrow the St. Regis.” Not knowing whether we’d even be allowed in the resort, we wanted to at least look presentable. Drew even went so far as to pull out a buttondown shirt. “Babe, we’re hopefully going to be poolside and it’s 95 degrees out. I don’t even think Bill Gates would have one on if he were here.” I admired his thought process and found it ridiculously cute.

Surprisingly when we dinghied up to their shuttle docks we got nothing more than a wave and a Tahitian hello. I think somewhere in my mind I had conguered up that because movie stars and the elite are known to frequent here that there would be top notch security and hip designers and jewelers represented on every man and woman in sight. Quite the opposite, actually, and we blended right in.

We toured the grounds, which included a “kiddy island” for the folks to send their offspring to, 121 hideaways, three restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, and a project underway to build private residencies so that for the right price you can become a homeowner on the property! That’s lovely and all but I was more interested in the gym. That was the first time I’d felt air conditioning in two months : )

We found our way to the pool and sat at the bar to get a couple of drinks. Drew told the bartender we were visiting from the St. Regis. No questions asked, the bartender started us a tab by name that we were to simply pay at the front desk when we left the resort. Easy enough! I was so happy!!! Nothing like being in paradise IN paradise. We spent several hours sitting by the pool drinking beers and eating lunch. The lunch was mediocre but at $27 for a panini, I assume we were paying for the atmosphere more so than the food. Nonetheless, a good time was had by all and we’re looking forward to comparing the St. Regis tomorrow. Wait…we should know already…how quickly I forget we are staying there : )

The short trip over from the west side of the island is one that can reek havoc on boaters. It would appear that areas of the reef have been blasted away to accommodate the structuring of resort bungalows or what have you. So our nav charts showed reef where there really wasn’t any and then there were twisty, ‘s’ shaped passages lined with jagged coral that had managed to outlive construction. It acquires precise attention because if you went right when you were supposed to go left, you’d find youreslf stuck on a reef before you could say reverse. Unfortunately for our friends Jeff & Julie on Flashback they learned the hard way and we had to go help them winch their boat off the reef. Minimal damage was done, so that was good, and it was a useful experience for Drew and myself seeing how we’d never had to help anyone do that before.

We managed to avoid a repeat of Teahupoo for Dosia but were still a little on edge navigating her through waters that fluctuated anywhere from twenty to seven feet. Waters so clear and blue it looked like you could just reach your hand in and grab a big handfull of sand. Gorgeous, yes, but a little nerve racking when your boat draws five feet! But we made it and are anchored slap dab in the middle between the Four Seasons and the St. Regis resorts.

I really hate it for those who are fortunate to visit Bora Bora and never see this side of the island. The waters here are unlike anything I have ever seen. Miles and miles of nothing but undisturbed aquas sitting atop pads of white sand. I am all too curious to, hopefully, explore the grounds of these prestigious and elusive resorts, such as the St. Regis which drew the likes of Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Eva Longoria, and Tony Parker in its opening weeks back in June of 2006. We’ve heard here and there that most of these places are operating at less than 30% capacity right now. So fingers crossed, due to lack of clientel, they will welcome our business even though we are not shelling out the $900 a night for a room with a view. We already have one of those in Dosia. Instead we’ll just indulge in one of their $20 turkey dogs. Nothing like processed meat to make you feel like you are rubbing elbows with a big wig, huh?!?

Yesterday Drew and I drug up Dosia’s anchor from the depths of the Yacht Club and relocated her over to Bloody Mary’s. We’d heard rumors that in exchange for a little business in the restaurant that we could fill our water tanks at their docks. Well I had promised a great friend back home a hat from there, and we knew they had Hinano on tap, so case was closed. We were there!

Today after waking up and turning six “almost gone” bananas into two loaves of yummy banana nut bread, we headed to Bloody’s for lunch. Shocked to see a reuben on the menu, Drew’s mind was instantly made and I decided on a fresh tuna salad sandwich. We were pleasantly surprised by how good our meals were and highly recommend their lunch menu if you are in the area. Their lunch items range from 900 to 1500 CFP (some of the cheapest we’ve seen for lunch other than roadside roulottes) and it was good, quality food. I got completely schmoozed by a beautiful cat who has obviously made itself a staple at the restaurant. She so casually wandered up and gave me that “I’m so hungry” look so I shared my tuna. She’d no more cleaned her paws when she saw lunch delivered to another table and before I knew it I was face to face with her backside. Worked. Oh well…

Full bellies, a hat, key to the water dock, and we were on our way, eager to get over to the east side of the island. Drew had dinghy explored the other day and said it looks absolutely gorgeous. Oh, btw, for any fellow cruisers who are in the area or will be here at some point and plan to stay at the Yacht Club…they offer laundry services. They have three washers, a dryer, and it is 700 CFP a wash, same for a dry. At 1400 a load, it too, is some of the cheapest we’ve come across. And we hang dry on the boat so 700 a wash seemed like a complete steal to us. Just wanted to pass the info along!

It seems Bora Bora either delights or disappoints sailors.  I’ve heard it called “Boring Boring” by some while others proclaim it their favorite spot in Polynesia.  I admit I was shocked by the beauty of Huahine and if we hadn’t been so excited to meet up with everyone of Friday night we’d probably still be there exploring all the anchorages and small private beaches.  But Bora Bora is what it is; a unique island surrounded by a beautiful lagoon that attracts honeymooners and wealthy vacationers from around the globe.  This is now my third time visiting the island and Margie’s second so we arrived with a good sense of the layout and what to do.  For instance, we already know that renting a car here is a waste of money.  We know Bloody Mary’s has Hinano on tap and is a fine place for a beer but not diner.  And we know that to really experience what made this place famous we need to crash visit the resorts on the islands in the lagoon (the motus).  So that’s our plan.  In the next couple of days we’ll move over to the east side of the main island and spend a couple of days checking out the posh St Regis, the brand new Four Seasons, and several others I’m sure.  It’s the less popular side of the island because of the eight foot depth limit that restricts larger boats from making the trip.  It’s also the more beautiful side of Bora Bora with several square miles of white sand bottom backed up to palm fringed beaches.  Sounds like a great place to finish up our time in French Polynesia!

Here’s a couple of shots from the Bora Bora Yacht Club.

I think Margie mentioned it in an earlier post but I updated our About the Journey page to reflect our plans for the next couple of months.  Check it out!

While we had every intention to head to Tahaa on Thursday, better plans came up and we stuck around Huahine for another night. Thursday morning we traded Drew’s outboard engine expertise for breakfast burritos aboard Honeymoon. After a couple of hours, Seth and Drew had the engine up and running again so we decided to stick around for the day and all rent bikes to get some exercise and to take a trip around the island. For 1000 CFP you could rent a bike for half the day and 1500 CFP got you the whole day. We were closer to noonish getting there to pick them up so the guy cut us a deal and let us have four bikes until six o’clock for roughly ten bucks each. Not too shabby!

Shabby was me trying to get around Huahine on this bicycle! First two hours the roads were flat and there were no problems. Second half of the trip turned into huge hills, one of which had to be at a 45 degree angle that went up for at least two miles. That bike gut checked me really quickly and made me realize what horrible shape I am in!

So what do the four of us do to reward ourselves for our hard days work….margaritas, mexican food, and monopoly! Okay, doesn’t exactly make a lot of sense but hey, it was fun and that’s what is most important, right?

Friday morning we were up and out of the anchorage by 8:30. Drew pulled up the mileage to Bora Bora and realized it was a little farther than we had originally thought and we had plans to do dinner at the yacht club that evening with other cruisers. We ended up motoring the whole way over and got into the anchorage around 4:30 and were back in the presence of our buddies on Obsession, Zen, and Flashback. We all went to dinner that night and it was fabulous! Drew and I had been saving up our “dining out” cash for Bora Bora because Drew said the food at the yacht club looked and smelled so amazing. It didn’t disappoint and we ended up sitting on the porch talking to Jeff and Julie until one in the morning. It’s been a long time since we’ve stayed up that late and it was well worth the sacrifices that came with Saturday : )

We’ve had a great day today in celebration of Drew’s birthday. This morning he strapped me in to the scuba gear and tossed me overboard for the first time! Not literally…but it was my first time scuba diving. We stayed in shallow waters, allowing me to get used to the whole concept of not needing to come up for air, and did some reef diving. The snorkel and scuba over here is turning out to be much better than that we found in Papeete, or anywhere else thus far, for that matter. This anchorage is also one of the prettiest we’ve been in. Looking around there are at least seven different shades of blue surrounding Dosia and her neighboring cruisers right now!

The cake came out fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed our first sweets/dessert in over a month and a half! Drew wanted a spaghetti dinner so that’s what i’ve made and we’re settled in for a night with Harry Potter : )

The winds are whipping upwards of 30 to 35 knots here in this anchorage right now so as much as we don’t want to we’re probably going to head back towards town tomorrow. It will put us about an hour and a half closer to town and that much closer to the pass when we are ready to head to Tahaa on Thursday. Again, Happy, Happy Birthday Drew!

This afternoon we dinghied over to say hello/farewell to our buddies, the rays and the black tips. Like clockwork we pulled up and they surrounded us ready to feast but their interest in us lasted all of five minutes when they realized we weren’t equipped with rotting oyster meat like the last time we’d visited. We splashed around with them for a while, made a stop by the Moorea Intercontinental because they had French Mother’s Day festivities going on, and headed back to Dosia to prep.

Another short lived weekend in Moorea and we’re to set sail at dusk to head for Huahine. My first overnighter of the trip. I’ve whipped up a tuna casserole for an early supper to eliminate any need of cooking once underway. The whole concept of cooking on a stove that moves with the motion of the waves and makes a pot of boiling water look like it’s flying at my head is not one I’ve made friends with just yet. Being one that is prone to accidents on the boat, I eradicate all possibilities of a potentially harmful situation when given the opportunity. I’ve taken some pretty bad spills in the past week or so (hence the pic below). The swelling in my leg has just now subsided from a not too graceful fall I took in the cockpit trying to give Dosia her last fresh water bath back in Papeete. Oh my gosh did that crap hurt…

BUT I’m taking my bumps and bruises and an optimistic attitude and heading west. It shouldn’t take us more than ten hours or so to get there so we’ll probably pull into anchor late tomorrow morning. Since it’s a short trip, Drew and I will both sleep in the cockpit and he usually assumes most of the watch duties. On longer trips we do rotations, starting at 8 p.m., three hour shifts, you both get two shifts in a night, and it all ends at eight in the morning. It’s a system that works out well for us although each cruising vessel has their own way to get them through the nights. So with full bellies we’re ready to get underway. See you in Huahine!