Thurs. & Fri. Jan. 27 & 28, 2011 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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| Sofitel Hotel, Bora Bora |
James A. Michener, Return to Paradise, 1951: I saw it first from an airplane. On the horizon there was a speck that became a tall, blunt mountain with cliffs dropping sheer into the sea. About the base of the mountain, narrow fingers of land shot out, forming magnificent bays, while about the whole was thrown a coral ring of absolute perfection.
An idyllic island interlude in the South Pacific. Who can resist the soft sands, emerald peaks, and blue lagoons. We have an overnight to explore this wonderful port. We are 160 miles northwest of Tahiti.
As you approach from the sea or air, you can’t help but be awed by the basalt obelisk of Mount Otemanu, a natural sculpture that towers majestically over an island of intense emerald green. The name is a reference to the Otemanu, a sacred bird that once lived on the slopes. Motus are the magical little white sand islands dotted throughout the amazing lagoon.
Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island was settled by Tongan people about the 4th century. Bora Bora’s main attraction is its calm and crystal-clear lagoon. The waters are said to be the most beautiful in the world. When the United States entered World War II, Bora Bora became a South Pacific military supply base, with an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications. “Operation Bobcat”, as it was known, maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment, and nearly 5,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack and are still a popular tourist attraction. The base was officially closed in 1990.
Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island was settled by Tongan people about the 4th century. Bora Bora’s main attraction is its calm and crystal-clear lagoon. The waters are said to be the most beautiful in the world. When the United States entered World War II, Bora Bora became a South Pacific military supply base, with an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications. “Operation Bobcat”, as it was known, maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment, and nearly 5,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack and are still a popular tourist attraction. The base was officially closed in 1990.
Ships anchor in the harbor and tender ashore to the jetty at Vaitape, the main town on the island. There is a monument to French yachtsman Alain Gerbault, who sailed his boat around the world between 1923 and 1929 and lived to write a book about it. From the wharf, head counterclockwise around the island.
We shared a van with 2 other couples and did a tour of Bora Bora. We visited the Mapeotetini Marae (their most important temple), a place to watch them die-dying pareus, the Sofitel Hotel, the Intercontinental Moana Beach Hotel which was next door to a beautiful public beach, Matira Beach. We had a drink of coconut water in an ice-cold coconut. Then on to Bloody Mary’s Restaurant for a wonderful view on the pier back to the city of Vaitape.
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