Bora Bora part 2

As we headed back around the North side of Bora, we noticed a very steep road heading up past some houses to a radio tower. I was thinking, it is a good thing they don't get snow here, or they would never make it up that road in the winter time!

As we were motoring past Faanui Bay, the view of the peak was just about reversed from the view at the SE corner. 

 We took a mooring again at the Maikai Yacht Club because it is a good central location, they have an easy access dinghy dock and the best free wifi yet anywhere in Polynesia!!

We decided to put together our bicycles and tour the island by road. Our first stop was Bloody Mary's Restaurant. They have a landing dock across the street.

 They have been in business since 1979. 

 The courtyard while waiting for a table is quite lovely.

 And the Tiki in the yard was definitely masculine! 

 Later we took the boat down closer and picked up one of their moorings. The end of the dock has a lovely little covered waiting area to keep out of the sun or the rain.

 And a great view from the boat of the rock from there!

As we kept riding, we saw a pier with another little thatched roof building at the end of it. This turned out to be “The Farm” where (if it was open, closed on Sundays) you can go out and dive for your own oyster and you get to keep the pearl inside.

 They have a bunch of cool Tiki's around their parking lot. 

 One of which I swear looked like Homer Simpson!!

 They also had a lovely Buddha overlooking the water.

When we came around the corner, we saw Matira Beach, which is where the big Canoe race, the Hawaiki Nui will finish in November. This day it was empty, maybe because of the rain?

My bike decided to break down where the bearing for the pedals started coming out of it's holder, so we headed back to the boat. On the way we saw some nice places to chill out, in a hammock under a tree by a piroge (actual spelling of Proa, I found out), which is really just another name for an outrigger canoe.

People here keep their boats out of the water for safe keeping when not in use and so no grass grows on the bottom.

We stopped into the Bora Bora Yacht Club, which is on the opposite side of Farapiti Point from the Maikai Yacht Club, for a drink and a t-shirt.

While hanging out, the Island Packet, Harlow Hut showed up with our friend Mike O'Neill aboard as crew. Before they headed off to Hawaii, we all went for a snorkel.

The fish were thick on the reef at the coral garden where we went. We saw green and blue lipped clams,

Orange Lined Trigger fish,

and a Clouded Lizardfish camouflaged in the sand.

Then Mike spots something big.

It is the giant Moray Eel!!

He dives down for a closer look.

Then so does Mike O and Mike H gets a close up with his camera on a stick.

I dove and got this great shot of him. Look at his beautiful markings.

The colors in the coral were also amazing.

Back at the Maikai Yacht Club, I organized a big happy hour party for the cruisers. We had a whole gaggle of us there, so I herded the cats together for a photo. Most of the people in that photo have now sailed on.

Bora Bora is the last island in French Polynesia on the West side where you can check out for the next country. Harlow Hut was headed to Hawaii.

Our friends Patryza and Djidji aboard Donazita sailed out for the Cook Islands.

We are still here, now known as the “staybeinders”. The sun was setting past the island of Maupiti to the West as our friends sailed on.

For us, the rainbow of French Polynesia continues.

We finally got to tour the Motu Tapu (like you are not supposed to go there). We found out earlier that when ever a cruise ship is in, they rent this island for their guests to hang out for the day. We were asked to go away and come back on a day when no cruise ships were in, so we did. They have a nice easy landing dock to load and unload passengers and supplies.

It is a different view of the rock from here too.

There is a big kitchen for the workers and lots of tables for the guests to eat.

We just wanted to wiggle our toes in the sand a bit and not be bothered by honeymooners or other tourists.

The only ones on the island that day were the Terns. Note that this Motu is by the channel entrance, just inside the reef and there is a boat going by on the outside of the reef.

We motored around Motu Toopua and found no good anchorages because of the hotels built out over the water. While on the mooring near Bloody Mary's we took a dinghy tour around Raititi Point where the once luxurious Bora Bora Hotel was. Apparently it was quite destroyed in a storm and is a sad reminder to stay safe during the hurricane season.

Around the point off of Matira white sand beach we saw a boat anchored out. It looked familiar, and sure enough it was the Pearson we had sold many years ago to a Frenchman who sailed it to the South Pacific and sold it here. Obviously the new owner never changed the registration!

Some of the houses on this beach were in sad shape, like the hotel.

Others were just magnificent.

Many homes have lots of boats and beach toys ready to be used.

And we saw many local families playing in the water.

As we motored Avatar back for one last stop at the Maikai Yacht Club, the ever changing view of the monolith of Bora Bora continued to be spectacular.

The sun was setting on our own stay here in this beautiful island.

The piroges were paddling in the sunset.

But on the day we sailed away, it was cloudy and raining again, as tho the island was crying for us to return again some day.