We finally recovered from jet
lag and the trip from home, so it was time to get physical. After a big fruity breakfast we drove up to a
mountainside site called Belvedere, where our photos of the two big bays of Moorea
and the huge mountain in between them will have to take second place to the
actual view. This island may be the most
beautiful we have ever encountered, and it seems the trip is just beginning.
View from Belvedere
The hiking trail to the right took us
to another magnificent viewpoint, but it seemed logical to try for an even
loftier perch. So after the first
20-minute hike of the day, back at Belvedere we spotted this sign pointing to
the left:
Hiking trail sign at
Belvedere
My French was rusty, so I could not translate to name the three objects that would appear at the end of this particular trail, but Tricia
observed that whatever they were, they must be magnificent or the sign wouldn’t
be pointing to them. Not wishing to thwart
my companion’s desires, I made the first serious tactical error of the trip,
agreeing to follow the trail with her.
At first the rocky trail led us downward for twenty minutes or so; then
we ascended another 20 minutes, stopping along the way to observe the many
strange plants and trees in this beautiful rain forest.
Giant rain forest tree
surrounding Tricia
Giant strangler fig
engulfing tourist
After another few hours (or what
seemed what like hours) we finally reached the summit to find a wonderful view
amidst three puny pines. After soaking
in the view and watching a couple of disgusting young men running up the
mountainside and past us and down another path,
it was time to begin the journey to the starting point. Dear reader, after many years of careful
observation and voluminous note-taking, it has come to my attention that if you
reach the destination of a long, winding, rocky mountainous trail and feel
totally exhausted before attempting the return trip, you ain’t felt nothin’
yet. You may want to make a note of this
in the journal you use for future trip planning.
Exhausted tourist
trying to appear cool at Trois Pinus
Back at the bottom of the mountain and after stops at a few dozen black pearl shops, your writer was
greatly relieved that the person who did all the looking did no buying. But since this part of the adventure was
somewhat stressful, we took the afternoon whale watching tour. You may be aware that humpback whales use
some of these islands as breeding and birthing grounds, and this is the time of
year when they visit Moorea. For a small
consideration—think of purchasing a small auto—you can board an open boat with
ten or so other hardy souls, and head out with masks snorkels, and fins, ready
to be in the water with these mammoth creatures.
En route to whale watching
The view along the ride cannot be
adequately expressed. Diamond-clear blue
water which seemed only 2 feet deep, with coral heads scattered about like
handfuls of rocks flung out at random.
Beach after beautiful beach, bordered by 50-foot coconut palms. Mountains reaching for the sky, sometimes
protruding into the clouds. The surf
crashing on the protective reef which surrounds the entire island. The views alone were worth the
investment. But once we headed outside
the reef to look for whales (no one had mentioned venturing outside in the
6-foot seas), the real adventure was on.
Thank God we had found seasick medicine and taken it before the trip,
and praise Allah for the fact that it worked.
We spotted a few baby whales poking their heads out of the water to
observe the outside world, and dolphins appeared here and there amidst the
whale spouts. But we were never able to
come close enough to swim with the whales, their sense of curiosity parked on
this day. I was able to swim and observe
a small group of dolphins from about 20 feet, and we did thoroughly enjoy the
adventure. But swimming with whales
remains one aqueous adventure we have yet to experience.
Moorea from the whale watching tour
We turned in early to be prepared to
pack up and head for Bora Bora after lunch.
But one of us wants to have enough time to make a final pass at the
black pearl shops. Pray for the writer.
Charlie and
Tricia
©2012
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