Day 2: The Island of Moorea

Many past visitors and travel guides call Moorea the most beautiful island in the section of French Polynesia that we are now in, namely the Society Islands. It’s easy to see why, since the volcanic mountains are tall peaks kissing the clouds and all of the greenery winds its way down to the turquoise colored ocean. Moorea is where James Michener, author of South Pacific, imagined Bali Hai to be. Our guided tour bus stopped on a mountain peak, at the remains of an ancient temple, a few viewpoint stops and a tourist spot called “Tiki” which sold souvenirs (Jim bought a pendant made of abalone), had a restaurant and reconstruction of the house Gauguin lived in, with photos of his art works. However, all of his masterpieces are in the great museums of America and Europe; none remain here. Also, he lived on Tahiti, not Moorea. Nonetheless, one could imagine his spirit in this place. After our morning tour, Dan returned to the ship for lunch and booking tours while Jim went on an afternoon dive. He saw more spectacular, bright colored tropical fish, large sea turtles, and many more sharks. –Dan