Bora Bora

Land crabs eating hibiscus we fed them.
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2.15.2007

This morning we arose in time to see our entry into the beautiful Teavanui Pass, a narrow passage way into our anchorage at Vaitape, Bora Bora-our last stop in French Polynesia.. This island is surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and fringing reef. As of 2002 the population was about 7,250 including some Americans who remained here following WWII. The U.S.Navy maintained a large supply base, airstrip .oil depot and defensive fortifications here. They built a circular road around the island which we took during a lousy tour on an open truck/bus. It was a beautiful sunny but hot and humid day. The Island is beautiful where it isn’t inhabited. Development, except for the tourist spots has ruined it in my opinion. When the explorer, James Cook wrote his impressions of the island in his diary, “Scarcely a spot in the universe affords a more luxurious prospect.” The Americans also built a small airport and developed a system for converting sea water to drinking water as there are no rivers or lakes on the Island. Electric power comes from generators and air conditioning for the hotels comes from pumping cold water from deep sites past fans. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over the water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today they are a standard feature of the resorts. The economy of all these islands is based on tourism.

Bora Bora
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Before departing we were entertained on the ship by a local toupe of native entertainers. The girls were beautiful, their costumes colorful and their movements unbelievable. Had cocktails and an enjoyable dinner with the Wests and the Smiths. Hard to believe that there could be three couples from Columbia Country Club aboard the ship.