Day 8 & into Day 9

Today is it. Today is our final day in Paradise. Woke up, packed our bags and prepared for our last day of honeymooning. We were fortunate enough to have ourselves and our bags escorted to reception for check out (via the oh so cool golf carts). Since our flight was not until the evening, we hung out by the beach most of the day, showered and freshened up at the Spa, and relaxed while we waited for our boat transportation to the air port in Bora Bora. Did you know their air port is on its own island?!

Any way, as we boarded our boat, we were leid one final time by the Polynesians, this time with a sea shell lei, one that we could actually keep. So you know, all other flower leis had to be turned in prior to boarding the next flight so as not to cross pollinate or spread flower germs or something. The Hilton staff, our new friends, came to see us off. They played a sweet song using their vocals, a ukulele, and drums. Although I couldn’t tell you the words, I can share with you that the sentiment was one of a heartfelt good bye and well wishes for safe travels and a happy life. I was fighting back tears.

It was truly an incredible honeymoon. Just the perfect amount of time, not too long where we got bored and not too short where we felt like there was still more to do. Obviously the company was pleasant. We loved spending time with each other and meeting so many new people. Bora Bora is rich in culture and the visitors are just as diverse. It was wonderful to be traveling alongside young (and old - haha) French, Greek, Italian, British, Indian, American, and so many other couples.

Traveling was gruesome. Neh, not that bad, it’s just the sitting and waiting and being padded down that gets old. Oh and then the plane ride back to the United States. It comes with the territory. While waiting, we snacked on starbursts (the large man who inspected my bag said these were “forbidden” and that he’d need to confiscate them – jokester!), coke, hot dogs (these are not good at the Tahiti airport), and lots of water.

On our flight we were served this ham and macaroni dish for dinner. It was fun. That reminds me, on the way over to Bora Bora, we had a pesto tortellini, it too was fun ;) Breakfast consisted of eggs and crepes. All just fine for airplane food. We got to sit on the left side of the plane, versus the middle section, on the way back, which left us with a tiny bit more leg room.

We were greeted by Shelly and Jack at the airport, who brought us home. Thank you for that! As we pulled into the drive way, we were greeted by Guinness, along with a welcome sign, a bottle of champagne, some flowers, and balloons. Thanks VV! Our honeymoon was just exquisite and now, its good to be home. Can’t wait to see every one. Now we must unwind and unpack. 

Sadly, Scott’s head is not in this pic, but it’s a cute one aside from that – I’ll play around with photo shop to see if we can get his head put back in its proper place

Day 7

The day began with feeding fish of the swim deck. Surprisingly, there was a great variety of fish, even just around the overwater villas. Earlier this trip, we had heard that someone saw an octopus near their bungalow. We have yet to see any said creature. Regardless, feeding the fish is fun. Some were nibbling on Scott’s toes :)

After stuffing the fish with our stale cheez-it party mix and leftover baguettes we decided to go hang at the beach. Today, we decided we’d take the special chairs that were over the water. Not bad eh?

After our brief scuba adventure the other day, we were enticed by the tropical fish and wanted to see more. Before I go on, I need to make a few corrections:

-          last scuba was only about 6 meters for 30 minutes. This was with a company known as Top Dive

-          when we went to the Lagoonarium, we took a fourth stop on our way back to Vitape to see some giant manta rays. We snorkeled on the top of the water and looked down to see if we could find any. We soon spotted some. They were probably 20 meters down, and huge, at least 10-12 feet across. They were incredible! Scott dove down towards them, I refrained.

-          SO I had eluded to the fact that they brothers and the French guy who were our guides were a riot, I’d just like to jot down a few of their sayings here so that we do not forget their silliness: YUM YUM time, pee pee time, no shopping time…

Ok, so back to today’s scuba with Bora Bora Diving. Today’s dive took us just outside of the reef. We went down about 12-15 meters and there we stayed for 35-40 minutes. It was awesome! We saw so many fish of course, but the highlights were the sharks. That’s right, sharks! We predominantly saw black-tips and lemon sharks. I thought I might get scared, but they were so graceful and not at all intimidating. HUGE, they were. We saw some 7-8 footers! There was even a pregnant one. It was swimming towards us. I got a little nervous and appropriately positioned myself directly behind Scott and our instructor (is that bad?!). Scott even got to drive the boat as our instructor refueled, while driving. That was fun for Scott, I think. OH, and we bought a throw away underwater camera, so we’ll have some pix to share when we get back.

I have yet to reflect much of the cultural aspects of this trip. I believe I will do so while we are at the airport as there is so much I do not want to forget. I will say that there are many French and other Europeans vacationing here. French Polynesia, duh! Scott is especially fond of all the hanky panky speedos that they men wear. The Hilton staff has been incredible! We’ve learned a couple Polynesian words (can’t spell them but I can say them). We’ve chatted and love the blend of cultures here. It makes the trip exciting and unique.

We spent time watching the sunset atop a hill, near the Spa. Absolutely breathtaking –nuf said! We continue to be memorized by its glory.

Dinner tonight was a buffet (at the beach site) containing traditional Polynesian dishes, along with local fish, and food from the various cultures represented at the resort. It was delicious. I mostly preferred the sushi. YUM YUM Time! For our enjoyment, there was also a Polynesian dance show for us to watch. Scott failed to warn me that one of the male dancers was approaching our table from behind. With a tap on the shoulder, I was taken up in front of the crowd to shake my hips and show off my moves. Good thing we had a couple cocktails beforehand or I may have gotten shy. Scott said my dancer boy was ‘high as a kite.’ Regardless, I shook my bon bon and all was well. At the end of the show, Scott was a good sport and took a picture with the dancers. Thanks babe!

Day 6

This fine day was one filled with excitement, rejuvenation, and cooking fun. The day began with us saying goodbye to some new friends, they’re island hopping and off to Moorea then Tahiti. The first half of the day was spent lounging at the beach. We took a break from sunbathing and went for a 30 minute ride on the Hobie Cat. The Coconut Beach Boy took us out. It was pretty exhilarating. The wind was perfect, not too much to make it choppy (and me nauseous) but just enough for us to be able to travel at an accelerated speed. Our travels took us just shy of the coral reef barrier, where the surf breaks. Those waves are huge, about 6 feet. An easy and exciting adventure –check!

  

After hanging at the white sand beach for a couple hours, we had lunch art the bar, followed by our scheduled “Time for Two,” which entailed an aromatherapy bath and relaxing body massage. The spa’s location and our room set up were fabulous. The views were incredible, post card material, for sure! A golf cart, driven by Tony, the Spa Director, came to pick us up and escort us to the Spa Hilton Bora Bora Nui. 

Our treatment hut was out of this world. It had a spa, two massage tables, a bathroom, a shower, and a balcony. Absolutely gorgeous!Aside from the exquisite beauty surrounding us, the treatments certainly helped us relax. We selected the “Citrus Lift” bath which consisted of a variety of citrus aromas all of which moisturize and revitalize the skin. Our Tahitian massage was unique from others we’ve experienced in the past. While their massage techniques focus on the whole body, they are characterized by the therapists’ use of deep forearm work and repetitive strokes at a quicker pace. Very nice!

While at the spa’s higher elevation, we took the liberty to take a few pictures of the land and visit the small chapel. Bora Bora is such a wonderful place of charm and beauty. It is our hope that this journal and these pictures can haelp us to preserve these incredible memories and sights for a long time.

 

Our evening adventure brought us to cooking class. This evening we made (again, it was more so of an observation of their staff, followed by our tasting – I’m not mad) a Tuna dish. The ingredients were: red tuna (cut into small squares), some coconut milk, lime juice, carrots, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, and chives. Our instructor emphasized the key is to use fresh ingredients, always! You mix the lime juice with the tuna (which cooks it), add the veggies, pour the  milk on top and VOILA. I think it was like a salad. In any case, it was fresh and delicious. So good. I am being so thorough in this description as I hope to be able to make this traditional Tahitian dish upon our return.

 

Another memorable day :)

Day 5

Today was extremely relaxing. We had no agenda, no where to be, nothing other than relaxing to do. So what did we do? We enjoyed the traditional sunrise and sunset. In between we spent time lounging on our deck, kayaking around the hotel property, napping, and having margaritas on the beach. Delightful!

The sunset was viewed in a new location this evening. We enjoyed the view with cocktails in hand, between the Presidential Suites -boy are those fancy. We were joined by a few other couples, all there to take in the beauty of the moment. It was just gorgeous.

Day 4

Today began like every other day, with a beautiful sunrise off our balcony and a breakfast of champions at Tamure Grill, the beachside cafe. Delicious. We came to Bora Bora with the understanding that food was going to be expensive, so we planned accordingly. We typically drink a lot of fluids at breakfast, including fruit juice (we think its mango though we’re not positive), coffee, and lost of water.

TIP for Travelers: prior to leaving the states, we came upon these Brita water bottles that contain water filters inside. You fill the bottle with tap water from the sink, we usually add lots of ice too, and VOILA, purified water for your hydrating pleasures.

We spent the first half of the day, playing in the sand and lounging at the beach, which was great fun and very relaxing. Additionally, we visited the gift shop so that we could browse and see what kinds of goodies we might want to bring home :)

Our next adventure brought us to Scuba Diving. That’s right, Scuba Diving. Although we’re not certified, we took a gamble, telling the captain we were to see how far that would get us. It got us pretty far. Just kidding, it was a beginner’s course. We got a quick 20 lesson while on the boat (the instructor having a pretty thick French accent - haha) and then we were off. Our dive was not too deep, perhaps only 20 meters (not sure if this is accurate, I just remembering hearing 20 meters while on board). Our first time scubaing and we explored coral and saw many tropical fish. It was perfect for a learner course.

While in the spirit of learning, we signed up for a class at the hotel. This was a cocktail making class at the Ta’ie ie Bar. Our professor, the bar tender. Our final exam, drinking the booze (for free I might add). We made two, nah, we observed the bar tender as he made two drinks per couple (we called them our classmates): Bora Bora Nui and Maitai. Our classmates consist of the two other couples who went scuba diving with us. It made the experience fun having other youngins around. The decision as to which drink was better was split, half preferred the blue, the other the red. All is all, we aced the final exam and passed the class. Great success!

As you can imagine, after a day of classes we were pretty wiped, so we had a lovely dinner on the beach and called it a night. Paradise rocks!

Day 3

Today was a great day. It began with both of us watching the sun rise & ended with a sunset and cocktails.

The two of us woke up early this morning so that we could eat breakfast, take the first boat to Vitape, and grab the shuttle (I use the term shuttle loosely as it is more of this big truck, with a large extended bed, for adventurist people to hop on board) to take to our first excursion: swimming with the sharks and stingrays.

We made friends with this other So Cal couple and they were sharing with us about some of the excursions they had planned. Because there were a few we were interested in, we decided to tag along, giving us built in buddies and photographers :)

The boat was run by two brothers and a crazy French man. This trio of guys was a riot – beyond hilarious! They serenaded us, informed us of Bora Bora culture, and gave us a comprehensive tour of the area. While on board, it became quite apparent that we were in the minority as most of the travelers were from France, Italy, and a guy from Greece. The tour guides spoke predominantly in French but the spoke in English for us as well. It was very cool to hear all the different languages.

 

TIP for travelers: the native language here is French and a dialect of Polynesian Islander (clearly I am making this terminology up). Many of the employees around the island is speak English (some better than others) but good to keep this in mind as you explore.

The boat made a few different stops. We first went out to towards the reef barrier and anchored just shy of it. There we put on our snorkel gear and watched as the brothers fed the sharks and stingrays. We got to see lots of them, up close and personal. The crazy French guy kept bringing the stingrays around to swim against me, they’d flap along my back, and side. I am not gonna lie, it was a bit nerve racking.

The second place the boat took us was to a great coral reef area, perfect for snorkeling. We got to see tons of beautiful, tropical fish. At this point, we have yet to use our flippers. It’s not necessary because the water is so salty and staying afloat is not a problem. Sadly our waterproof camera got water in it, so we are unable to access the images we took and no longer have use of the camera, we’re hoping airing out will help. In any case, our friends got some great pix of the fish and coral, I am sure they’ll share with us.

The third and final destination was the main event, the Lagoonarium. It was wonderful! It was sectioned off into four distinct tide pool areas: one with turtles, one with stingrays that they debarred (making them completely harmless), one with tropical fish, and one with a mix of all the above (minus the turtles). This section extends along the perimeter of the pools and has huge swim areas on either side. This was super exciting. It was here that we got to get cozy with the sting rays and lemon sharks.

It was here at the Lagoonarium (which is a small island) that we had lunch and got to explore. Lunch was traditional Polynesian cuisine and was quite delicious. We had some chicken, fish, rice, little bananas in tapioca pudding (SOOO good), cirveche, fresh fruit, and bread. “Yum Yum Time” was good. There were a few pups on the island that we fell in love with, they were too cute! They swam with us, went for a walk around the island with us, and provided us with some great K9 company (we miss our pup – love you Jack!). The island had a little shop and it was here that Scott got me a special hat. It is a great memento to remember this incredible day.

After our day of exploration, we went to our friends bungalow, where we listened to music, had drinks, swam, jumped from the swim step (and the second story, I even tried it this time –eek), and snacked on fresh meats, cheese, and bread from the local market.

TIP for travelers: you must visit the local grocery store, Chin Lee. It’s a great way to save money, find familiar foods, as well as try some of the local goods.

We watched the sunset, gorgeous. The evening ended with a fabulous diner for four at Iriatai (the fancy place) where they had live music. This guy was really good, playing U2, Cold Play, REM, Eagles, and other classis bands, all with an island twist. We danced a little (although not the norm) and played pool. It was a terrific day, which ended with a terrific night. Good times in Bora Bora (some here say Boha Boha).