24.08.2016 Moorea # That's it with 'Bong Schur' now

Since yesterday we have been on Moorea, the little sister of Tahiti. You can reach the island within 30 minutes from Papeete by ferry or in 7 minutes by plane, but that was too decadent for us. :-)

Scenically, Moorea offers a stark contrast to the flat coral atolls we have been accustomed to, with its rugged and densely wooded mountains, the highest of which measures around 1200m. But it is definitely worth a look. Otherwise, Moorea has the same highlights as the other islands, such as churches, pearl farms with attached sales, and water sports of all kinds.

We are staying with Mark Walker, an American who seems to have been here for quite some time. He can tell stories quite pleasantly, unfortunately he speaks very quickly and with American slang, so we have trouble understanding everything immediately. But a very cozy guy.

Mark's Place is a bungalow complex that is only missing direct beach access to be perfect. The only things that are a bit annoying are the poorly behaved house cat that insists on drinking out of every cup and the chicken farm next door. The latter would be bearable if the roosters had a proper internal clock and didn't wake us up at half past three in the morning.

Our accommodation, Fare Fetia, consists of two bungalows. One is the bedroom and was built from natural stones and glass bottles (not kidding) and is quite cozy with a bed, sitting area, and bookshelves. Actually too nice to just sleep in. Once across the "courtyard", you have the second hut with a fully equipped kitchenette and bathroom. The outdoor shower is a bit unusual because it doesn't offer complete all-round privacy. But we have nothing to hide :-) However, if you need to go out at night more often, you should consider booking a cabin with an indoor toilet.

Originally, we wanted to spend six days on Moorea, as the diving grounds here are also supposed to be among the best. However, there was a flight delay in advance, so we reluctantly decided to book only two nights with Mark and cancel the diving.

Instead, we wanted to explore the island by bike today. Unfortunately, the weather didn't show its best side. It was more or less gray all day and it rained almost continuously from noon on. In the end, a 60(!)km ride came out, partly over rough terrain, at the end of which we were wet to the skin. However, this did not dampen our good mood. After all, today we followed in the footsteps of the great explorer James Cook. In the bay where he first landed in Polynesia at that time, we wondered what it must have looked like back then. Without all the resorts and fancy sailboats in front. Today you can't really imagine that anymore. Too bad.

Tomorrow we will leave the French sphere of influence and fly to the Cook Islands. Hopefully, we will have better weather there.

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