Bora Bora  (Itinerary)

The top of the mountain in the center of Bora Bora was enshrouded in a low-hanging cloud.

Our ship navigated through a narrow opening in the reef that surrounds the entire island. It was another tender port, so our ship anchored in the lagoon area for the day.

 
A tropical paradise beckoned us...

 
The crew loaded the drinks, tent, mats, and all their other shore-side gear plus the shore crew into the first tender from the third deck, so all that stuff does not need to be carried down the stairs to the normal tender platform.

The French flag flies here. We were on the first tender dressed for snorkeling.

 
As we started walking toward the snorkeling beach, we passed by this church and a business with several chairs made from tree stumps and roots.

 
Verifying our directions to the beach. Yes, continue in this direction this fruit merchant said. 

Finally we caught a ride on a collectiv. This was shot through the window as we approached the south end of the island.

From the collectiv, looking back toward the ships. We were in port with the Oceania ship that was docked with us in Pape'ete. The local boaters have built lifts that operated manually with large wheels providing the leverage.

 
We passed by the International Hotel on the road to the beach.

 
A public beach was on the right side of the road, but we were headed to a beach facing the coral gardens.

The public access beach was beyond the hotel property. The rooms in this hotel are grass-roofed huts built on platforms over the water.

 
There were a lot of birds in the hotel area. We think they are some type of tern.

We waded for a while and then swam the last couple of hundred of yards to where the reef of the coral gardens began. We were not disappointed—we particularly liked seeing the clams with their undulating "clam lips" in all their various colors and patterns. Most of the clams were 6 t0 12 inches across. 

   
Clown fish find shelter in this lone staghorn coral. Both sides of fancy snail shell with the snail still inside.

  
The soft coral provides a nice backdrop for these fish.

    
Sea cucumber or sea slug...

More clams...

As you can tell, we just loved the amazing clams...

 
A pale hard coral and a bunch of squirrel fish congregated in one spot.

A surgeon fish with its orange razor fins near its tail.

 
2 stingrays swam under us as we made out way back to the beach. They are beautiful swimmers.

From the water...

Looking back toward coral gardens—where the boats are.

Some of our fellow shipmates on an exclusive around the island tour. The tour guide on another tour boat that went by was singing and playing the ukulele while steering with his foot.

 
We befriended this woman, Victoria, and her family who lived next to the public beach and then took a collectiv back to the dock. The driver wore a flower behind her ear and the front seats are covered with tropical print fabric.

A different view of the mountain from the collectiv, after the clouds had lifted. 

 
After a shower, rinsing off our gear, lunch, and lots of iced tea, we came ashore again. This time there was a Polynesian band playing and more vehicles traveling the island including this "Le Truck" decorated with flowers and palm fronds.

 
We walked up this road toward the mountain. The sign near the entrance of the road warned that people wishing to climb the mountain had better hire a certified guide.

 
We love walking through the neighborhoods so we can see how people live. A colorful laundry hangs to dry in a covered porch. Raised beds had been newly planted with seedlings, probably some type of spinach.

Farther up the hill, some squash vines were running amok. 

 
At the top of the neighborhood, we could see the Amsterdam. This guy looked big enough and muscular enough to have been a football player.