11/19/08 Taha’a and Motu Mahana, Society Islands

Five days ago, we were docked in Uturoa, on the island of Raiatea. Today, we’re two miles north of Uturoa, anchored off the island of Taha’a. These two islands are encircled by the same coral reef and share a common lagoon. So we were here, we left, made a big loop and came back. Seems like it would have been easier to see both while we were here on the first trip but I don’t make the decisions. Anyway, here we are again! There are no shore excursions for Taha’a that interest me, only a visit to a pearl farm. So I have no plans for the day. We are having a cook-out on Motu Mahana, Regent’s private island in the lagoon. Tenders will be running between the ship and the motu all day so there’s no particular rush to go ashore.

I piddled around the ship most of the morning, considering whether I even wanted to bother tendering to the motu. I finally decided that I would never be here again so why not take a look. Plus, I had to eat somewhere! So, sometime late in the morning, I jumped onto a tender. My best decision of the day! This is the prettiest little island you can imagine. It’s just a tiny little place but it’s an idyllic setting. The water is crystal clear, the sand is a soft white powder, it’s covered with palms and flowering plants and you get free food and drinks. It’s perfect! If it weren’t for those other couple of hundred people, I’d feel like Gilligan. Regent has done a great job of preparing and maintaining this island for its guests. It’s immaculately clean, there are an abundance of lounges and hammocks, canoes and kayaks are available, there are thatched huts serving as restaurant and bar, even the restrooms are in a thatched hut! What’s not to like?

We were met at the dock by the Gauguines, playing Polynesian music and singing. They’re always a terrific welcoming committee. I immediately spotted some folks I knew, who invited me to join them. But first, I had to get something cool to drink. I walked over to the bar and said “Give me something in a coconut”. They did! I have no idea what it was but I’m absolutely certain that it contained rum and fruit juices, at a minimum. The problem was that the damned thing weighed at least six or seven pounds. I’ve never had a drink that I couldn’t carry around before but this one required that you sit. So I joined the others for a while. I didn’t ask for more coconut drinks after that; glasses were just fine.

The food was also excellent. A lot of it was probably prepared on the ship but there were a lot of grilled items as well, including hamburgers and hot dogs, so I didn’t go hungry. After lunch, I relaxed on a lounge next to the lagoon, watching the people kayaking and snorkeling. You know, if I live long enough and take another tropical vacation, I just might try some of this stuff. At what age can the dog not learn new tricks? It looks like fun when other people do it. I mean, how hard can snorkeling be anyway? You put on a vest, which keeps you afloat, so you can’t drown! Maybe some day….

I hung around on the island for several hours. It really was relaxing but the sun was getting brutal. Staying in the shade didn’t help and there was no air conditioning anywhere. I reluctantly decided to take the tender back to the ship. While I was waiting on the dock, I noticed some chunks of coral lying on the ocean bottom. I took a picture just to show how clear this water actually was. I thought you might want to see it.

This had been a very good day. Tonight we leave for Moorea, the last stop before I finally head home.