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Paddling through Time and Tradition

The annual Heiva celebration includes outrigger canoe races, the ultimate Polynesian sport. The races celebrate an ancient and noble tradition. Similar canoes have carried people, dignitaries, and warriors from island to island, braving weather, waves, and currents. It took a wayfinder with special navigating skills to find islands that lived well beyond the horizon. WhileContinue reading “Paddling through Time and Tradition”

Painted Sky

The setting sun set the sky ablaze with colors to rival the foliage below. Mount Otemanu seemed to wear the clouds like a wreath as if it, like the person below, was captivated by the scene. #sunset #treehouse #otemanu #borabora

Morning

I had awakened briefly during the night to see the soft light of the Moon caressing the floor and the balcony of our bungalow. It seemed that I had barely rolled over, and then I awoke again to find that the light had become brighter. It was no longer the light of the Moon, however,Continue reading “Morning”

Bora Bora E!

Clouds dropped rain to darken the sky, but lovely turquoise and azure hues still beamed with colorful magic from the waters of the Bora Bora lagoon. In sunny weather it would be even more jaw-dropping. A ferry took us through this mesmerizing lagoon to the town of Vaitape, for there are no roads from theContinue reading “Bora Bora E!”

Happy Birthday USA!

I was raised on the Nebraska plains along the Platte River, and it was there that I learned to dream in a country that gave me the freedom to follow those dreams to the ends of the earth. Happy birthday America, and thank you to all who served to keep those dreams alive. #fourthofjuly #americaContinue reading “Happy Birthday USA!”

E Moemoe A (Tahitian for “Dreaming”)

For the past several days we had seen it at anchor in Opunohu Bay and had admired its low, sleek lines. We could not help but wonder what it would be like to live on such a boat even for just a few days. Though we knew that it would not happen, we enjoyed dreamingContinue reading “E Moemoe A (Tahitian for “Dreaming”)”

A Cock-a-doodle Day

They may look like ordinary chickens, but these are different from the ones in the States. They came to Mo’orea with the first Polynesians and have been here ever since. Some references call them “jungle fowl,” but they still just look like a different sort of chicken to me. Bright and beautiful, they are everywhereContinue reading “A Cock-a-doodle Day”

Lady or the Gorilla?

Just to the left of the lowest point in the ridge rises a rocky formation that outsiders had sometimes referred to as a “gorilla playing an organ.” Where this originated is unknown, but there has never been a gorilla in Mo’orea, nor did the original inhabitants have organs. However, the locals have their own legendContinue reading “Lady or the Gorilla?”

Lunch on a Hunch

We set off with no particular destination in mind, just looking for a place to have lunch along the only major road around Mo’orea. At the opposite end of Cook’s Bay one diner that we had considered was closed up tight, and nothing else appeared along the road for a couple of miles. The roadContinue reading “Lunch on a Hunch”

Te Fiti

Mount Tohivea protruded like an elbow above the mountainous torso resembling a lady lying on her side with her head resting on the right. Local legend says that this scene was the inspiration for Te Fiti’s island at the end of the movie, “Moana.” Indeed the mountain resembles that life-giving goddess, even with the cloudContinue reading “Te Fiti”