Moorea – Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings

Wandering Ukulele

The lady working at U-Haul gave me as strange look when I told her that the box we were buying would be used to send an ukulele to French Polynesia. While we were there recently, friends we had visited liked the one that I had with me. It’s an Outdoor Ukulele, made of carbon fiberContinue reading “Wandering Ukulele”

Mountain Peek

Mount Rotui towered as a splendid spectacle between two bays in Moorea. Its precipitous palisades rose to its sacred summit of nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, covered with tropical verdure. Peeking between clouds and trees, it was a stunning sight that set our faces aglow in awe and wonder and will remain as aContinue reading “Mountain Peek”

Dog Gone

Several years ago we visited Moorea and admired the fish swimming in the shallows along Paopao Bay (aka Cook’s Bay). One afternoon we were surprised to spot this “salty dog” standing in the water. We have never seen him since, though we have returned to Moorea several times. The lower photo from our latest visitContinue reading “Dog Gone”

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”)”

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”

Lesson to Learn

In 2019, we stopped by Woody Howard’s music and furniture store on Moorea and found this lovely ukulele with a soundboard made from island tou wood. This beautiful wood has wonderful tonal quality and was once reserved for use by the Ali’i (ruling class) only. I played it for 20 minutes or more, mesmerized byContinue reading “Lesson to Learn”

One Good Tern Deserves Another

Yucky gray days are a great time to reminisce of brighter times in happy places. We were on a dolphin watching tour with Michael Poole in the lagoon around Moorea when these two terns landed on the railing and began to watch the tourists. They were probably hoping for a handout. Had we been fishing,Continue reading “One Good Tern Deserves Another”

Fire on the Mountain

Sunlight burnished clouds into the form of flame on Mou’a (Mount) Tohiea rising over Cooks Bay. It was born of fire as lava poured from ancient volcanoes, and appears to have not forgotten its origins. Locals say that it is the mountain that inspired the final scenes of the movie Moana, and like a benevolentContinue reading “Fire on the Mountain”

Back to the Beginning

Nearly two weeks ago we spent the first night of our stay in French Polynesia in Tahiti. Now we are back on the island of Tahiti after five days in Moorea and seven days in Bora Bora. It has been a fun and eventful trip, and we still have a little more exploring to doContinue reading “Back to the Beginning”