Apooiti to Bora Bora

We finally departed our home islands of Raiatea and Taha'a and motor-sailed to Bora Bora.  We're starting this page with some photos of our final day in Apooiti Bay on Raiatea, then to Apu Bay on Taha'a, and on to Bora Bora.

Lovely Conni unties our painter as we depart Wings to pay our mooring bill.  Our mooring is on the bow, of course, and you have a good view of how we do it, with a good double-line and a piece of old fire hose as anti-chafe.

We've just entered the Apooiti marina and you can see the large number of sailboats, both lease boats and personal boats.

 

Our dinghy is the small grey one near the catamaran. 

The sign for the marina is very Gauguin-esque, isn't it?

I'm unsure of how they want to provide the information, singular or plural.  Different than our signage, but useful.

Wings at her mooring in Apooiti Bay.  Everyone anchors in "Mediterranean Mooring", so the moorings offshore are for that method. 

This is a nice photo of the marina, showing the yellow sail bags for SunSail boats and the blue bags for Moorings boats.  They're all catamarans.

Across the strait between Raiatea and Taha'a from Apooiti is Apu Bay.  Wings is lying to her mooring here.

We've arrived in Bora Bora and taken the dinghy to Viatape, the main village.  The Sea Bees were the US Navy's construction battalions, creating any infrastructure wherever needed in the Pacific.  The first battalion of CB's was created on Bora Bora.  They built the first airport in French Polynesia and it's still used, although upgraded.  Recent interest has created a bit of signage as here.

As we were tracking down the post office, we came upon this outrageously decorate local vehicle!

This is the archetypal Chinese grocery store in downtown Viatape.  It is a great grocery.  At least this year, we're not scrambling to find ice on every occasion as we were last year.

This is the Aloe Cafe, one of our favorite spots for Internet and good food in Vaitape. 

This is a view up the Aloe Cafe driveway, looking at the main mountain of Bora Bora. 

We had been required to pay for Internet and showers, and that would be applied to a night's meal, so we stayed for the Polynesian dance and split a dinner.  My share was this superb red tuna with spicy coating. 

Conni is always a sucker for Poisson Cru, the national dish of tuna soaked in coconut milk with veggies.  Every restaurant's is different.

 

As I mentioned, this is one of the signs proclaiming the renewed interest in the 1st Construction Battalion (CBs = Sea Bees).  If you get the chance, do some research.  I  bought T-shirts for my brother and me.

This is the Bora Bora Yacht Club.  We've been fans for a long time and always stay in the mooring field in front of their business.

These are three of the dancers who entertained us with traditional dances.

The little girl seemed uncertain of these costumed dancers. 

We did NOT dance, but we did get our photos taken with our group.  Holiday card photo?  Yep.

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