Bob and Theresa: Bora Bora

Bora Bora - said to be the most beautiful of the islands of French Polyenisa

We signed up for two tours today - A circle island tour was first

BTW: Let me remark that the dates of postings have nothing to do with the dates of events but are instead when I was able to snag some Wi-Fi time!

We boarded our "bus" which was actually an old diesel flatbed truck with a passenger cabin made from plywood stuck on the back!

As we drove, the driver/guide pointed out that family members are often buried in the front or side yards!

In another spot were some ancient stones with petrographs indicating it may have been an ancient temple site.

Flowers are abundant and are everywhere - if you look closely, you'll see even our bus was adorned with fresh flowers!

We stopped at a roadside place to see how the dye their shawls (one of which Theresa bought) . . .

. . . and enjoy some native Fijiin foods

The people live in very basic houses but seemed happy

This man and his young son came to wish us well as we departed

The views around the island are breathtaking

Made especially so when you are with a breathtaking companion!

While at one time, many natives lived in them, most of these houses on stilts are resorts and hotels.

When we left the stop where their was food, the driver told us to bring along some coconuts and we would feed some animals

Little did we know they would be the crabs that inhabit the island!

Theresa loves flowers and enjoyed photographing them

A stop at Bora Bora's best swimming beach

Same swimming beach w/o the lovers - just doesn't seem complete, does it! Beautiful but incomplete!

Then a stop at Bloody Mary's

Across the road from the bar itself is a nice pier that made for great photos

Another shot on the pier

A volcanic mountain from the pier

Back at Bloody Mary's, a set of sign boards list all the famous folks who have visited. It'll probably take them a few months to add Bob & Theresa

The bar in Mary's is pure tiki!

The "sink" in the lady's bathroom was very unusual

A bulletin board in the lobby had currency stapled on it . . .

. . . with messages from individuals seeking their moment of fame!

This photo, taken later from the ship, shows an island resort with the over-water tiki huts - very nice and very pricey!

On the short drive back to the ship, a final "perfect photo" op!

While we waited for the glass bottom boat, a tiki "beer barge" (our term for pontoon boat) arrived for a tour to feed rays and sharks

When the glass bottom boat arrived, Theresa met her first "beach bum" - he came to Tahiti 40 years ago on a lumber boat and just stayed!

He seemed knowledgeable about the fish but he could have told me they were yellow-spotted woods-owl fish and I wouldn't know any better!

Embedded in the coral reef are sea clams (the zig-zag lines). The coral protects the clam while allowing it to open for feeding!

The boat driver went in the water to feed the fish

Many are critical of this since it upsets the natural balance of events on the reef - but the fish loved it!

The thick glass on the boat bottom distorted the photos - we did not see the deep blue hue with our eye. Had we known, we probably could have reset the balance or white level or some such stuff!

Beach Bum had a Legless Star Fish. He showed us the mouth (at the center of the star), then he let us hold it - you can feel the little bumps moving as the starfish's propulsion - he's trying to "run" but we've got him! (Beach Bum released him just after this photo.)