Dear F&F,
Despite the fact that we have interior lighting just like a house, living on
a boat we are more influenced by sunrise & sunset. Scott was teasing me for
being drowsy at 7:30 p.m. last night. But when I pointed out to him that
going to sleep at 8 p.m. & arising at 5 a.m. was the same amount of hours as
10 p.m. to 7 a.m. he could not argue. Sure enough by 8 p.m. it was lights
out for both of us.
We awoke cold! It cooled down to a rare chilly 67, which made us linger in
bed to the leisurely hour of 6 a.m. We saw the Regent cruise ship \”Paul
Gauguin\” anchored in the bay. It wasn\’t long before a parasailor’s colorful
chute was seen, a few kayakers and shuttles to shore.
We also saw that a French Gendarme patrol boat was anchored here. Before
long three officials asked if they could board us. This is the first
inspection we\’ve had anywhere in French Polynesia. They sat in the cockpit &
filled out their forms. They did not search inside, only asked if we had
animals, drugs or guns. Since we answered no to all, it was a brief visit.
They informed us that where we were anchored was a protected zone. We did
not see any kind of markers indicating this, but we gladly moved away from
the \”designated\” area.
Our shore excursion today was to Alfredo\’s for lunch. We were the only lunch
patrons. The inside decor had been updated, but we immediately recognized
the owner Christian (who also was the host/maitre\’d) despite the 13 year
lapse in time. We told him our story of enjoying his lasagna here all those
years ago & thought fondly of it ever since. He was pleased that we returned
and said he retained the same cook. In order to have leftovers, we each
ordered the lasagna which was brought forth bubbling hot in individual
casseroles. He reminded me that it was not simply cream, but a reduced
bechamel sauce that is the secret to the rich satisfying taste. We oohed &
aahed enjoying every bite, so happy to revisit this happy memory. The 20
restaurants in Moorea that are not attached to a hotel, have suffered the
most from the economic downturn. We enjoyed doing our part to aid local
commerce.
We walked off the rich meal, then dinghied along the coast exploring. It is
incredibly beautiful here. The natural beauty of the island is mixed with
tasteful tourist developments built in island style. I was impressed by how
clean the streets were compared to Tahiti, which has a real litter problem.
Scott imagines it is because nearly all the local population here work in
some aspect of the tourist industry. For whatever reason, I appreciate the
cleanliness as it goes a long way in improving our enjoyment of the island.
The weather today has been gorgeous. A parade of puffy white clouds but no
rain. High of mid 80s. Magnifique! We may move to the other deep bay
tomorrow – Opunohu, which is where Captain Cook actually went. This bay is
named after him, but he did not land here.
Cindy & Scott