Mark and I have a wealth, not of money – unfortunately – but
of time and adventures, and until not too long ago, age and
health. Most
visitors coming to Bora Bora have the kind of wealth that comes to mind first
when you talk about wealth: the money kind, the big bucks, the means to go on
fancy vacations. All those pretty over-the-water bungalows, or villas as they
call them here, look very attractive. Sure, you can see the neighboring huts,
or the ones from the next resort over, but some sort of privacy is offered, the
water underneath looks very appealing, the comfort level is very high end, and
the view of the lagoon and Bora Bora’s mountain is suburb. All the resorts on
the motus (outer islands) have upscale restaurants and “private” beaches, and
offer all the luxury one can imagine. No wonder this place is a prime honeymoon
destination.
But, what does all that cost? Mark and I were curious and
went online to have a look. The average over-the-water accommodation costs about
$1000 a night. That is without meals or even breakfast. Depending on the
location and the size of the villa you prefer, costs go up to about $10,000 for
one night. The resorts on the “mainland” of Bora Bora are generally cheaper –
some even half price; wow, only $500 a night! - than the ones on the motus. We briefly
played with the idea of going out for a meal or a drink in one of the places, since
we have so many past occasions we never celebrated. We even went ashore at the
St. Regis – one of the top resorts on Bora Bora – to get some information. The
hostess was eager to get our business – despite our raggedy outfit (we really
don’t fit in with the crowds here) – but didn’t have much useful information to
tell us. “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it!”
Back online, the dinners ranged from about $40 to over $100
a piece, the sushi was outrageously priced. Bottles of wine started at $30, I
believe, but the bigger selection was more in the $70 price range for one
bottle. You could even buy a Cuban cigar for the same amount of money. The desserts
were priced like a dinner in the more down-to-earth places of the western world.
Fresh coconut water, straight out of the nut with a straw, went for $10, while
on the street in Fare, such an ice cold and tasty local refreshment costs $1.
And, that is probably about the going rate for everything at the resorts – ten
to one. A bit disgusted by all this (they even charge $30 a day for WiFi if you
stay there!), and not even feeling up for spending $8 a beer or $5 a soda, we
stayed on Irie, made ourselves a drink and enjoyed the same marvelous view for
free. I guess we are your typical kind of cruiser after all…
:-)
With all the boutiques and souvenir stores for the hordes of
honeymooners, Mark and I thought it might be a good idea to find a birthday
gift in the otherwise shabby town of Vaitape. Once again, everything is so
over-priced (and, granted, we are a bit spoiled having seen, and purchased, the
pearls in the Gambier Islands) or of poor quality, that we went home empty
handed. We’ll find something somewhere else. We are not in a rush; we have
time, remember?
One afternoon, while we stayed on a mooring ball off the
Mai Kai marina and yacht club, I took advantage of their pretty infinity pool. It
had been many years, since I dipped my toes in some fresh water to cool off,
and the feeling of just sliding in and having all the tiredness and hotness
leave my weightless body was amazing. I met the (well-paid and hardworking) crew
of the mega yacht Noble House (on which we received a tour by the departing
captain later), which was docked at the marina. The friendly folks enriched me
with stories of how the “other side” lives and offered me a delicious glass of
white wine. In the evening, Mark and I joined them again for some social times
and drank the happy hour beers and wine. Spending a reduced price of $12 for
two glasses of fair tasting wine (beers are two for one during happy hour, wine
is half price for the second glass) made me crave one of the glasses the mega
yacht crew was drinking. While they drank, ate, and laughed the night away,
fitting in with their nice clothes and chic demeanor, Mark and I walked back to
our dinghy barefoot (the soles had come off my recently purchased flip flops)
and went home to drink water and eat leftovers.
Nevertheless, despite all the boat wake and trash burning, and
despite some tinges of jealousy of the happily spending and enjoying
vacationers, we are fortunate and glad to be able to be here, rich in our own ways,
and to combine our daily work schedule and boat chores with the
beauty of these
Society Islands, savoring (almost) everything they have to offer. Improving the performance of
the wind meter: check. Cleaning Irie’s bottom and waterline: check. Sewing some
ripping seams on the bimini: check. Cleaning the BBQ: check (no more grilling
until we
sell the boat!). Fixing the outboard engine: almost check! Writing
articles and finishing up the new
Wirie products: getting there… Busy times on
Irie, as always.
:-)
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| Replacing the bearings of our wind meter |
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| Nothing broke during this tricky project - time to bring it back up! |
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| Irie in the waters of Bora Bora |
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| Monthly cleaning of Irie's bottom - it's not too bad yet |
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| Irie's garden is growing again: basil, spinach, mint and an attempt for lettuce |
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| We were allowed to walk on the southeastern motu, but only so far... |
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| After a long workday, we stretched our legs around sunset |
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| Sailing in Bora Bora's lagoon |
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| Being passed by a charter captain, in a hurry... |
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| Northern motus of Bora Bora |
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| Va'a paddlers riding the wake of a charter boat near Vaitape |
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| Trying to figure out how to make our engine run better |
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| Tasty Thai curry dish on Irie |
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| Anchorage off motu Toopua (western Bora), with motu Tapu (no going ashore here!) in the center |
Christmas was spent on Irie – which seems to become a yearly
tradition. Around 4pm, our friends Patrick and Rachel from SV Namaste (who were
also present last year) and Garth and Monique from SV Heartbeat joined us for a
delicious feast after hours of preparation by all. Appetizers consisted of
sushi, tuna cakes, brie and apple, and Deviled eggs, while the main course included
roasted garlic chicken, roasted potatoes, rice salad, Greek salad, and shrimp
cooked two ways (broiled with herbs and pan fried, Cajun style). For dessert,
we had a choice of rum balls (thought to be “rumbles” by the non-native English
speaker), Bahamian rum cake, macaroons and two kinds of “pudding” (cake in NZ)
with custard. An abundance of beer and red wine accompanied the yummy dishes.
On December 27th, Mark and I cut our time in one
of the nicest anchorages in French Polynesia (on the eastern reef in Taha’a)
short, to use a favorable forecast and head back east to Huahine. In light NNE
winds - which we knew were present this time, being anchored in the open and close
to the ocean - we managed to sail all the way to Fare, Huahine’s capital. It
was a beautiful day with sunny skies, great visibility, and no squalls. The
conditions were so mellow that Mark could do work inside, while we sailed close
hauled (upwind). At the moment, Irie is tied to one of the new (free) mooring
balls, as are Namaste and Heartbeat. We will celebrate New Year’s Eve here and
hope to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of Huahine over the coming weeks.
