12/11/2004 Entry: "gardenia and cannons"
If day 9 in Paradise was my day to explore the water around the island, day 10 was our day to explore Bora Bora itself. Shortly after breakfast, we met the guide from Tupuna Mountain Safari in the hotel lobby. As seemed to always be the case with the locals, he was in great mood and seemed excited for another chance to talk about his beautiful island. It must be hard to find a reason to frown when living someplace as gorgeous as Bora Bora. Only one other couple sat in the Land Rover with us that day. They were an older couple from Germany. We learned that they were going to be in the South Pacific for a while longer and were just getting their trip started. Most of our stops on this island tour were at sites built by the Seabees during World War II. Our tour guide explained although there was never any active combat here, it served as an important refueling station and favorite port for servicemen located in the area during the 40's. 
Today's Pictures (Day 10, October 27, 2003)Learn more about the Seabees:
As the pictures from this day illustrate, most of our stops were at high points on the island. The provided an awe-inspiring view of the entire island as well as all the motus that surround Bora Bora. The US Military used one of the larger motus, Motu Mute, as the home for its new airstrip in WWII. This airport still serves all of the civilian traffic today. After landing on the motu, you are then ferried by one of the hotels or private water taxis to your destination on the main island.
I'll let the photos from this day tell most of the story. They can capture the visual perspective of Bora Bora much better than I can describe in words. I now see why so many famous artists and authors chose French Polynesia as their second home. Visiting these jewels of the South Pacific will permanently change the way you view the world down to the very core of your value system. When looking at the beauty that G-d has created with his paintbrush over this part of the world, your perspective cannot helped but be changed. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again -- our trip to French Polynesia was truly a life altering experience for us.
The last stop on our tour was Bloody Mary's to grab one of the famous eponymous drinks. Or is it the other way around -- the good old chicken and the egg... Taking advantage of the promotion provided by the musical, South Pacific, this bar and restaurant is probably the most famous in all of French Polynesia. But, just like in America, the hype is not often what it is built up to be -- more Trader Vic's, less unique Polynesian watering hole; and I can't say much for their Bloody Mary. But, by the same token, you don't want to visit the islands without saying you've made the stop. Look at the board out front listing famous visitors' names or all of the money from around the world covering the walls around the bar, and you can tell many others agree with you. Not stopping here would be like not visiting a casino when you are in Las Vegas. Having a drink at Bloody Mary's makes you a member of an elite group of people that can say they been there.
Since this was our last evening on Bora Bora, we decided to spend the afternoon relaxing after the bumpy ride in the morning. Returning to the room, we showered and removed the thick layer of dust we'd added while riding around the entire island. While booking our excursions and diving the first day on the island, we'd arranged for a masseuse to come to our bungalow this afternoon. This was the first time I had ever enjoyed a massage. After being beat up in the back of the truck earlier, it was heaven. It worked out all of the soreness and was incredibly relaxing. I now understand why people rave about it. I just wish I could afford to do it every day!
After the relaxing afternoon spent in the bungalow, we took a water taxi across the lagoon to the Sofitel Motu for our last dinner on Bora Bora. The restaurant was almost empty that evening, so we were able to enjoy a quiet meal with just the two of us. We talked a lot about how much we'd miss this place when we left. After enjoying an outstanding meal, we took the dark boat ride back across the lagoon to our hotel to begin getting ready for our departure the next day. Packing the bags that night was a silent ordeal. We were excited about heading to Rangiroa in the morning, but knew we'd really miss Bora Bora and all of the great times now etched in our memories.
