Moorea - Day 2

Breakfast was one exotic happening!  The fruits are magnificent: pineapple, bananas, papaya, kiwi, mango, oranges – all of which are grown here.  They are all different tasting in a better way.   The tropical juice was so different and fresh tasting!  Limes are so plentiful that they are everywhere as garnish!  I also ate another fruit which was fabulous, and have to find out tomorrow what it was – I have never seen anything like it.  But, you know me, I had to eat it!

We were picked up at 8:40 AM to go on the ATV safari.   Louis was our guide, he pronounces his name “Lois”.   He led the group of us and 2 other couples.  One was a young couple from Chicago, the other from Paris…so he spoke in French and English to explain what we were seeing.  We went high up onto the mountains, on deep rutted trails, over big rocks, through puddles and a river, sometimes having to switch the ATV into 4 wheel drive.   It very bumpy, I had to hold on, so most of the photos were taken when we slowed down or stopped.  We made stops at various locations, including The Belvedere, Magic Mountain and in the middle of a pineapple farm.  We also stopped in a area they refer to as The Bounty because both the original Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlon Brando, and the later version were both filmed on that spot – it is a crater that sits in the middle of all the mountains on the island. 

We also were given information about the local fruits and he pointed them out as we drove along.  Avocados here are round; the bananas fatter and shorter, papayas look like coconuts growing on the trees.  It was a fun day, we got rained on one time (brief shower) and we also stopped at a local place where I had banana ice cream and bought a jar of lime jam.  It is sort of like jam, but not really sweet and it may come home with me or be devoured over here.  The jury is still out on that one!

I spent the afternoon washing off the mud from the ride - in the beautiful sparkling blue clear water – so I did not have to bring it all in our room.  I also made a valiant effort to venture down our ladder into the beautiful water – but I am afraid it was too deep for me.  So, I am destined to walk from the beach out to cool off – and just sit on the deck to talk to our fish.  So far, looking through our glass coffee table, I have seen green striped fish, parrot fish, bright yellow ones, a beautiful big yellow & black angel fish and this afternoon, for a special appearance, 2 sea urchins have stuck their tentacles out of the coral to say hello.   There is never a dull moment.

We walked to the local grocery store – everyone here at the resort sends you there to buy cheap wine, liquor, snacks – so you don’t have to pay the high prices here at the resort.  “Town” is also a bank, a pizza place, and couple of other shops.  We bought a baguette and Moorea goat cheese, white wine, a lemon drink and pears and oranges.  The local oranges are green!  Our fruit will be our snack tomorrow afternoon.  Breakfasts here are huge and then one only needs plenty of liquids and a snack during the afternoon. 

So, I am headed out to the deck to have wine, bread and cheese!  No internet today – will probably post this tomorrow some time.  This evening we are being picked up at 7 PM to go to Rudy’s restaurant – someone from there will come pick us up and bring us back after dinner.  We hear it is only a short drive up the road.