Raiatea

Raiatea and Neighboring Island Tahaa  

French Polynesia 

March 27, 2019

Bora Bora is close enough to Raiatea and Tahaa that is can be seen from either island.

 Raiatea islanders greeting disembarking passengers.

Our tour today was "Vanilla Island and Tahaa Motu Picnic." We boarded a small passenger boat to go to Vanilla Island. It was hosted by Rose who serenaded us while we journeyed to the nearby island. Incidentally, Rose also owned the vanilla plantation where we were going.

We were given an informative talk on the production of vanilla. It is not only labor intensive, the process is lengthy. Vanilla is a vine orchid, and each flower must be hand pollinated to grow the vanilla pod. (Above is the only shot I got of the orchid).

About eight months later, the yellow-green pods are harvested. They are then heat-cured in the sun to develop the flavor. Their color changes to a deep brown-black.

During the drying process, each bean is massaged a minimum of 15 times. When the beans are adequately dried, they are brought into a room with a multi-tiered set of wire drying racks. They are placed on shelves, sorted by length, and allowed to rest until they are ready for market. Not surprisingly, the USA is the largest consumer of vanilla in the world, but what was surprising was that vanilla prices are about $150 per pound, making it the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron.

Wake me when it is over and cooler; I have heard the vanilla talk over and over.

So, let's talk about the breadfruit tree. It was supposedly the cause of the mutiny on the Bounty. We were treated to various ways breadfruit is eaten. All were tasty. I liked the fried chips. Tasted just like potato chips.

 

On the way to the Tahaa Motu picnic (motu--a Polynesian reef islet with vegetation), Rose showed her bias as she sang "Bora is Boring" with her accompanist. 

Motu picnic area. The sign is small so what it is saying is that swimming is unsupervised and watch out for falling coconuts.

While waiting for the food, many of us swam in the shallow water. As the sign hinted, the current was swift. Christine and I swam way to the right, 

and rapidly floated to the trees and our boat. 

Thank goodness we didn't experience the other caution of the sign; see the blue net to catch falling coconuts. (in the upper part of the picture).

Lawn chair in a little tree house.

Unusual pine trees.

Food prep area.

When the food was ready, we looked for two things for our dining pleasure--shade and a coconut net over our heads.

After eating I walked around to take some pictures of this idyllic motu.

Rose may be right...these waters, shades of blue, waves breaking on the reef, lagoons, motu, palm trees...Tahaa is as, if not more, beautiful than Bora Bora.

Could have stayed hours more, but our time was at an end.

Beauty was everywhere, even back at the touristy harbor.

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On the left awaiting us was our home sweet home. (Got there in time to get ready for dinner). Oh, it is a hard life.