Bora Bora Part 2 - Beaches and 'Bloody Mary's'

As we continued our journey on “Le Truck” around Bora Bora, we saw a couple of other luxury hotels, again in the form of traditional thatched huts along the shores. We were told they are really expensive and very popular with movie stars and other wealthy individuals. Apparently this has been one of the locations for several movies, which helps explain the interest of movie stars in this idyllic spot. At the end of our journey we stopped at ‘Bloody Mary’s’, a popular drinking hole and cafe. On a board at their entrance there is a long list of the names of all the famous people who have had a drink at ‘Bloody Mary’s’ over the past 50 years or so. It reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the entertainment world. 

A curious sideline told by our guide: there was an elderly islander called Mary who perpetually chewed the betel nut, which has purple-red juice. Apparently she was quite a character. Whenever she opened her mouth it looked like it was full of blood. So some writer decided to refer to her as ‘Bloody Mary’ in one of his stories. The proprietor of the drinking hole commandeered the name and so it stuck. The drink ‘Bloody Mary’ also looks like blood, with tomato juice being one of the main ingredients. Many of my fellow passengers on “Le Truck” just had to have one. And some bought a tee-shirt to match. As you do . . . 

Along one beach we saw in the distance a man and a child, presumably his son, riding across the lagoon in his canoe. We were told there is a famous race held every year in which canoeists from across the world try to reach Bora Bora from Tahiti. This is a very gruelling race. It took our ship about 14 hours to make the trip, and the seas were quite rough, so one can imagine how much strength and resilience the canoeists who make the distance must have. And yet, the ancient Polynesians journeyed far further . . . 

We also saw a new development in the making at one point along the beach road, where a huge lined pit is being prepared for storing some kind of waste, and recycling facilities are being built. Our guide told us that while it is not attractive, they are very excited about it because it has meant jobs. The luxury hotels and tourism are their only other main source of income. 

In addition we saw their first high school being built. It should be opened next August. Until then, the teenage islander children will have had to travel across to Tahiti if they want an academic secondary education, which makes their education very expensive. However they do have a primary school and a pre-school on the island. 

The island still does not have a hospital. It has has one medical centre and one pharmacy. It still did not sit well with me that we were warned off buying the main product the islanders sell - shell jewellery and ornaments, some with one or more Tahitian pearls embedded in them. Some of them were quite lovely.

I was sorry to have to leave this beautiful island and these friendly people. After that we crossed the International Dateline, ‘losing’ Friday 13th, and received a certificate from the ship that stated we had crossed both the Equator and the International Dateline. 

Tomorrow we are visiting Auckland in New Zealand,  but I doubt I will be writing a post about that, as I am spending the day with some friends who live there. We have been friends since university days and I am very much looking forward to seeing them again. The next day we are at the Bay of Islands, my last port before Sydney. Nearly home!

But I will not stop writing my blog. I have had lots of other adventures, including around remote Australia, again travelling by myself again without any flights. I can't wait to show you some of our beautiful country!   

We stopped along the road to see another roadside 'shop'.

Just a little further along the road we had a great view of the mountain. 

I had to use the zoom lens to take this photo of the pit I was talking about. I would have loved to have known what was to be stored in it. It must be something that could leak into the ground. 

Further along the beach road. Notice the dramatic change of colour of the water. At the horizon we saw a white line of surf that was hitting the coral reef encircling the island, which is a coral atoll. 

Another luxury hotel. The local residents themselves mostly lived in houses that looked like they were made from fibro-cement, and which had either thatching or corrugated iron roofs. 

The waters were so crystal clear, and the sand looked very clean and unspoilt.

I zoomed into this boat I saw in the distance. It looked like a 'double canoe' with a thatched roof, and an outboard motor.

Again, I zoomed into this canoe, which I mentioned above.

Looking into 'Bloody Mary's' from the side. The lady on the far right is at the entrance looking at the list of names of  famous visitors. There was one long, long list in English, but also lists of names of famous people of other nationalities in other languages. 

At the entrance.

A view of 'Bloody Mary's' from across the road at the beach. It was so popular a traffic policeman or warden (in red and  yellow)  was controlling the traffic.

A view of the beach opposite 'Bloody Marys'.