High Lights of the Vacation
Brian | |
Best Meal: | It was all good, but nothing outstanding. If I had to choose one, it would be the Beef Wellington on the Ocenia Regatta. |
Most Scenic: | Trip across the volcano on Tahiti Nui. |
Favourite Location: | Bora Bora because it is much less crowded than Tahiti. |
Favourite Memory: | Watching our boat being swarmed by the beautiful Ma’o Mauri which are Blacktip Reef Sharks |
Marg | |
Best Meal: | Surf and Turf in the Polo Grill |
Most Scenic: | View from the balcony in our room in the Te Moana Resort of Moorea Island and the ocean |
Favourite Location: | Bora Bora for the scenery and glass bottom boat ride to see the sharks |
Favourite Memory: | Mud bath in Laukota Fiji |
By the numbers | |
Approximate distance travelled by cruise liner (km) | 7,000 |
Approximate distance travelled by air plane (km) | 26,000 |
Approximate distance travelled by automobile (km) | 1,300 |
Total | 34,300 |
Number of days | 18 |
Number of days at sea | 9 |
Number of countries | 6 |
Number of cities | 12 |
Pictures Taken | 1,021 |
Some Random Thoughts
Below is a collection of random thoughts that I made during the vacation, but they didn’t make into the daily blog.
The people of the South Pacific Islands are some of the politest people you can meet. In French Polynesia you are always greeted by “Ia Orana” and In Fiji it’s “Bula”. They are pronounced as “yo-rah-nah” and 'boo-lah' respectively.
Tribalism is common in the South Pacific. The histories of villages are woven very deeply within a single tribe and can date back many generations spanning centuries. The tribe’s history can be seen in tattoos adoring the males of the tribe.
It is funny how the smallest of gestures can impress your hosts. On Fiji, I wore a soccer shirt that was a copy of their national rugby team's uniform. I had numerous thumbs ups from the locals.
It seems to us that the people of the islands are taller and physically bigger that people in North America.
I came into this vacation with the mission to try new foods. I must admit I didn’t discover any dishes that I thought were fantastic nor did find any dishes that I thought were wretched. There were a lot of seafood dishes with coconut milk bases, but nothing that has me looking for a South Pacific restaurant here at home.
I tired Tartare de Thon. This is raw red tuna, pineapple chunks, rice and spices mixed together and shaped into a paddy. I had raw tuna steak once before and didn’t like it, but this was delicious.
We’ve never been big fans of curry because it can be too spicy for our palette. Twice on this trip, I tried Mahi Mahi with green curry in coconut milk. The curry added very little to the taste. In fact, the cilantro added more flavour.
My new favourite breakfast is pineapple and orange pieces. It must because it is so fresh!
After our stay at the Te Moana Resort on Tahiti, I’ve changed my mind about all inclusive resorts and may give it a try at some time in the future.
The sunsets over Moorea island will stick with me for a long time.
Even though we arrived at the tail end of the rainy season, we never had a day wiped out because of the rain. Sure there were torrential downpours, but they never seemed to last very long.
Ireland claims to be the Emerald Isle, but it doesn’t compare the lush green forests on the islands that we visited.
It is too bad we’re not the strongest of swimmers as by all accounts this was a snorkeler’s paradise.
We managed to miss the dreaded traveller’s ABC, “Another Big Church”, with the exception of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Apia on Samoa.
It’s probable my imagination, but it seems every island has a Captain Cook and Munity on the Bounty connection.
Each of the islands has it fair share of wild dogs. Fortunately, they don’t seem to be aggressive.
At the Te Moana resort, we had our own pet rooster that woke me up each morning at sunrise and inspected us each morning at breakfast in the outdoor patio restaurant.
The Central Pacific Franc (CFP) is used in French Polynesia and is roughly equivalent to 80 francs to the dollar. It is a little freaky to see your restaurant meal come to 12,000 francs ($150).
I’m not sure if these countries have a minimum wage law. If they do, is it considered a living wage? I wonder about this because every time we left a tip, their expression of gratitude was stunning in their sincerity. This leads me to believe that tipping is a rare event.
Credit card terminals on the islands don’t have TAP facilities. I find this strange because the technology was invented twenty two years ago in Australia for the Sydney Olympics.
Mastercard must have angered the merchants on Fiji as they charge a fee to use that card in their stores. Visa doesn’t have that problem.
Most Canadians would weep if they saw how cheap cell phone and internet plans are on these islands. One plan I saw on Tahiti was 60Gb for about $12.
It is only after you try to access your account on a web site that requires 2FA (two form authentication) that you wish you had roaming on your cell phone.
None of the islands that we visited allow guns. Not surprisingly there is little violent crime. One of the stories that cracked me up was a story about a gang that robbed a bank on Bora Bora, only discover that there was no way off the island. They were captured by the police that same day.
With the exception of Fiji, there is not a dominating Chinese presence in the nations we visited, or at least not as substantial as the American press and government would lead you to believe.
I admit I’m a news junkie. Somehow though when you’re in the serenity of the South Pacific, the petty politics that you read about on CBC, BBC, or CNN, just seems irrelevant
Mormons from Salt Lake City are among the biggest importers of produce from Tahiti. They import Noni, which is used in beauty products. The pulp of the Noni fruit actually has a quite pungent smell.
Since the lifting of Covid restrictions, the people of the islands let you know they appreciate you visiting and supporting their beleaguered economies.
Airplane travel has not improved in the year since most Covid restrictions have been lifted. They still herd you into cramped seats, like cattle on their way to the slaughterhouse. Ask for a drink on Air Canada and you get a cup that might contain two sips. As if a can of coke is going to break them. This is pathetic.
It is shocking the number of four and five star resorts that are still closed because they haven’t recovered from the Covid shutdown. Club Med seems to be the hardest hit.
I’ve been told it is wise to say nothing if you don’t have anything good to say. With that in mind, I won’t comment on Oceania Cruises.
Our next trip is to Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland ending up in Boston. This is scheduled for the summer of 2024.
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