Mauruuru Roa Polynesia

Tahiti: Tahiti Airport Motel // Bora Bora: Pensione Temanuata Beach / Maupiti: Kuriri Village / Rangiroa: Raira Lagon Trip organisation: La Scatola Blu dive tour operator (Fe) / Flights: Air France (Bologna-Paris-Los Angeles-Papeete) The alarm goes off; Ro and I realise that it's finally 03/08/07, the day awaited for months, the day of departure; how many calendar pages we've turned, how many times we've counted the days, and now we're at minus 0. We're going to meet our dream. From Altedo we head to Bologna airport and begin our long journey. On arrival in Papeete it's 4 in the morning, and we can hardly believe our eyes when a small band plays a welcome to us in Polynesian land. As tradition dictates, a woven necklace of tiarè is placed around our necks, and at once we're overcome by the heady scent of this flower, the symbol of Polynesia.

After 30 hours of travel and after crossing 12 time zones, we look around and, a little dazed, we think: it's all true, we're in Polynesia, in Oceania, in the middle of the Pacific! We decide to go to the market of Papeete; we take a truck (bus) and in 20 minutes we're there. As soon as we go in we're surprised by the order of the market and its vivid colours. On the ground floor there's fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, monoi oil (an original gift idea), and above, handicraft shops with colourful pareos, necklaces, wooden objects, a tattoo artist and a jeweller selling Tahiti's black pearls at good prices. We lose ourselves in the streets of Papeete, and back at the hotel, after a shower, we flop onto the bed and dinner at the food trucks remains only in our dreams. The next day a flight awaits us to my beloved Bora Bora.

As soon as it appears before my eyes I immediately understand that she is the undisputed star of Polynesia. I recognise her at once. The view from above of her coral reef, her motu (islands) and those clouds covering the green summit of Mount Otemanu could not leave me indifferent, and indeed my eyes welled up with tears of happiness and emotion; I was about to get to know her. It was love at first sight; I understood at once that she would give me magnificent moments. We arrive at the Temanuata. Clean bungalow over the sea with a thatched roof, bathroom with hot water. In the morning you collect the basket with croissants and jams at reception and eat it on the bungalow's veranda. For the main meals there's an embarrassment of choice; next to the guesthouse there's the Restaurant Fare Manuia, where you eat divinely.

Another excellent restaurant is the one on the beach of the Maitai hotel. A little further on there's the Bounty. In general, in Polynesia you eat very well. Punta Matira is a strategic spot; it has everything (except the bank) a tourist could need. The beach is beautiful and equipped with public showers and toilets; it's never too crowded. We took several excursions. The 1st was the outrigger canoe trip in the lagoon of Bora Bora. An unforgettable day and the most beautiful spent in Polynesia. Aboard a traditional boat we were lulled by the sound of the ukulele. The 1st stop is at the coral garden, where we swim among a myriad of fish, and afterwards we bathed with sharks and rays. The lagoon tour continues. It's impossible to describe what we feel, everything perfect, the music, the colours of the water and this Mount Otemanu showing itself in all its beauty.

The clouds covering its summit give it a slightly mysterious air. The best view is to be had from Motu Piti A Au, where we stop for a bit of relaxation and for lunch. Its beach is wonderful. The lunch they served us was exquisite. Mahi Mahi, the typical raw fish seasoned with lime, coconut milk, vanilla and vegetables, fantastic, then grilled fish and chicken, cassava, coconut bread and desserts. We get back on the boat and stop at a point in the lagoon where rays usually swim. There are many of them, and swimming among them will be something unforgettable. The day draws to a close. The next day, with the motu taxi, we went back again to Motu Piti A Au for a day of relaxation. The beach has sun loungers, hammocks and a small bar. The following day we took a 4x4 tour to discover the interior of Bora Bora.

The jeep of Tupuna Safari picked us up in front of our guesthouse and, after climbing up treacherous paths, it suddenly stopped, and the view from above of the motu of Bora Bora left us speechless, with the blinding colours of the water and its incredible shades. We were spectators of one of Mother Nature's most beautiful creations. We visited a shop selling hand-painted pareos. In the afternoon we take the bus and take the chance to visit Vaitape, a small village overlooking the port, full of shops and banks. We enjoy Bora Bora's last sunset. The next morning we leave for Maupiti, which welcomes us with a lovely rainbow. On arrival we're greeted by Jean and AnneMarie, the owners of the Kuriri, where we'll stay for 4 days. The guesthouse is on Motu Tiapaa and is splendid. Our bungalow (over stilts) was very beautiful and unusual.

The food is excellent and Jean organises various excursions every day. The day on Motu Pitihahei is very pleasant, as is the snorkelling at the pass and the lagoon tour. Maupiti is a Bora Bora in miniature, with the difference that it's far from everything and everyone and still authentic. The beach in front of the guesthouse is beautiful and the water has splendid green reflections. The motu is fairly large and gives you the chance to take long walks on the beach in total solitude. On 14/08 we arrive in Rangiroa. From above you realise the vastness of this island, the 2nd atoll in the world. A ring of sand 200 km across with a diameter of 75 km. The coral belt is 300 m wide; there are 3 passes: Tiputa, Avatoru and Tivaru. We stay at the Raira Lagon, a family guesthouse with 10 bungalows on the beach scattered through a tropical garden. The food is very good.

The beach is narrow and entering the water is made difficult by several rocks. Rangiroa is very beautiful, but to discover the best spots you need several hours of sailing, often on a very rough sea. The most enchanting place we saw was the Blue Lagoon. A small lagoon that has formed inside the big one. After 1.5 hours of boat and bouncing because of the very rough sea we arrive at this place that's hard to describe; we're on a deserted island and next to us are other motu reachable by walking through the water. The lagoon is a delight, and while I look around I think that if paradise existed in my imagination, now I was seeing it and living it for real. They serve us an exquisite lunch. We carry on to the green lagoon, which is a cove of a motu whose vegetation is mirrored in the water, giving it this particular green colour. Not to be missed is the snorkelling at the Tiputa pass.

The boat drops us outside the pass, where the Ocean surges into the lagoon. We're shot inside by the current, and meanwhile we watch the underwater world stream past us fast among a myriad of fish and corals. The boat picked us up many metres further on, by which time the current was no longer carrying us away. The water at this point is freezing. Another nice excursion is the boat trip to the pass to see the dolphins leaping among the very high waves. Unfortunately, because of the rough sea we couldn't do other excursions. On 18/08 we return to Papeete and do a bit more shopping. The next morning at 7:30 we reluctantly leave this faraway paradise that gave us moments of contemplation and allowed us to make real what from now on will no longer be merely a dream. MAURUURU ROA POLYNESIA.