BORA BORA

BORA BORA - DECEMBER 2012

It's amazing how waves of excitement, anxiety and calm can flow you through you moments before a big trip. Why is that? What is your body thinking!?

Bora Bora. What could my body be thinking! I mean really! Now that I have seen this majestic place I can officially say I've found the most beautiful paradise I've ever seen.

This trip was extra special, because I went with my Mom! Yep, just her and I. We've yet to really do anything this expansive, and it was pretty cool.

The flights over were OK. I mean, can you ever really say you had an awesome flight!!? We were looking forward to the LAX to Pappette segment though, all the free wine you can drink! Ok I only had 2 bottles (they are mini bottles!) but they totally did their job and knocked me out a few hours. My mom was so cute, she got all wrapped up in her blankets, neck pillows and eye covers and turned to me and said "make sure I don't miss that wine cart!" I feel you sister!!! :)

Finally we land in Tahiti (Pappette)! Island time sure does fit it's definition, no matter what part of the globe you're on. We waited in line for an hour, and now we were just a 45 minute flight to paradise!! Not before we could chug down an ice cold beer though. Of course the Tahiti airport had no A/C.

Finally. We arrive in BORA BORA!! I thought I had seen paradise, visiting Krabi Thailand. But these waters of Bora Bora need their own definition. It's rare you find a place that actually looks like the pictures you've seen, or even better. :)

Our airport transfer to the hotel!

Day one was LONG. We arrived around 8am, but we'd essentially been up since 7am Friday morning. We checked in, swam, snorkeled a little, and floated on the inner tubes we brought! :) By 3:30 we were ready to get out of the sun. We were exhausted. We had planned to see the sunset around 5:30pm and then hit dinner. But by 4:30 we were knocked out. This we woke up around 4:45am, and able to capture the beautiful sunrise. :)

Day two was about the same, but we decided to rent a kayak and check out the coral gardens nearby. Have you ever done a two person kayak before? Difficult! So damn hard to steer! We actually "ran aground" on top of some coral. Ooppssssss.   :( Sorry Jesus.

We didn't see anything too amazing though. So back home we go. I was so sore I iced my elbows and chilled. My friend Paul came by and we SUP'd (stand up paddle boarded) and checked out the pool. I got so much sun this day! Then Mom and I were off to dinner at the Bora Bora yacht club. I had the red curry tuna. The picture looked better than it tasted. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. Great presentation though! 

Day 3 was great! We took a 4x4 jeep tour around the whole island!! Did you know Bora Bora is only about 11 square miles!? Also there are only 5 police men on the whole island! I think they are all at the airport. LOL. The population of Bora Bora is about 8,800. There is only one power plant, one sewer and water treatment plant, and only one "medical center." If your condition is life threatening they have to helicopter you to another island! 

We stopped and got more free coconut juice!! 

The ladies below made handmade wraps!  Look at the ink!  They also sold printed ones (behind) from Tahiti.

SHARK FEEDING! So one of the excursion options was shark and sting ray feedings! I had to do this! We took a boat outside the island of Bora Bora. There were already a couple other boats there feeding the sharks. You could see them in the water from the boat!! 

I was scared, but sure they wouldn't put us in danger! So in the water I go! This was exhilarating. The sharks were extremely fast!! Someone told me to never let a shark get behind you, always make sure they are in your view. So round and round I went in the water. Haha. This was amazing though. To be in the wild with any type of shark is pretty cool. :)

This one crazy fish would not stop following me!!

 

Next, sting rays! I was just as, if not more nervous for this part of the trip! Didn't one of these kill the crocodile hunter!?!? That guy was fearless and made from steel! LOL. Anyway, they just said don't touch their tail or step on them and we would be fine! And they are just like cats and dogs....right. Anyway, they were extremely soft, curious and hungry. The tour guides kept feeding them right on me basically, so at times i was surrounded! It was pretty cool. :)

Next we were off to the coral gardens!! The coral here was disappointing I must say. Snorkeling in Thailand sure did spoil me, but this was still cool. The fish were plentiful and playful. There is just something about nature and being in the wild. :)

 

If Bora Bora is on your bucket list I highly recommend you bump it up a few notches. :) The colors of the waters are indescribable and the people are kind and gracious. Supposedly this island is slowly sinking. Go see this beauty!!!