When You See The Southern Cross For The First Time...

We got up early again this morning to try and catch the sunrise, but the clouds didn’t let it peek through until after it was well over the horizon. We had some juice and bread and pistachios on the deck, then wandered around the property a bit. We decided that we wanted to see some of the island, and according to the lady at the front desk, there was a place to rent scooters at the top of the hill where the driveway to the IC began. We walked up, and of course there was no one there (they didn’t get there yet, apparently since they were there later). So Sharpe Family Walking Adventure II began. We walked about a half mile until we saw a hotel we had heard about where they rented small boats to you without the need for a license. After checking out the boats and finding out another scooter place would deliver one to us, we decided to go the land route today and save the nautical stuff for the next few days.

The scooter guy came, dropped it off, and we were on our way to circumnavigating Moorea!! We had the thing for the whole day, and it was only 9:30, so there was plenty to see and do. We headed away from our hotel, towards the side of the island we hadn’t seen yet. This turned out to be the less populated and commercial side of the island but was as (if not more) beautiful. The smell of mango and pineapple farms intermittently broke up the salt air smell; when we were more inland, it mixed with aromatic flora – not like the florist/funeral home overbearing floral smell, but a mix of fresh flowers, deep-woods greenery, and the first blossom of spring. The views were incredible – words can’t do it justice, we’ll have to let the pictures try and speak for themselves, but we both agree that even our Olympus couldn’t truly capture the sights. Unbelievably blue ocean on one side, large mountains full of greenery on the other. T.J. drove while Jen hung on and took pictures – so many that the battery was pretty much empty only halfway through our trip around the island. We stopped and got a half-kilo of bananas (about 7 small ones) and they were the sweetest we’ve ever tasted by far. The road alternated from right next to the ocean (think driving through the Keys) and a little inland next to the base of the mountains. At one point, we drove through a straightaway of trees hanging over the road, creating a tropical canopy that cooled the road (and us) by 10 degrees. We stopped on a little road that pushed out towards the ocean and finished our bananas, while watching a surfer paddle out the mile or so towards the reef and the breakers that were probably 6’ or so.

We finally came around to the south side of the island, and there, as the road curved and the water turned from unbelievable blue to unreal electric blue, the island of Tahiti rose up, 11 miles in the distance. To see it just rise out of the water and be the backdrop for the most serene viewpoint (until a few hours later – see below) was amazing. We’re pretty much running out of adjectives at this point. We probably stopped 20+ times to take pictures or just take in the scenery, plus jen was snapping away as we drove. At this point we were getting hungry, and we both wanted to find something cool and local that would be a great meal. After passing up a couple places, we drove by this “snack” place that had this curry aroma that caused T.J. to spin the scooter around even as Jen was suggesting we go there to eat. The owner/chef sat us at a window overlooking the water with Tahiti in the background. He was a real free spirit, telling us this was his 12th restaurant he’d opened, he loved cooking, he’d give us his brother’s number on Bora Bora and he’d show us around, etc… He reminded me so much of John Santarpio it was scary, so it came as no surprise when he said, in an Australian accent, “Name’s Johnny…” WE had a couple drinks there, and he served us one of the best meals either one of us ever had – Poisson Cru (raw tuna with onions, mangos, tomatoes, etc… in coconut milk like we had yesterday) for Jen, and Curry Shrimp and fish for T.J. It was absolutely to die for and we pretty much licked the plates. All that, a couple of drinks, and a big bottle of water for $70 USD, which was a steal compared to what we’ve paid (and will be paying). Dad, you would have LOVED the place. One of these days when we get back to Tahiti, this will be the first place we come to eat! Heck we might end up back there for lunch before we leave…

After lunch we continued to the supermarche, to stock up – we heard this was the best place to get vodka and rum! And at $12 a drink here for a lot of stuff, it was a good call. We got the “necessities” and a big magnum of champagne, and set off down the road. We passed the ferry and now were in “familiar” territory. We stopped at the lookout that was above the Sofitil, one of the newest and best places on the island; T.J. saw a neat looking beach just to the left and down the hill, so after spending 10 minutes admiring the harbor, the view and Tahiti in the background, we set off for home… except T.J. pulled a right hand turn to see what the beach was like. Jen wasn’t a huge fan of the plan, especially when we had to get onto Costa Rica-like dirt roads, but once we got there and she found the bathroom, it was ok. We passed someone playing Jack Johnson out of their car stereo too, so that helped her feel more at home. The beach itself was more like a park, and had beautiful water, and dozens of people cooking out, swimming, playing bocce, and overall having a great time. It was a really cool place, and we’d later read in a guide that it is the best beach in Moorea. The Sharpe instincts were right again!!

We got back to the hotel and unloaded our stuff, went for a swim to cool off, and got back on the scooter with about 2 hours left. We ahd a couple of more things to do – get some fresh fruit, check out a couple of restaurants, and head to Belvedere, an overlook up a mountain that was described in a guide as one of the most beautiful on the planet. They weren’t wrong. We headed up a bunch of switchbacks, and Jen was a little apprehensive about the IndyCar style of T.j.’s driving, especially when a truck flying down the hill came a little too close. It was a really cool ride up though (there were two ancient ruins to stop and look at on the way as well) and when we got to the top, the view was… well, we’ll have to send the pictures. Cook’s bay on one side, Opunohu Bay on the other side, and splitting the difference was a majestic mountain, with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop. It was truly amazing, and I don’t even know if the pictures can do it half the justice it deserves. To top it off, if you turned around, there was a cliff face going straight up pretty much the entire 180 degrees behind you. Amazing… you’ll just have to see the pics.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, although T.J.’s attempt to not use the brake the entire way down lasted about one switchback. We took a bumpy shortcut to Cook’s Bay, and drove around checking out a few different places to eat for the rest of the week. We cruised home, with the occasional stop, and finally found a stand on the side of the road with bananas. We have a couple of cool places to check out for dinners for the rest of the week. Back at the hotel it was time to mix up a drink and head for the sunset. We took a dip in the pool – soooooo refreshing!! – and then Jen secured two chairs while T.J. went to grab us a drink in plastic cups so we wouldn’t have to drink out of those little bathroom water cups. The bartender, a real nice guy from Papeete, ended up pouring an entire bottle of wine into two plastic cups and charging us for one drink – he’s definitely getting a tip, had no $$ since we were charging everything to the room and they don’t have a line to put a tip in on the receipt. The sunset was again obscured by a few clouds, but we saw it almost all the way down, and the light reflections afterwards were a different shade of amazing than the night before. Oranges, light blues, and pale reds were all over the sky, and we sat there until the stars began to come out. We walked back to the room, opened the champagne, and had some bread and cheese and drinks on the dock. Once the night got completely black, you could see hundreds (if not thousands) of stars in the night sky. Jen eventually asked where the Southern Cross was and we both leaned back over the railing and looked up – and both immediately spotted it in the eastern night sky. It was REALLY cool – how many times have we heard/sung that song, and to actually “see the Southern Cross for the first time” gave us both chills. Was just such a great moment, and we’re both glad that it was something we got to experience together – literally at the same exact time. By 9pm, we were done star gazing, we’d gone through a loaf of bread and cheese, had a couple of drinks, and were feeling tired from such an eventful and long day, so we went to bed early again. It was one of the best days we’ve ever had (with the natural caveat of “besides our wedding day”) and we’re glad we still have over a week of this left.