March | 2004 | Chocolate_Cat's Xanga Site

I just got back yesterday from Bora Bora!!! it was sooo cool and really hot!! we did so many things! here's a "short" summery:

day 1: we had to get up so early to get on the plane to LA....at 5:30 the flight was pretty long, but i slept for some of it. we had to re-check everything at LAX, and then some stupid lady thought that my passport wasn't "acceptable" just because it's a german minor passport which doesn't have a hardcover. finally she said it was ok and we waited 2 hours in LAX before our flight to Tahiti! It was the best flight ever! the seats went all the way down and they gave us so much food! it was really long (8 hours) and i was getting so impatient to be there! We got there and went to our hotel. It was late, so we couldn't go to Bora Bora till the next day...and we couldn't see anything, because it was dark!

our hotel in tahiti

day 2: we woke up at like 4:00 in the morning, because we were so not used to the time difference! then finally the sun came out and we went to breakfast. it was the biggest breakfast buffet i had ever seen! then we stayed in the pool for most of the day, because our flight to bora bora was at 3:00. It's a really short flight (45 min) and we saw all of the islands in between from the plane! the lagoons and the turquoise water....ahhh then we got to Bora Bora....smallest airport i've ever seen! we took a boat to Hotel Bora Bora...the BEST hotel in the world! the people are sooo nice there....they greeted us with champagne and orange juice for me...lol! our "Beach House" was right on the beach! They gave us free pareos (wraps) and there were flowers everywhere in the room! we had dinner....really good food there! they had a little kitten there! it was soo cute...and it kept begging for food from us! it was really skinny...our cats are obese compared to it!

over-water bungalows at Hotel Bora Bora

day 3: we just wanted to relax on this day....go swimming and snorkelling, but we went to the Activities House and planned our activities: Polynesian Tour, Parasailing, Jeep Safari, Blue Lagoon Cruise-aka sting rays/sharks, Jet skiing and horse back riding! then we slept on the beach and went snorkelling! there are so many fish there! at 7:00 pm, the hotel lights up the water by the dock and manta rays come and swim there! they are soo cool....and they are really big!

a manta ray

day 4: it was kind of cloudy today, so we couldn't go on the Polynesian tour. instead...we visited Vaitape, the main town on Bora Bora. it's pretty small, so we mainly looked in black pearl shops. then we went into NYCOS and mom saw this really big green pearl! and she loved it so we spent like 10 hours there and finally got it! she got matching earrings and a ring too. i got my own little pearl too! i love it! then we went back to our hotel and found out that we could do some horse riding! my mom and i went to this little ranch on a motu (a small island around the main island) and we went riding! it was really cool....i got to canter and trot on the beach and even in the water! it was soo cool! then we went to Bloody Mary's for dinner...it was an ok restaurant....why is it so famous though??

black pearls-they are mostly gray/green/purple/blue/ and sometimes: pink

day 5: we got up early... and went on a Jeep Safari of Bora Bora! hehe...we drove all the way around the island (it is not very big) then we drove "up" the island....it is a very hilly island with mountains! the road was so bumpy and muddy! it was so much fun...up and down! once we got a flat tire....:sillly: at the top of the mountain we had fresh grapefruit and pineapple! French Polynesia has the BEST FRUIT EVER!! it's so fresh and....yummy! then went back to the hotel and my dad and I went parasailing! went up like 990 meters! so high! the view was amazing! that night at the hotel was "polynesian night" there was a buffet....so good....with awesome sashimi and then there was polynesian dancing! those girls' hips move soo fast! and the guys move there legs really fast! i had to dance a solo when this guy asked me...it was SO EMBARESSING!! i hated that guy.... then they had fire dancing... these people had fire torches and threw them up in the air! they also "ate" the fire...wow! :

tahitian dancing

day 6: today we went on the "Blue Lagoon Cruise" which isn't exactly a cruise, but w.e! first we went and fed the stingrays! then we swam with them! they are so friendly and come up next to you, so that you can touch them! they are very soft! i love sting rays now...lol then we went out of the lagoona and into the pacific!! our guide threw fish and all of this sharks came. then we snorkelled around there with the sharks!! (they are about 4/5 feet long, but are not aggressive, so they don't attack you)....it was still kind of scary, but really fun! then we went to this part of the lagoon where it was really shallow and with white sand! we swam in the blue water....ahhh it was so relaxing!

A stingray

A stingray and shark

a sting ray and a black-tip reef shark

day 7: today we finally went on the Polynesian Tour...with this guy named Patrick (he was mr. bora bora a few years ago) and his daughter Vaitare. She lives in LA, so she spoke english...nice! my dad couldn't come on this trip because he was too sun burnt! first we went to see sting rays again, but this time there were way more and we got to feed them. you slip the fish into their mouths! i had about 5 following me once...so cool! then we visited the sharks again...cool (mom actually went into the water this time) then we went on this motu to have lunch! the food was prepared in the ground and the people had covered it with leaves to bake! while we were waiting for the food, Vaitare and I played with these 2 little puppies that were there! they were SO CUTE! then we had lunch....first, Patrick opened this coconut (you won't believe how many coconuts there are there....everywhere!!!) and gave us some of the water! it was so fresh....just like everything else there! so good...i'll never be able to have coconut here again! they put all the food on this table on leaves! our plates were made out of leaves and we had to eat with our hands....fun! our table was in the water and all these little fish came around to get food! the food was delicious too.... then we walked across the motu to the pacific side and saw a lot of hermit crabs....heehe then the tour was over......... because it was our last night at that hotel, they gave us strawberries and cream in our room for free....isn't that nice?

french polynesian food

day 8: my dad and i went jet skiing in the morning....whoaaaa! so fast and exciting! my dad and i shared a jet ski, so i had a chance to drive to! i went crazy and really fast! my dad almost fell off! lol! we stopped to swim and to eat coconuts on a motu! we went all around the island on them! sometimes we would jump into the air because of the waves! then we went back to the hotel and had to pack.... we also did some snorkelling and saw more fish! then we went to the airport to wait for a helicopter....we were all very sad to leave bora bora! then our helicopter came and took us to Tahaa (another small island next to Bora Bora--15 min away) it was my first time in a helicopter and it was very smooth....i liked it! i got to sit in the front next to the pilot! we landed on the landing pad next to our hotel: Le Tahaa Pearl Beach resort. It is a very new hotel, so the architecture was very modern and nice. We stayed in an overwater bungalow! SO COOL! you could see the fish from the glass floor in the bungalow! then we had dinner ( a special buffet, but it wasn't as nice as at Hotel Bora Bora) and went to sleep! they forgot to make my bed though!!! but it was nice anyway...

Our hotel at Tahaa--Bora Bora is in the background

day 9: we just relaxed at the pool today...and read. very relaxing....then we went snorkelling in this coral garden next to our hotel....it was very pretty, but there weren't many big fish there--a lot of colorful fish though. sometimes it was really shallow, and we had to be careful not to touch the coral! then we went back to the pool and had some cocktails at the "in the water bar" GO VIRGIN PINA COLADAS!!! i love those things....then my dad and i went sea kayaking, but i got tired really early, so we went back after a while. kayaking is really tiring....people who do it for a living must be SO strong! then we had dinner and went to bed...

some fishes we saw snorkelling...one of these bit my mom!

day 10: we visited Raiatea today with this very nice guide. Raiatea is right next to Tahaa--they share the same lagoon. we visited these old polynesian temples called marae. there wasn't much left of them, but they were still pretty big. the ancient polynesians used coral as building blocks. they also performed human sacrifices there....ahhh creeepy! then we got back into our boat and started to drive away, when someone else on our boat saw dolphins!!! we followed them and then they started to jump up right next to our boat! they followed us and jumped around our boat for like 10 minutes! it was amazing...i've always wanted to see wild dolphins! there were about 20 of them.... then we went with our boat on one of the very few rivers of french polynesia and did a "botanical tour." we saw all of the flowers and fruits....star fruit is very good... then we had lunch in the main town of Raiatea and then we went back to our hotel. Instead of eating at the hotel, we went to this really local place on Tahaa called "Chez Louise" We met this other couple from California and had dinner with them. we got some small black pearls as a good-bye gift....heehee

the marae temple at Raiatea

day 11: today we visted the island of Tahaa. we took a jeep safari and drove around the island. our guide was this girl and she was very nice and talked about all of these legends and the old times. Tahaa only got electricity in 1994! and in the old times, because there was nothing to do, people would "make love" and that's why a lot of french polynesian families were so big. don't worry--it's not like that anymore! we stopped at the top of a hill and had some fresh fruit and coconuts. then we learned how to wear pareos and to dance tahitian style! it was pretty funny to see us all try... then we visited a black pearl farm and learned about how you make pearls and then we went to a vanilla plantation. did you know that a lot of vanilla comes from French Polynesia, especially Tahaa? we bought a lot of vanilla products....of course!! when we got back to our hotel, we made a big decision. although Le Tahaa was a nice hotel, the service wasn't as good as at Hotel Bora Bora. We decided to leave Tahaa early and go back to Bora Bora. wasn't that kind of funny? at Bora Bora you got to know the people who worked there and they were really nice....the best service ever. So on our last night in Tahaa, the hotel had their "polynesian night" I had to dance this time too, but not a solo...thank god....

Vanilla plantation

a vanilla plant

day 12: at 10:00 the helicopter took us back to Bora Bora. When we got to the hotel, we met all of the people that we had met and laughed about us coming back. it was pretty funny! we couldn't have the same room, but we got a similar one, just as nice. we just stayed on the beach and went snorkelling! We saw some HUGE FISH!! they were hunting a school of smaller fish. and then my dad and I went further out. I was getting really tired and little bit scared, cuz it was really deep there, so i turned around to go back to the beach. my dad came up behind me to take me there (he thought i was going to be scared by myself) and he really scared me! i didn't know he was following me! and then....we saw a SHARK!! it wasn't that big, but i would have seen it by myself if my dad hadn't come with me! ahhh.....scary! anyway, that night the hotel had the nice buffet again and the dancing! I met Patrick and Vaitare again, so we sat together and talked. Patrick is the leader of the dance troop and he was a fire dancer! then we went to the dock and saw a HUGE manta ray...the biggest one we had seen!

a fire dancer....that really looks like Patrick

Day 13: our last full day in Bora Bora we just stayed on the beach and went swimming...we didn't do much at all. I chased hermit crabs and saw one change its shell. Nothing much happened today...but we did have a very good chocolate souflee at dinner! it started to rain in the night....the first big rain of our vacation!

a nice bora bora beach

Day 14: It was rainy, so we couldn't go in the water. but after breakfast, this waitress, Gail, taught my mom and me how to make flower crowns! it's really hard, because you have to braid them in between palm-like tree leaves. we also learned an easier way, and i made one the easy way. I wore it until we had to go to the airport! when we left, they gave us shell leis and our friends came to the dock to say good-bye! we flew to tahiti and then started the loooong flight back home! the 8 hour flight felt short because it was a night flight, and we slept for almost all of it! The 5 1/2 flight from LA to Boston seemed longer!