December 5- Fakarava

We had a quiet, restful day at sea yesterday. I sat on the balcony for a long time reading and watching the beautiful deep blue water go by.  Jim went to a lecture to learn about oddities at sea which was interesting and then a lecture to learn about the history of French Polynesia, which was mostly a repeat of the other lectures Paula Smith did throughout the voyage.

We watched a delightful movie with Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline- “My Old Lady” and later in the afternoon Jim went to his favorite spot for reading on this ship- The Observation Lounge. He likes the quiet, the comfy chairs and the fact

The Observation Lounge

that it is warm. Some people complain about this ship being too cold, but not me!!!

The sunset was once again spectacular and we were off for a delicious dinner in the steakhouse like Prime 7 restaurant. We had $900 of ship board credit when we began this voyage. On a ship where everything is included and this is non-refundable credit it is hard to spend that much money. I had two massages that each cost $177, Jim had a $81 pedicure, we have done laundry twice for a total of $147, a got deodorant (before we found the little shop) from the fancy store for $27.00, Jim got Band-Aids for $5.00 and we got a wonderful bottle of Malbec wine for our dinner last night for $68. Still think we’ll leave money on the table but going to send laundry one more time so most of our clothes come home clean…now isn’t that a lazy thing to do!!

We have now sailed from Los Angeles 5155.9 nautical miles. This morning we anchored at the atoll Fakarava, Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. This is a really remote island. 

Fakarava boasts an ecosystem that is so unspoiled the entire island has been designed a UNESCO Biosphere reserve to preserve rare species such as squalls and sea cicadas. 

Sea Cicadas

Measuring 37 miles, the atoll is one of the largest in the Tuamotu Archipelago.

Rotoava Village is the heart of Fakarava with its 800 residents. It features public phones, two general store, a pharmacy and a post office with internet connections. The pink sand beaches are beautiful- pink because of powdered coral rock and not like in Bermuda where the pink sand comes from crushed sea shells.  Unless you want to hang out at the beach or snorkel there doesn’t appear to be much to do in this lovely paradise. There is no local transportation and very few roads. Renting a bicycle is an option for the brave, but not for us today.

The water around is unbelievably clear- supposed to be the cleanest and most pristine in the world. 

However, we got an announcement last evening that we were going into an area where “mosquitoes are prevalent. Many mosquito borne diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine.” As a precaution the ship and the Center for Disease Control issued some guidelines and also bug spray. The spray named  Monoi Tiki Antimoustiques spray smells so sickie sweet it seems to me it would attract mosquitoes.

The Topaka Light House

There ia a square light house- the Topaka Lighthouse- near the small town of Rotoava. It is a 45 foot high pyramid with a square light on top. It is a lovely spot. …especially if one wanted to get away from it all.

Tomorrow we are onto Bora Bora and the next day off in Papeete, Tahiti.