Author: Scott
Our first full day on Bora Bora, or just Bora as the locals call it, was busy and exhausting. First thing in morning we had to end our night of snuggling up to Mico Verde to find a more suitable long-term mooring. Frank and Rachel called over and suggested we try the moorings over by them at Bloody Mary’s restaurant, where you can moor for free, and they also have free water and ice. Our other option was the Bora Bora Yacht Club, but they have a $20 per day mooring charge and all the extras like water, ice have an extra charge. They also have laundry and showers but again they come with a charge. Frank and Rachel’s argument was persuasive so we pushed off from our green and white sister ship and motored the mile and a half south to Bloody Mary’s. When we arrived Rachel was in her dinghy vigilantly guarding a mooring ball for us, and it turned out to be the closest mooring ball to the dock. We scooted up to the ball and Rachel helped us with the lines. Tournesol had found a more permanent home on Bora and we were free to explore.
The main town in Bora is a good hour walk or a twenty minute dinghy ride from Bloody Mary’s, and then there is always the option of a taxi for a mere $20 for a ten minute ride. We did not know if the outboard was up for the task after its last performance in Huahine, but again Frank and Rachel on Starship came through with an offer to dingy us into town with them. We meekly accepted the ride and soon we were off gurgling along atop the blue waters of Bora, the four of us squished into their dinghy, enjoying the warm sunshine and perfect blue sky above.
Our first mission in town was to visit the Gendarmerie to check in. On our way we passed Frank’s example of Bora’s purely touristy personality, next to the duty free store was a giant powder blue eight foot tall Tiki made of fiberglass, it screamed out TACKY to all the passers by. After waiting at the Gendarmerie we learned that it was not necessary to check in, but it was necessary to check out. I guess they know you will check out before leaving the county if you want your $1250 per person bond back. Our next stop was the post office, and then we made our way over to the grocery store in town. We wandered around the store for a few minutes, looking for exciting new things to eat and actually found something. At the meat counter Pam found packages of flavored smoked mussels. The seafood eater reared its head and Pam snatched up her pack of those shriveled, grey/orangy, slimy looking snot balls that she just loves. Onboard Tournesol Pam is offended by the smell of corn nuts. Tell me, how can the same person who is squeamish over the aroma of corn nuts survive ingesting those putrid smelling smoked mollusks?
With our initial survey of the town complete, we headed back to the dinghy dock. When we approached the dock we noticed that the cruise ship Paul Gaughgan had followed us to yet another tropical island paradise, and soon the occupants would be swarming the town, making it a great time to return to the seclusion of our boats. Don’t get me wrong, I think cruise ships are wonderful as long as you are a passenger on one and not subjected to the crowds and higher prices that merchants charge when one is in port. While we were at the dinghy landing Pam and Rachel took the opportunity to chat up the lady soliciting tours of a pearl store who was offering free mother of pearl shells. They each got a coupon and ran across the street to get their free shells.
The dinghy ride back to the boats was pleasant under the warm tropical sun. It was a perfect day for a swim so when we got back we got into our suits, and remembered to break out my green blowup alligator we had purchased in Zihautanejo. The water was wonderfully warm, blue and crystal clear. I crawled atop my alligator friend and paddled over to Novia to say hello. Everyone on Novia came on deck to say hello and while we were chatting Alysia noticed some possible jelly fish and called out a warning to Pam. You would have thought Pam had turned into the bionic swimmer, because no sooner had the words left Alysia’s mouth then Pam was flying through the water and back on Tournesol in a flash. I guess Pam had had enough of jellies in Mexico. A few minutes later we determined that it was a false jelly alarm, and my swimming must have been infectious because all of the Novia crew was soon in the water. We all swam back over to Pam who was sitting safely from all jellies on Tournesol’s deck. We all paddled, splashed and thoroughly enjoyed the swim. I invented the new sport of alligator rolling, where the rider of the alligator tries to roll under and then back on top of the alligator. In the end we had all tried alligator rolling with not one success, but we all shared lots of laughs. We agreed to have dinner together at Bloody Mary’s and all headed back to our own boats to get ready.
The Novia crew returned later to give us a quick lift over to the dingy dock for dinner. Walking into Bloody Mary’s restaurant is like walking into the Disney version of Gilligan’s Island. White sand covers the entire floor, they even have a shoe check. The counters, bars, and tables are all highly varnished tropical woods, and all of this is under a thatched roof. In the bathrooms there are some special secrets that I will let you experience when you make your way to Bora some day. When it is time to be seated for dinner you are ushered to a big counter where extravagant samples of the entire menu are displayed. There were sumptuous fresh fish, sushi, a multitude of shish kabobs, plump steak, and tantalizing side dishes. The food looked so good that the prices just seemed to breeze by as I stood there in a gastronomic induced haze. “I’ll have the whole lot”, I thought to myself. However, I settled for “the special”, mahi mahi wrapped in foil and grilled in a ranch dressing, and accompanied with warm vanilla sauce. Pam ordered the grilled wahoo. We were then taken to our table where we sat teetering in the sand on little wooden stumps. We sat at a low table and in seconds a waiter appeared offering cold libations. We really enjoyed the experience of Boody Mary’s they certainly get an A for friendly service and ambiance. I really enjoyed my food, but some of the meals were only given an acceptable rating. As we sat in the afterglow of our coconut cake with coconut ice cream, the manager of the restraint sheepishly approached us and asked if we would mind moving to the bar to free up the table, and of course the restaurant would like to buy us a drink of our choice. With cocktails costing an average of $15 a piece we were not the least bit offended and merrily moved over to the bar to receive our beverage windfall. It was a nice finish to a super day on Bora. We all waddled back to the boat in the balmy night air, guided by the charming yellow lights lining Bloody Mary’s long and beautifully maintained dock.
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