Jan28: Sail into Moorea around 6 am under a cover of dark clouds.  Originally developed as a volcano, this tiny island is now a favorite  honeymoon destination.  Many bungalows built right over shallow ocean water, just a few meters from the beach.  Good for photo ops, not good for sleepwalkers.

No deep water port, so we are tendered ashore.  Arrive on land, serenaded by partially-clad natives dancing, playing bongos.  Then right away to business - merchants line the harbor with tents, selling their wares. Local art, clothing. Black pearls, gray pearls, green pearls.  Beautiful shells.  (for more photos, see Brigit's blog at http://anchorsawaygrandworldcruise.blogspot.com/2011/01/moorea-french-polynesia.html)

The sun rises, clouds recede to reveal the visual gem upon which we will spend this day.  Lush, flowered landscape.  Tall, sharp peaks rise dramatically into the sky.  Island surrounded by coral reef.  Charles Darwin climbed to the top of the highest peak here and described Moorea as 'a picture in a frame'.  A good excuse for some scientists to live here and study the ecology of coral.  Ocean water looks photoshopped.  If I worked at the Crayola company, I'd invent a crayon called 'Moorea Blue'.

Bonjour - the French accent at first seems misaligned with the tropical setting.  A few words of my limited French vocabulary return to me.  Combien cout?  How much does it cost?  We rent a car - four hours, $120.  Ouch.  We circumnavigate the island by car, stop in several places for photos, buy fruit, visit resorts.  We search for the appropriate evocative term to describe the taste of Moorean bananas - not your average banana.  Some time on beach, swim in the ocean - warm, clean, sparkling water. 

We are in Moorea just 6 hours.  Locals are not unfriendly, but not particularly friendly either.  Just 16,000 people live here.  Resorts appear to operate well below capacity.  Expensive here.  We buy two gallons of gas for the car before returning it.  Twenty dollars.  Again, ouch.  Back to the ship.  Sit on our balcony and sip champagne as we sail away at sunset for the one hour ride to Tahiti.  Au revoir au paradis.