December 18, 2000

December 18, 2000

This morning we awoke at anchor off the small town of Uturoa on the northeast coast of the island of Raiatea. After breakfast we hiked up the 1000-ft hill we can see from the ship called Tapioi. Along the way we took a wrong turn and got charged by a growling dog guarding a side road. He quickly got us back onto the correct trail. We are both glad we made the hike as we are rewarded with a great view of Raiatea and its sister island Tahaa. We can easily see the single coral reef that encircles both islands. The two must have been a single island at one time. On the trail down we came across a free-roaming horse. We stopped and fed her an apple.

In the afternoon the ship has a Christmas party and handed out gifts to the children of Raiatea. As a Thank You the children put on a show for us. The kids range from very young to teenage. They are all very cute. Aimee gets reluctantly pulled on to the stage to dance with them and learn their fast-paced version of the Hula. I think she is going to need a lot more practice to shake those hips correctly.

After dinner a group of older Raiateans put on another show for us. One group of girls dressed in traditional outfits (with the requisite coconut shell bras) performed the Hula again. This time, I am selected to learn the dance with them. The Tahitian girls are very friendly and very handsome. No wonder the crew of the Bounty did not want to leave and mutinied against Captain Bligh.