I left you at Christmas Island, so next I have to tell you about Bora Bora! That’s where we stopped next, and it is another place on earth that is SO amazing you really have to go there to understand and appreciate it! Bob wasn’t sure about the Land Rover tour, but I talked him into it and we went! We had a great time, but I have to say this – if you have a delicate constitution, you SHOULD NOT take this tour! I was sore for a couple of days afterward! They talk about off road vehicles. Well, these really do go off road, and I MEAN off road! It’s incredibly bumpy and you go all over the place. The guys who drive are very good at what they do, but sometimes it feels like they are going too fast! We did see a lot of great things you can’t see any other way. I’ll say this about Bora Bora – every view is a masterpiece! No matter which way you look at the island, there is a great view. We saw where soldiers had placed artillery during World War II, and some gorgeous views from high points on the island. I took so many pictures! I bought a painted pareo from a local artist, and I really wished we could have stayed longer. Maybe we can come back another time and take the grandkids one day and see the shark feeding exhibit. I KNOW they would love that!

Next, we spent two days in Raiatea, French Polynesia. I was in my element – there are loads of great shops here! But probably the most fun thing we did here was visit a pearl farm. I never really thought about where pearls come from before, but a lot of them come from farms! And apparently, the best pearls come from this area of the world. The colors that the oysters produce are out of this world! Some look like gold, some are pure, shiny black, and others are black with a hint of pink. I never knew there were so many different colors of pearls. We also paid a visit to Taputapuatea Marae, which is an archaeological dig on the island. I think this is probably a lot more interesting to anthropologists, but I did enjoy walking around and seeing this part of the island. Most of the temples and art seemed to be almost completely worn away! I think it has to do with the amount of erosion from wind and sand. It was interesting, but I enjoyed the pearl farm more!

The next stop was Moorea, and what fun we had there! If you ever go, don’t miss the native dancers! Again, we didn’t spend NEARLY enough time here to do everything – there was a luau, but we needed to be back to the ship in the evening. We did get to see a Polynesian dancing exhibition – they are so good! They even have small children who do the dances, and they’re just as good as the adults. We did get to go to a cookout lunch and chat with some other travelers as well as some of the locals. Moorea is a beautiful spot. Again, I wish we’d stayed longer so I could’ve seen more of it!

Our final stop was Papeete, where we spent our last cruise day plus two more days in a beautiful hotel there. We stayed at the Intercontinental Beachcomber Resort, which was probably the most gorgeous hotel I’ve ever stayed at! Of course, in the South Pacific, every view is more fabulous than the last. I have quickly run out of adjectives for the sights we saw! The hotel was wonderful, with its little grass huts jutting out in front of these massive, ancient volcanoes in the distance.

By now, we had crossed so many time zones we barely had any idea what day it was, much less what time it was! Papeete was the perfect final stop for us. We had tried to pack in so many activities during the previous twelve days that we just felt like lying on the beach in Papeete – and that’s what we did! Papeete is another fun place to shop. Talk about variety! There are all kinds of little stores. And even MORE pearls! You’d think with so many pearls in the South Pacific that they’d be really cheap, and I guess they are cheaper than in the States, but they are NOT cheap!

Bob and I did a little exploring in the local shops, but mostly we took advantage of the GLORIOUS beaches and views – and the BAR! Yes, we just totally fell apart at Papeete (smile). If you ever decide to take a cruise as long as ours was, and you try to pack in so many activities, you will definitely want to spend some time recovering at your last stop! The beaches are even better than the Caribbean in the South Pacific, I must say. Maybe it’s because there are many fewer people. Hardly anyone is crazy enough to go this far on a vacation! So everything is clean and uncrowded.

We had another totally exhausting flight BACK to Florida after our recovery in Papeete. Crossed more timezones, and ended up losing almost a whole day in the process! We had to spend another day at home recovering from the journey back, which is even tougher than the flight out. At least you’re only going to Honolulu when you fly out. When you fly back, you’re flying all the way from Tahiti! Our trip back took 16 hours. It took us at least a week to get back to “normal” after the trip. We felt like we wanted to sleep at all the wrong times, and felt like our clocks were completely backward!

It was a trip of a lifetime, however! If you have the opportunity to take a cruise like this, DO NOT pass it up! Even if you have to scrimp a little and budget, you will have amazing memories! Also, remember, always get off the ship! And be a little adventurous. I rode a horse, after all! And Bob only played golf once (I was SO proud of him!).

I think this cruise will last us at least a few months before we get the “itch” again! Next time, I think I want to go through the Panama Canal. When I mentioned it to Bob, he just groaned (smile). I think I’ll let him get a few good months of golf in before I start suggesting another cruise!