Raiatea – what a lovely little island. We were only there for a few short hours – all aboard was at 12:30. So we made the most of it. In the native language, Raiatea means “bright sky”. The locals call it the “Sacred Island”. Folklore believes it to be the birthplace of the gods. It’s much less touristy than the other islands, so it feels more like an unspoiled paradise. It’s very neat and tidy. They’ve done an excellent job of making an appealing first impression when you get off the ship. They made an intriguing sidewalk from inlaid stones. It was so precise!
We didn’t have time for any tours, so all we did was enjoy the quaint little town. After walking past tons of French pastry shops in all the ports, I finally decided this was my last chance to sample something. Mmmmm. It was yummy.
Very near by is a sister island called Taha’a. We sailed past her on the way out and the photos I got are so beautiful. I promise to post all the pictures on Snapfish when I get home. But for now, I’ll share just a few of the best ones. Both islands are surrounded by a reef and the colors are just extraordinary. That's Bora Boring on the horizon.
We set sail for Sydney at 1:00. Six and a half days at sea. That’s the longest stretch we’ve ever had. The swells are up to 8 feet and much more noticeable, especially as you walk around. They’ve already put the barf bags out!! They’re attached to the railings of all the stair ways and at other convenient locations. I do fine with this until we get up on the upper decks. I took a Bonine just as a precaution. Happy Hour on deck 11 is a bit of a challenge for my tummy. We met a delightful young couple from Brisbane, Australia and learned a lot from them. I’m so excited to reach Australia and see all the sights! We also had a nice conversation with a couple from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
It was a formal night, so we got all dressed up for a Surf n Turf dinner. S’all good on board the Rhapsody.
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