Janet Clarke, a good friend of mine who owns "It's a Snap Vacation", put this trip together for us and between her and the Paul Gauguin people it was flawless. I have to add it was probably one of the best valued vacations of my lifetime. All top notch, top shelf and exquisite without being bossy (be here be there - you must do this) overbearing or intrusive. Beautiful, unique and with so much to do to indulge your senses it is an experience and there is not a lot of down town, unless that is what you want. Judges - 9.8 to a 10 for overall experience.TRIP HIGHLIGHTS.... and a few photos.
Raise your hand if you have ever visited a motu! A favorite for Kathi and myself has to be the motu on day 2 in Taha'a. We did a morning tour of the Island and then we were "tendered" in the afternoon to the motu. When we found out what we had missed we both agreed MOTU is the way to go for the entire day, skip the island tour. But we did discover later on in the trip not all Motu's are the same. This one was outstanding. WHY.... perhaps it had to do with the floating bar in the water (how did I miss that photo op), the BBQ with fresh foods, the gorgeous warm water, seeing all the PG staff having a great time and talking with other cruisers and getting to know them.
While eating our wonderful meal - Kathi and I were asked where our husbands were.... I looked at my drink in the coconut (a Mai Tai for Rich) and said why they are right here. Rich and Bob affectionally became our coconut dates for the day. Everyone enjoyed a nice chuckle as we briefly explained we were just two widows traveling and enjoying life. We didn't meet and talk with all 180 passengers on the cruise but, we met and shared time with several of them and became friends. More on that later!
While eating our wonderful meal - Kathi and I were asked where our husbands were.... I looked at my drink in the coconut (a Mai Tai for Rich) and said why they are right here. Rich and Bob affectionally became our coconut dates for the day. Everyone enjoyed a nice chuckle as we briefly explained we were just two widows traveling and enjoying life. We didn't meet and talk with all 180 passengers on the cruise but, we met and shared time with several of them and became friends. More on that later!
If I ever come back to earth as a thing I hope it is a coconut on a Motu. As you can see a few of them were sacrificed, for our pleasure. Those are not just Kathi and my coconuts pictured. Although that would be a story to tell! Those things in the water are Sea Cucumbers and the story is that they are part of the reason the water is so clear. The ocean did look like a swimming pool (perfect temperature). POOLS OPEN. Below: Kathi, modeling the motu!
Above: clear, clean ocean water. Although still really salty.
A few pics from our morning tour. It really poured rain this day but you dry quickly. Our tour guide, vanilla (not worms) and a giant leaf. It fascinated me.
People you have to have people... or however the song goes. Life on the Paul Gauguin pictured below (yes it looks like a postcard). The ship holds 320 max and on our cruise there were only 180 passengers. You better be nice to everyone since you never know who you might be seated next to at dinner (like the people who were in front of you for 8 plus hours on the plane and we are still laughing over that story). One night our new PG family got just a smidgen out of line and it was like we had scurvy, they stopped serving us wine and libations. Truly, I don't blame them. We finished dessert and headed for the nightly entertainment and after we would follow it up with some time at the Disco all 12 or 15 of us. It was never crowded which left more room to get down on the floor. Which some people did including a guy we called Mr. Butter. He was so smooth on that dance floor with his lady. He had moves that would make John Travolta jealous. Like butter slipping off of hot corn on the cob! Wow that was quite a discription.
The times we spent getting to know these people, which part of the country or which countries they were from, hearing about their real life back home. It was all part of an outstanding experience. And yes, we exchanged emails, became Facebook friends and all have standing invitations to visit one another.
Below is our new PG family. Someone came up with the name the ADAMS family for our group. It might have something to do with this certain couple from Boston - Kevin and Rosemarie? We had so many laughs with these people that I would wake up giggling at night and in the morning you would have a laugh ache in your tummy. Such fun.
We met Cristian Frew, the cruise director on our first night as we were embarking at 11:30 at night. He was all smiles and so happy, we were just tired it was already 2:30 am at home and we still had to sign in, find our room and unpack. He was an amazing fellow (great English accent too) and so accommodating and he LOVES his job as does everyone on the PG, which is probably why their staff is so serious about their job but friendly and accommodating. I adopted two or three of the staff members.
After the motu (always "after" the fact I have great thoughts and ideas), I said to Kathi we should have saved a couple of those coconuts for Bob and Rich. We each brought along some of their ashes and we thought it would be healthy for us to leave some of them in Tahiti. They would have loved a tropical trip like this one. What to do, what to do. We met up with Cristian again one day at Happy Hour and he just happened to ask is there anything I can do for the two of you. I bet he was not thinking we would take him up on his offer.... Why yes Cristian, is it possible you can get us a coconut for our husbands, after the shocked looked (only momentary), we explained and he did. A few days later when he had the coconuts ready for us we went to pick them up. He asked Kathi and I to join him for dinner. Seriously, not an offer I have ever had in my life to have dinner with the Cruise Director himself. Of course we would love to and we did! I think of the cruise director of a ship as perhaps a bit stuffy and stand offish. Again not true with anyone on the PG. Very approachable and down to earth - Refreshing. Thanks Cristian for making it really special for us with dinner and coconuts.
As the trip was winding down we decided Moorea would be a great place for our sweet hubby's. We were at a great beach (we went their by Taxi with our friends Ron and Vicki from Michigan) that Bob and Rich would have loved, a view of Tahiti, coconuts and flowers. It just felt like the right thing to do for our loves. We snorkeled them out a little ways, let some of the ashes from the coconuts go over the coral and sent their coconuts off into the vast blue of the pacific. Kathi and I would have swam out a little further but the current was giving us some resistants and it was scary. One last goodbye and we headed to shore. By the time we got out with the currents we could have ended up in Hawaii! It was all worth it and thanks to Cristian for helping! Although this is not a highlight you will find in the travel brochure on cruises it was perfect for us. Sweetness and smiles has replaced sadness.
Local guys - below a coconut crab. Apparently they do taste like coconut when you cook them and they live in the trees not the ocean... fun fact.
More from under the sea... a swim with rays and sharks
I won I won I won the map.
Our last night - back in Tahiti... Great Entertainment every night. Oh and I won the navigational map. Everyone has to come visit it on my wall at Hylands' Island including all of our Gauguin family.
A shout out to a wonderful perfect friend - Kathi, you make life bearable and your adventurous spirit your willingness for new memories and adventures with me is such a blessing in my life. You are the best. It took a few people a moment or two to figure out we were good friends, not an item or a couple. Which made us roar with laughter and run to the ladies room!
Hugs and Aloha
and until next time PG and French Polynesia, and I can hope and pray next time would be very soon!
