QUEEN ELIZABETH

Day 11 in Bora Bora Friday 01 March 2013

Well that was a bit of a late night after a great party out on deck last night.  Everyone was there and we all danced away the night to the wonderful sounds of Synergy in the balmy South Pacific air.

We awoke to sunshine this morning as we sailed through the reef into the bay at Bora Bora. Men in outrigger canoes paddled close by to say hello. After breakfast on our balcony we caught the Tender into the wharf.  The crew had five Tenders operating so there was no queuing or waiting around for your number to be called to go ashore, it was all very efficient. The trip in the Tender was no more than 5 minutes as we were positioned right in the bay.  As it was on our last visit to Bora Bora everything is terribly expensive in the few shops they have to offer.  I wonder why they don’t realise that if they offered things a little cheaper they would get a good turnover in their sales. We wondered to both the Supermarkets and noted that even French Champagne is more expensive here in a French owned country than it is for us at home. Roy wanted to buy a new Ukulele which we saw for just under US$100 yesterday, here n Bora Bora they start at US$220…..needless to say we didn’t buy one. The markets have a lot or jewellery mainly made by the local women and I managed to find two pair of lovely Tahitian pearl earrings made by the Mother of the guy who was selling them in the stall. He gets the pearls and she’s turns them into jewellery.

We just arrived back off the Tender back to the ship when there was a huge sound of thunder over this idyllic mountainous island then saw huge cracks of lightening and the rain came with drops as big as a bucket load per drop!!! Those who had ventured to the beach would have had their day ended in a hurry.

We were going to get the shuttle after lunch to Bloody Marys, the famous bar but due to the weather change decided not to.  I’ve just been talking to one of the crew members who did go there this morning.  He was saying that the cheapest drink there was US$12.00 which he thought was too expensive so decided not to have a drink.  On his way back to the ship he wanted to pick up a fridge magnet which he collects for every port he has visited.  To his horror the fridge magnet was more expensive than the drink he ‘didn’t’ have, it was US$18.00.

As I write this the weather is lifting a little so we might have some sunshine as we sail away at 5.30pm this afternoon.

This ship is such an easy ship to get round, the crew are all excellent, very friendly and always helpful. We still haven’t done everything there is to offer on board, but we’re working on it. J

Tonight we’ll enjoy dinner and the show, then straight to bed for us for an early night, and that means 11.30. Can’t believe we’re calling that early….. I won’t tell you what time we go to bed at home….lol.