Marvelous Mo'orea

Mo'orea has a kind of 'sinister' skyline of cragerty mountains that could be home to King Kong!

Lush green like all the Polynesian islands.

Dropping anchor at the foot of 'Magic Mountain', we tendered to a simple, small dock where we boarded a little rectangular 25-seat covered craft that took us up and down the coast in semi-choppy waters. We learned about the introduction of pineapple as the primary crop. We saw a little assembly of humble buildings which housed, of all things, UC Berkley Gump Station, which provides educational, cultural, and community programs in Mo'orea.

In the afternoon, we snorkeled! This was a first for Cathy, while I, the more experienced snorkeler, ventured about the fish-infested coral formations in shallow waters located about 250 yards off the coast.

Warm water, balmy humid day on the water. We really enjoyed the close-up, wet experience in the ocean.Read more