Mutiny on the Bahia D' Opunohu, Moorea, French Polynesia

 Day 21

Rugged and unspoiled, Moorea evokes images of pirates and explorers scaling its mountaintops and foraging for food in its lush valleys. Several unusually-shaped volcanic peaks characterize its magnificent landscapes. 

It is truly pristine, less commercial than Bora Bora and one could imagine what an olden-day French Polynesian island might have been like. This despite Moorea's fancy hotel resorts with their rows of water-bungalows stretching out into the natural lagoon. 

We visited Moorea the day after we were in Bora Bora. 

And if our ukulele-strumming guide Aru (The King) is to be believed, the movie Mutiny on the Bounty (not sure which version) was shot on Opunohu Bay, one of the 2 bays on the island. According to The King, Moorea is also where Marlon Brando found his bride. Parts of the movie South Pacific were also shot here. 

On the other side of the island from where we docked on Opunohu Bay is the other bay known as Cook's Bay (named after James Cook the explorer). 

It rained in Moorea the day we were there (yes, another rainy day!).

During the worst of it, we were out on a boat with Aru with very choppy waves. We were soaked through and cold! 

Majestic Moorea: View of Moorea's volcanic mountains from Opunohu Bay. The one in the middle (and in pic below) with an odd-looking peak (shark's fin or sunfish's tail?) is Mt. Routui. 

View from the ship just as we docked

We tried walking on the beach, but it rained! So we took a selfie and started the long walk back to the dock. (there were no taxis to be found or any form of public transportation). 

Volcanic (igneous?) rocks on the beach

On the long walk back to the ship along the only main road on the island

Also on the walk back.

More from the walk

And one more.... (it was a long walk)!

View of the ship from our choppy ride on the bay during the worst of the rain. 

Close up view of the lagoon shore from the boat ride on the lagoon (the rain had almost stopped, and the lagoon was blue again) 

Our guide Aru on the lagoon boat ride. Couldn't get a good shot - it was pouring rain and difficult to move around the ship. Can you spot the ukulele? He also sang (badly, like me). 

On to Tahiti (coming up).