Vistas, Pineapples, and New Caledonia

It was now time to go inland. As you see from the photos, Mo'orea is an island characterized by fantastic jagged mountain edges protruding into the sky covered with green velvety vegetation (it is after all the model for Bali Hai from South Pacific). The two major valleys represent the crater of an ancient volcano, and the surrounding ridges its rim. We signed up for a half-day tour in the back of a small 4-wheel drive vehicle. The views were incredible, but frequently the most memorable parts of these sojourns are the company you keep. There were two American couples, a 40-year-old single woman from Philadelphia planning to celebrate her birthday on her own in Polynesia, and a French couple from New Caledonia. Now I will be the first to admit I know less than nothing about New Caledonia. However, after spending half a day with these people, I feel like I must go there. (We will see if that actually happens.) Like French Polynesia, their country is an autonomous region of France; in fact they use the same currency as Tahiti. It is located somewhere between New Zealand and Australia (look at the map; I had to). Perhaps I will figure a way to visit there between the latter two countries. After all, how many Americans can say that they have been to New Caledonia?

Today we traveled through mainly agricultural land. In fact there was Agricultural College in the area. We saw many of the local products, the primary one being Queen Victoria pineapples. This is a particularly small and sweet fruit which is eaten locally and made into juice. There were also many small patches of other tropical fruits and flowers.

After that, we visited a “juice factory” and tasted a variety of fermented fruit-based beverages, then the almost obligatory stop at a black pearl shop. We exchanged e-mail addresses, awkward kisses on both cheeks, and fractured “Franish” with our new New Caledonian amis, then back to the room to recuperate.For dinner we were directed to a small French restaurant at water's edge on Cook's Bay, Te Honu Iti. It happens to listed in the book "1,000 Places To See Before You Die", for what that's worth. It was a calm, warm night, and we could watch the rays and other fishes in the water. The food was great. We met a young gorgeous and friendly couple fr0m Sao Paulo on their honeymoon, of course. She does R&D for a Brazilian company that makes playing cards, and her work has taken her all over the world. Who'd a thunk it?