Travel with Indigo

We entered the protected lagoon surrounding the island by way of Passe Maire au Iriru (try saying that three times quickly), then cruised up to the head of scenic Baie Faaroa and anchored there. This is one of the very few bays anywhere in the islands that is the drainage basin for a navigable inland river.  Chris and I took two sit-on-top kayaks from Indigo’s toy storage and paddled up the narrow and quite shallow river surrounded by dense jungle that canopied over our path blocking the sunlight. I would not have been too surprised if Tarzan should swing by on a vine so exotic was the setting. But after awhile  the paddling  got tiresome and we headed back to Indigo and cold beers.

Early the next day, after an extraordinary breakfast prepared by Chef Fiona and served elegantly by Stew Darcie, the captain hauled anchor and we motored up the east side of the island within her protected lagoon admiring the dramatic scenery of Raiatea’s shaggy dramatic  peaks, up to 3,300 feet high. We passed by Uturoa, the largest town in the Leeward Islands, a sometime cruise ship stop, and continued on to the island of Tahaa.