Bread Fruit and Kayaks

I am not sure when I am going to be able to make another post until we get back to the states, so I thought I would make the rare second post in one day. Today we slept in until 8a and pretty much had our day planned out. After some breakfast and my first post, we were on our way.

We started by heading up to Belvedere lookout because it looked a little clearer than yesterday. I was able to get a better shot of both Opunohu and Cook's Bays as well as the mountain separating them. There were also some other picturesque mountainous views that I got some photos of.

After our return to the hotel we promptly checked the kayak out to take take around the northeast corner of the island to the pearl shop and the friends we made yesterday. The trip, about a mile and a half long, took about and hour and a half as we faced strong headwinds the entire trip. Once there we were shown around their property and then treated to a meal of bread fruit, coconut, and canned beef.

The bread fruit was barbecued over an open flame for about an hour. While that was cooking we husked a couple of coconuts, cracked them open, and then grated the inside. The result was a pile of coconut shavings on a plate made from coconut palms (which we helped to weave). Once the bread fruit was cooked it was peeled and plated on another leaf plate. The canned beef was quickly heated in the fire that the bread fruit was cooked in.

With the food plated we began our meal. The bread fruit is pinched off the core of the fruit and then used to pick up coconut, beef, or both. The fruit is very doughy (hence the name) and quite good. At one point our host had me pick up a handful of coconut shavings and squeeze them over the beef and bread fruit. The result was coconut milk and the taste on both the beef and bread was tasty. It was reminiscent of a dish I had last night (tuna marinated in coconut milk or poisson cru).

After our meal we talked with our gracious hosted for about 30 minutes before climbing back into our kayak for the ride back to the resort. The return trip was about 1/2 as long, only about 45 minutes because we had the wind at our backs most of the trip. After a quick dip in the pool, a shower, and a Hinano or two, we are both refreshed.

Tonight we are going to stay in an eat some leftovers and cook up some of the food that we have in our cupboard. We will probably shoot the breeze with Muk (the proprietor) and some of the other guests. In the morning we have to check out by 10:30a, but we are supposed to return our rental car by 9:30a. I am hoping to be able to keep the car until 2 or 3p so that we can spend more time on Moorea.

Tomorrow we have to catch the ferry across to Papeete and then catch a taxi to our hotel near the airport. We stay the night in Papeete and fly back on Sunday the 19th (my parent's anniversary). We get into LA Sunday evening and then fly to Seattle. We have about a 6 hour layover in Seattle before flying home on the 20th.

Our timing is apparently pretty good. Moorea has very few tourists over the time that we have been visiting, but there are a lot more on the way. The weeks in and around Christmas are very busy. I am very glad we were here during a slow period.

Anyway, hopefully we will be able to make a post tomorrow, but if not, then probably once we land in LA, or at the latest, in Seattle. TTFN.