Culture/History: The Society Islands, one of the archipelagos of the So Pacific: Christmas Island. Jan 6. 1606 Spanish Exp de Quiros Pacific travels brought him to Butaritari renaming it Buen Viage =”nice trip”. Archeological evidence suggests that 2000 yrs earlier, Austronesians arrived in the islands. Nr the 14th C. A.D., Tongans & Fijians arrived. By 1820, all the islands were charted on European navigational maps. A Russian hydrographer named the cluster THE GILBERT ISLANDS. Slave trading or Blackbirding sent the kidnapped islanders to work in Figi,Somoa,Tahiti,Hawaii & Cent. Am. Those pesky missionaries arrived in 1850 & did their goody goody stuff & ruined more culture! The islands became a British protectorate in 1892.Capt Cook ate his Christmas pudding here, hence the name. Jan 9 Bora Bora: “Scarcely a spot in the universe affords a more luxurious prospect” wrote Capt Cook on parchment pages of his leather-bound diary. Bora Bora meaning “first born to the silent paddle”. The people are a rich mixture of Europeans, mainly French & Polynesians. There are archaeological sites of ancient maraes & 7 giant Coastal cannon guns & bunkers, Operation Bobcat it was called Fr ’42 to 46….. protecting the airstrip: Horrid reminders of WW1, but the Japs never invaded BB.Moorea History/Culture Jan. 11&12: In I774, one of Capt. J. Cook’s 3 voyages, he found a war between the islanders there & those of Tahiti, only 10 mis. away. It took only 50 yrs to unite the 2 islands in to one kingdom of Pomare1, a Fr. protectorate in 1847 & a Fr. colony in 1880. The ancient maraes, symbols of the history of the Polynesian islands, are the archeological sites which tell of the ancient temples used for both religious & ceremonial celebrations on 3 levels. There were the virgin sacrifice & Tiki=idol worship to God. Mana was the Eye or Soul
Food/Drink:Food & Drink: Christmas Island Jan 6. N?A Bora BoraJan 9& 10: I went to a charming little Bamboo restaurant & was introduced to yet another version of what I know as Cerviche fr Spain & Poki fr Hawaii….Its raw fish marinated in coconut juice w/ shreaded carrots. Yum!. The next morn, I rented a very fancy bike which had hand brakes & 3 gears & peddled my way one war around the lagoon & then reversed & headed to Bloody Mary’s for lunch….it was closed, but of course I did enjoy a MaiTai….& headed back to THE WORLD for a tour. On the Jeep tour we were treated to a wonderful afternoon asst. of mango, pineapple & coconutFood/Drink Moorea: Jan. 11/12. I chose a lovely little waterfront restaurant on the bay & had a little table on the water. Just as I was finishing a lovely Fr. Meal, The Capt., & our captured pilot, Olivier, & our GM Christine, arrived via a struggling Zodiac in these shallow waters. That eve. I enjoyed more raw fish @ Rest Pecheur. I had that raw fish marinated in coconut milk & Tuna tatrtare. The food on THE WORLD is delicious: creative, imagintive & experimentive.........There was a beautiful Sunday brunch buffet where Warren & Pepi treated us to all sorts of delicacies. Dinner was scrumptios on the pool deck under stars & WAVES FROM THE POOL!!!!!!!! Thank you to all our chefs, kitchen staff & dining crew for loosening my seat belt!	Geology: Jan 6, Christmas Island: On my home pg itin. it says Fanning Island/ Kiribati which is actually Kirimati or Christmas Island, a small very primitive island, but the largest & only inhabited atoll in the world. An atoll is a coral reef over volcanic rock that juts up ABOVE the water. It has over 100 lakes & ponds Bora Bora Jan 9+10: 3 Lush Green vocanic peaks, huge coral filled lagoon where we anchored, & a chain of sandy motus (little islets) flanking its coast. Moorea: Geology Jan 11&12 Mystical clouds swirl around 3 towering peaks. Fr. The top of Belvedere, it was a sight to view both Cook”s & Opunohu Bays & see the craters below & Sacred Mt Rotui in the distance.There were 2 eruptions to create the mountains. Because of the Great Barrier reef, there can be no tidal wave
Flora/Fauna:Flora/Fauna: Jan 6 Christmas Island’s lakes & ponds make a superb habitat for exotic birds & unique sea life. I went on a bird watch & found birds swarming around me @ arms length. Our barefooted guide could barely speek English so didn’t get the names. We saw birds nesting & nests of eggs. I saw large frigate birds & land crabs who also climb in trees!!!!!!!!!!. Our guide dug up a sand crab as well. The best was going out to the island on an outrigger & having swarms of dolphins literally jumping next to us………my favourite site was a mom & baby jumping right nxt to me. Jan 9: Bora Bora, there are chickens, wild pigs, plenty of dogs & rats!!!!!!!! There is that breadfruit that Capt. Bligh came for & yams, mangoes, pineapple, papayas, guavas, wild yellow bananas called fei & delicious coconut. In the coral reefs, or a nearby islet, motu, you will find cowrie, conch,, parrot fish & triton shells...Flora/Fauna/Moorea Jan 11&12 As I’ve learned beginning w/ Hawaii, Taro, a root veg. or the Tahitian potato, is the staple food & bread fruit……….that tree that Capt Bligh watered more than his crew hoping to bring to The West Indies to feed the slaves……….is the other staple food staple as well as providing the bark for Tapa cloth. There is a lg Pineapple Juice factory. Pineapple, originally Fr Brazil & Coconut, tea plant & rubber trees, similar to Banyan, are abundant as well as pine trees Fr New Zealand. There is agriculture, experimentation w/ imported plants, & a shrimp farm w/ mosquitoes!!!!!! Stone Fish blend in w/ the coral & before there were fish hooks, or nails Fr Capt Cook’s ships to be traded for sex by the native women, there was a plant containing a Novocain kind of substance that numbed the fish for catching by hand. I bicycled by A UC/Berkeley ocean study research….the expert of which was out on the dolphin tour telling of the trapped dolphins in the bays.	Sites/Excursions: Sites/Excursions Christmas Island Jan 6.The tender took us to the very shallow dock & we set forth in very primitive outriggers………headed to Cook’s Islet for a morning tripping over thicket & sand watching 18 seabird species literally swarm above our heads @ arms length…a very protected wildlife sanctuary. On our short voyage to the islet, via outrigger, we were dazzled by hundreds of dolphins practically jumping into our boat, My favourite was a mom & baby who jumped in unison…………..Once on the island, our guide, who couldn’t really speak, pointed out nests & eggs, & land crabs who also climb trees & he dug up a sand crab for us as well. Not being a bird watcher, I was impressed w/ the “show” I did recognize many frigate birds. Bora Bora: Jan 9&10. Aboard my very fancy rental bike w/ 3 gears & hand brakes, I ventured out along the lagoon & then reversed my direction & headed the other was along this beautiful lagoon to the legendary Blood Mary’s which ended up being closed for lunch…..but not for a MaiTai! I headed back to THE WORLD to get ready for an aft. jeep tour. It was a very bumpy ride………..on dirt roads actually cut by The American military during operation Bobcat in the early 40’s when guess who was being born! The steep drive got us to Pahonu Hill where we got views of BB’s natural harbour. We visited a traditional plantation high in the mts. where we saw a lady silk screening & drying her beautifully hand painted & dyed pareus...From one viewpoint, of Fa’anui, our guide treated us to the finest machete carved pineapple I’ve tasted. The tour was gravely set in my mind by the 7 giant defense guns in their original WW2 locations. One of these cannons was strategically aimed @ protecting the airfield & another to protect the lagoon. These 7” 20 ft long guns on swivel bases & the nearby bunkers were just another reminder to me of the war in the Pacific which I only began to learn about @ the Pearl Harbour Memorial…how there was so much needless loss of life of young boys….hopefully a reminder that war is a terrible thing. Moorea Jan.11&12 Sites & Excursions After my hot bike ride in Bora Bora, I decided to do it again so I rented a bike w/ little attention to its condition. I pedaled off along one side of the lagoon, & quickly realized that it had no speeds & no hand brakes & I’d for gotten how to stop the old fashioned way by reversing the pedals…….. So I went crashing into all sorts of places not being able to stop properly!! I tried to go up the hill to the Pineapple factory, but since I had no gears, I gave up on that……..I stopped @ the UC Berkley research center & realized later they were out on the dolphin search which Id turned down. All of a sudden I was merrily cruising down hill & gasped that, on my return, Id have a long haul up hill w/ no gears!!!!! I decide to go awhile further on the flat & reverse & headed for a suggested restaurant along the lagoon where I appeared black all over w/ bike grease, a bloody nose, & a sweaty mess. Not the place to greet our Capt., GM & pilot who had been shuttled over the lagoon via the Marina’s zodiak looking crisply clean & embarrassed to know this grease monkey. Sunday’s bus tour was interesting & informative which I’ve described in geology & history/culture. We toured the island learning of the many fruits inc various pineapple types & vegetation, had beautiful picture vistas & the visit to the sacred marais which would only become one of many where I would learn the meaning of this ceremonial ground