We are leaving the archipelago of the Marquesas and crossing the sea to the Society Islands, of which Bora Bora and Tahiti belong. It is over 600 miles, so are a sea for almost 2 days. When we traveled to the Marquesas, this stretch was rough and I was sea sick....but this return is calm and I am enjoying it much more. So I thought about Aranui. It is a Chinese built freighter which takes passengers. It is owned by a Chinese family, but there are no Chinese on board. The crew are mostly Polynesians, and mainly from the Marquesas, and a few from Tahitian islands. We have guest lecturers at on board also.
Late in the afternoon, we always have a briefing. They give you a cheat sheet with the times and activities offered the coming day. Most of the activities are included, but a few, like deep sea fishing and scuba diving require an extra fee.
We have a happy hour every day, where they make exotic drinks or wine for 5.00$ a glass and it is always French wine. People sot around on various decks and just gaze out at the vast Pacific. Dinner and lunch are almost always "served". But no one has assigned seats, so one just picks a spot to sit. 2 kinds of wine are always served with lunch and dinner...which is alwaysnthe same format...small app (or small salad) main entree..mostly fish with a starch, followed by a small portion of dessert. There is no coffee in the cabins, but always coffee and tea and offered in the lounges all day.
The cabins are nice. Ours has a large deck with 2 chairs and a table. We have a nice king size bed and more cupboard space than we can fill. The head is also large with a big shower and shelves for our stuff. Everything is very comfortable and easy access. There is a small gym, and small pool, and 3 bars on the 9 decks. There is a ships store with many nice clothes and sundries. Internet is a chore. Satellite and it is expensive and mbs are quickly used. This is probably my number one complaint . We do have a large flat screen with CNN on it, and the rest is French. It is a not a ship with parties and nightclubs and gambling. It is a freighter first...with paying customers. The crew entertains us with music when they have time off....it is my favorite part....and watching the freight unload and load.
The passengers are nice, but only a small percentage speak English....most people on these trips have done a bit of traveling...so they are interesting.
Tomorrow we anchor in the Tahitian Islands, and we just picked up some fins for a beach trip. Most of the people want to go to a "pearl farm"...... but we are going snorkeling. My hair looks like an aborigine.....but that's another story! Thank god for my NIKE hat!
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