Final Thoughts on Raiatea and Off to Taha’a
After the case of the disappearing flip-flops, we have been a lot more careful about what we have laying around. But evidently not careful enough. Today, we noticed that an oversized super plush beach towel has walked off. Again, I hate the idea of passersby peering into my boat and treating us like some second hand store. But I’m happy to donate to the local economy, and I guess I should be happy that it’s just dirty flip-flops and a beach towel rather than the dinghy or the outboard.
Our last dinner out in Raiatea was unfortunately kind of a turkey. We went to the dining room at Raiatea’s best hotel, Hawaiki Nui. After the typical $18 watered down, under iced Mai Tais, Andy surprised me with a bottle of Taittinger champagne. I started with the scallops (nicely done) with papaya relish (a real mess). Andy had the most over-reduced seafood chowder ever made … it was like chewing on a lobster shell. Andy’s steak main course was pretty good, but the vegetables were boiled beyond recognition. My main course was totally inedible. The menu described it as mahi mahi in a puff pastry, but it was more of a gooey shake n’ bake bread crumb situation. It was very gross, and it cost $40. It seemed to us that the chef might be a very good cook, but lacks formal training in running a professional kitchen.
All in all, we have really enjoyed Raiatea, but like always, it’s time to get going. This time, however, we are only taking a quick jaunt across the lagoon to Taha’a. It should take less than an hour, and the coral heads are very well marked, so the only drama we should encounter is getting off the dock with the high winds still blowing us on. We are headed for the Taravana yacht club which sports some 25-30 mooring balls, a gourmet restaurant, and an all-you-can-eat-all-you-can-drink buffet on Tuesday evenings complete with Polynesian dancing. Andy and I are well hydrated and sparsely fed today, so we’re ready to go demolish this thing.