Lindsey Arrives and We Buy Pearls

We have been preparing for our friend Lindsey to arrive for years, it seems. Her flight arrived on Raiatea on time and out she popped! We spent our night in Apooiti, then motored to Apu where we visited a pearl form on Taha'a. We visited our wonderful Haamene Bay, dined at Taha'a MaiTai, then moved on to Tapuamu for a rhum fix.

Conni brushes her wet hair after emerging from the Apooiti showers. We'll hop into our dinghy and motor to Wings for dinner and bed.

Our dear friend, Lindsey, arrives on Raiatea! Conni ran to greet her.

We fetched Lindsey by motoring up the notoriously poorly-marked channel to the airport. After her arrival, we walked to the dock and motored to Wings. I've always loved that arrival.

 

After a nap we rousted Linds and motored to the Apooiti dock and strolled to Voile d'Or restaurant for an arrival and Bill Birthday dinner. Conni, as usual, had Poisson Cru, the national dish of raw tuna "cooked" in lime juice and served with vegeggies

After we departed Apooiti, we motored to Apu Bay on Taha'a. We took the opportunity to visit a successful pearl farm and learn the complex process of growing them. Here, Lovely Conni and Linds are strolling along the bank toward the farm.

The magic of the Black-Lipped Oyster! Small snippets of the lip flesh color the Tahitian pearls the rich brown for which they are rightly prized.

These are "baroque" pearls, so named because they are how most older pearls are shapped. These are not the perfectly round, high quality pearls, but have become highly prized in their own right.

Lovely Conni and Linds conspire over a display of pearls.

Linds seriously shops for pearls for gifts.

Lovely Conni and Lindsey giggle into the lens.