Captain’s Log: Botany Tour of French Polynesia

16th October 2012

Daniela’s Photo essay to follow

1. Coconut – many uses. See Yannay and Daniela’s projects. Also leaves used for roofing.

2. Taro – a root like a potato. High in calcium which it is claimed by the locals is why they are big boned. Also claimed by some that Taro was plentiful in Asia until replaced by rice which grew as a weed among the Taro. Leaves are used like spinach.

3. Vanilla – a type of orchid. Grow on a vine. Imported from Mexico and pollinated by hand.  Tahiti now a major producer of vanilla essence. All hand pollinated. Very labour intensive.

4. Rosewood – excellent for turning. Uses from fruit bowls to boats. The fruit has a yellow colorant for nail polish or used to die cloth.

5. Tamanu – the oil soothes itches, rashes, sunburn and other skin conditions.

6. Traveller Tree – contains up to 2 liters of water

7. Longi Longi – the perfume of this flower is used in high end perfumes and not surprisingly has a familiar smell.

8. Hybiscus – multiple uses (see video) ropes, hoola skirts, floss, string, aluminum foil, toilet paper. The flower is yellow in the morning, turns red by the afternoon and falls off the tree.

9. Lemon Grass – mixed with palm oil it keeps mosquitoes at bay.

10. Drum Tree (see video) found along rivers and used as a drum to communicate with others up and down the river.

11. Wild Basil – used as a n antiseptic, it numbs the mouth.

12. Papaya

13. Banana

14. Wild Passion Flower – does nothing.

15. Mango

16. Gardenia – is worn behind the ear to indicate whether you are available for a relationship or not.

17. Breadfruit – beautiful tree.

Plants arrived in French Polynesia carried by the jet stream (about 50) by sea (about 200) through bird droppings (about 700) by boat from Philippines/Indonesia  brought by Polynesians  and later by Europeans. Altogether about 2800 of which we can recall 17.

Here are a few of the 2800 whose names we couldn’t recall.

What a stingray feels like

14th October 2012. By Avia Kaplan, Bora Bora

Its nose is squishy, smooth and soft.  Its wings aslo feel squishy and soft. The fin tips are hard and rough. Its back is also hard and rough. The Captain held it and I touched it. The first time I touched its nose, then I touched its back and its wings.

If you look like a stingray, Yannay will kiss you.

Oct 14th, 2012, Bora Bora

Today, a sunny afternoon in Bora Bora, Yannay was swamped by adoring stingrays. He kissed more than one.

Photos to follow.

Huh? Quotes

1. “What I like most about the Cook Islanders is that [while we’re called Canadians] they’re called COOKIES.” – Daniela

2. “When?”  Yannay, when asked by the US Border Police “how old are you?”

3. “Don’t be fooled by their cuteness” – Avia explaining that the Tahitian mini banana, though cute and seemingly wantable, still tastes like banana. And she ‘hates’ banana.

4. “You have four pieces of chocolate and three people. How do you divide the chocolate equally? ” Find another person.” – Avia in answer to Daniela’s math question.

5. Daniela on Auckland: “When I look outside, I see Vancouver.”

6. Sign seen in Bali: “Government Authorized Monkey Exchange” Finally, a place to swap my annoying monkey.  I think they meant money exchange, no k.

7. “Not pancakes for breakfast, again” – Avia. (pancakes are one of the two options for breakfast at most paces we stayed in Bali)

Early morning snorkeling among Eagle Rays.

14th October 2012, Fitiiu Point, Bora Bora

Yannay grabs the fin and rides a passing lemon shark as we snorkel with lemon and black tip shark. Not one, many.

13^th Oct 2012 – Tapu, Bora Bora

Clear waters to 30 meters. Many shark. Unbelievable. Photos to come.

Avia’s first ever snorkel, Coral Gardens, Bora Bora. Attacked by a Moray Eel.

13^th Oct 2012 – Bora Bora

A 1.7m long Moray Eel chased Avia as she snorkeled for the first time. When she saw the eel, she climbed up her dad’s back;  Eva called the eel police – David. He thought she’d said “seal” so reacted slowly. By the time he saw the Eel it was at arms length swimming to join its mate in the coral. Past flute fish it swam, past angle fish, parrot fish, jack fish, butterfly fish, birdrass and on into its coral cove.

How to feel a stingray for as long as you want to

If you want to feel a stingray, all you need to do is follow these important steps.

#1 Get in the 1 meter deep water

#2 Take some fish into your hand

#3 Throw some of the fish into the water next to you to make them realize that you have food in your hand (let them come to you, don’t chase them.)

#4 They’ll come at you because they know you have food with you and want it

#5 While some come at you, but before they start to push you over with their nose, feel their topside with one hand while restraining them with the other one. To restrain them, push their noses away from you. If their topside partially exits the water trying to get the food you will also be able to grab their nose and pull them a bit more out of the water. Doing this, you will be able to kiss them (as our captain Oliver and later I, kindly demonstrated) They are really quite nice and cuddly when you get to know them.

Be careful when they start to come at you. If 2-3 come at you you’ll be fine but if 5-6 of them come to you they may push you over making your feet leave the ocean floor and you should ALWAYS have your feet on the ocean floor. If they leave the ocean floor for one reason or another be careful not to step on a stingray’s tail while regaining your footing. A stingrays tail is unpleasant to touch and could easily cut you so try to avoid touching it. And as a side note, the tail is extremly poisonous but only when it is mad or scared.

Yannay and Daniela – Open Water Dive Certified!

10^th Oct 2012

Cook Island Divers award Yannay (14) and Daniela (12) open water PADI scuba diving certification. Asked how he felt on receiving certification Yannay said “Huh?” Asked how she felt, Daniela smiled. Only their father made great whooping noises. Even the dive instructor was muted.

Arrival in Rarotonga

Oct. 7th, we arrived in Roratonga. Equipped only with carry-ons we went straight on a mini tour exploring the island. There are only two public bus routes on the Island, one named  “clockwise” and the other “counter clockwise” for their direction of travel. To reach our hotel we would take the counterclockwise bus,hence we took the one going the opposite direction of our house to see more of the island. The one main street that goes around the island and follows the beach is ruled by Vespas and farm-animals. Coconut and Papaya trees are everywhere. (two interesting facts: 1. the polynesian tradition is to burry the placenta of a newborn  and plant a fruit tree on top. The placenta is to nourish the tree and the tree is to nourish the child. 2. The houses are not allowed to be built higher then the tallest tree on a property, therefore there are no tall houses on the island)