How to never return from your journey

We all have our dreams. This happens to be mine ...

This is a small part of the story of another solo bicycle journey around the World. Nikolai left Denmark on April 10th 2006 and was back in Copenhagen 1.413 days & 62.180 km later, FEB2010, after crossing 53 countries on 6 continents. We all have our dreams. This happens to be his…. and mine…..to visit French Polynesia. French Polynesia is an amazing paradise of gorgeous islands surrounded by reefs and turquoise lagoons. It is a superb destination for all seeking fantasies and for the travellers, looking for culture diversity and relaxation in the middle of pure beauty. After a stay in French Polynesia, it is hard to find another comparable place in the world. So I will probably NEVER leave!

This is the island of paradise you’ve been daydreaming about all your live

Due to its incredible jagged mountains reflecting in the pristine waters, Moorea is probably the most spectacular Island of French Polynesia. They say, Cook’s Bay is the one of the most beautiful views you will have the chance to admire. The island is surrounded by a narrow lagoon where white sand beaches (and top hotels?!?) offer a perfect environment to the visitorsMountains that leap almost vertically out of the clear lagoon, lush vegetation, restaurants serving the freshest fish, stylish accommodation and a languid pace of life. Splash around in the shallows of the aqua lagoon, ‘walk’ along the sea bed, snorkel, cycle, hike…If I have to leave, I’ll be probably kicking and screaming.

MOOREA, the Spectacular adventure

Transport to Mo’orea from Tahiti is absurdly easy, so you’ve no excuse but to spend your time at the very least on this veritable gem of an island. Mo’orea remains seductive to artists, disenfranchised popaa (Westerners) and Tahitians, many of whom treat Mo’orea as a weekender par excellence. Although the island retains a palpable air of traditional Polynesia, and locals pride themselves on having avoided the jam-packed development of Bora Bora, the island is dominated by tourism. But, you can still tuck a tiare (fragrant white flower) behind your ear, jump on a bicycle and head south, where hotels are rare and islanders eke out a quiet existence. Live it up in style or visit on the cheap: the island has it all, also for travellers on all budgets can find comfortable places to rest their weary limbs after a day of sunburnt fun.

 

Photo: www.pacific-promotion.com.fr

Excerpt from a Danish Solo Expedition 2006-2010 Around the World by Bicycle…

It’s time to turn a few pages in the World Atlas. After 4½ hours strokes of the wing and a 4.000 km chunk of the South Pacific on board the Boeing plane from Auckland, New Zealand, I’ve crossed the International Dateline, and have thus moved from being about as far east as man can go to about as west as man can go. French Polynesia is the place. It’s a funny thing, crossing time zones. During the last more than 2 years of cycling east I’ve occasionally sacrificed an hour here, an hour there in order to synchronize with the local time. And then, all of a sudden, the clock’s turned back 24 hours thus giving me an extra day which happened to be Saturday July 5th 2008. It’s not daily fare for me to get an extended weekend for free (but then again, it’s always Sunday in my life as a good girlfriend in Adelaide once told me). French Polynesia is country #4 on my bike expedition around the world. To my delight the temperature’s been tripled compared to Auckland’s 10 winter degrees Celsius, people say Bonjour and Ça va? and drive in the right (that is the right, as opposed to left and opposed to the wrong as well) side of the road which in an odd way seem wrong to me after the last 10 months in the wrong (left, that is) side of the road. Confused? So was I crossing the first few intersections in Tahiti’s capital Papeete. I’ve left the introductory tropical coma behind me (it’s more comfortable that it sounds) and lap up new, Tahitian input like a sponge. As expected it’s beautiful, seductively exotic and insanely expensive here. One hour internet’s up to 25 USD, a 2L bucket of ice cream is 17 USD, a kilo of capsicum is 12 USD and I nearly crashed on my bike when I saw a net of oranges (approx. 2 kg) with the proud price tag of 30 USD! Understandably, I’ve become even more anorectic with my money and survive on tap water, bananas and jam sandwiches. And God bless the French for introducing le baguette which is dirt cheap, fresh, and readily available. But I’m willing to make a few compromises in the culinary department because it is food for the hunger of my paradise dreams to be here in Tahiti and Moorea, without a doubt France’s most sexy accessory as they say. Bon appétit!
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