After exhausting all scenic options by way of bicycles, we rented a car to see the rest of the island. Our first stop was at Pension Motu Iti for a lovely brunch at their open-air restaurant overlooking crystal blue waters. On the other side of the building was a small pier for guests to sunbathe and dive off of. Maybe it was extra yummy because it was the first meal not cooked by us since arriving on the island but damn that fish burger was good! After brunch we drove around both Opunohu Bay and Cook's Bay. We stopped every so often to get more pictures and video of the next most perfect view/mountain/water angle, etc. It was so beautiful, with hardly any hotels blighting the amazing landscape. For the sunset, we drove up to the top of Belvedere with views overlooking both bays. That’s where I made a fast friend who we immediately bumped into a few days later on the island of Tahiti – talk about small world! It’s hard to express without sounding contrived but the Tahitiennes who we met were all the loveliest people. Helping to point us in the right direction despite our inability to speak French, explaining the Roulotte menu (their food truck – usually a mix of seafood and Chinese food) or advising on the best time to buy chocolate croissants (sold out by 7am!). Unlike a lot of places, we were never pressured to go to a certain attraction/restaurant, bombarded with souvenirs or ever made to feel like the bumbling tourists (that we were)
-Evie
