Submitted by Lois Crandell:

Moment of Bliss at a Mystical Motu on a Passage to Bora  Bora

We had chartered a NautiTech 39 Catamaran out of Raiatea with a group of dear friends.  Sailing the Society Islands from  Raiatea to Tahaa to Bora Bora and back we had many magical moments.  Often, after an especially fun time or another fabulous view, a crew member would shout, "This is as good as it gets!"  But the moment of bliss occurred  for me as we were anchored one evening at dusk off two small, uninhabited motus that we named "Chicken Motu" (because of its' wild chickens) and "Photo Motu" (because of the two rolls of film we used up there.)  As we motored near the  motus, we could see the well-known peaks of Bora Bora, grey in the distance, but after we had anchored, the motu blocked our view.  We took the dinghy to the closest motu, wading to the second motu, our cameras held high, as dusk came upon us.

From the shallow waters off "Photo Motu" we could see Bora Bora, mystical in the fading light.  Our entire world turned to shades of grey and silver--from the  twin peaks of Bora Bora to the water and the sand--an  interplay of light and shadows.  We walked on water--physically and emotionally--feeling like we were  in another world--quiet, subdued, and magical.  That's why I named this photo "Moonscape."  I cheered the day, calling this sensual experience a true moment of bliss.

But then nature refused to give up the show.  The sky turned a lavender-mauve, then bright streaks of yellows and oranges lit up the once-monochromatic scene,  bright and radiant as a bridegroom going to his  wedding!  The drama unfolded for yet another hour--the longest moment of  bliss I can recall--while we went back to our anchored CAT and began our cocktail hour and toasted to THE NATURE LIGHT  SHOW.