Day 65 Another hike

The Belvedere
The Lonely Planet book described a hike to a viewpoint that starts in the next bay over from our anchorage. Kurt was off to surf so Andy and I set out for the trailhead.
We had already walked most of the way when we finally got a ride for the last mile by someone who knew exactly where the trail began. The guidebook said the trails are sometimes hard to find so this ride was good in two aspects - it saved us part of the walk in the heat and we knew we were on the right track.
Mo’orea is shaped like a triangle with one corner pointing South and the other two pointing East and West. The North coast is punctuated by two large bays, Cook's and Opunahu that are separated by a mountain. The hike heads South up another mountain and terminates in a North facing view point that provides a sweeping view of both bays and much of the countryside that surrounds them.
The road up was very steep in places and the hot, humid weather made the going difficult. A food truck serving ice cream offered the perfect respite once we reached the top. Once at the top, we found a forest trail that led to a small waterfall. The foliage is very thick with huge chestnut and acacia trees and smothering vines in some areas. The trail was small but well maintained with steep ups and downs. The waterfall was only 15 to 20 feet tall but was situated in a secluded glen that was quite pretty.
We had begun the hike from Opunohu Bay but our boat was in Cook’s bay so as we started down, we found a branch in the road with a sign pointing to Cook’s Bay. This was a dirt road instead of the paved one to the top and it led through the middle of a pineapple plantation.
A few more miles of perspiration and we reached the dinghy - tired but satisfied we had seen some beautiful sights.