The following image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom. Not a lot different than yesterday (which is good given we are anchored overnight). The second image is of the harbor. My perception of Tahiti before this visit was a tropical resort-filled island, which it definitely is. Papeete is also the biggest city in the country and has both industrial and commercial aspects that I did not appreciate until this visit, walking around the harbor, and our bus trips.
Cheryl: The weather was not so cooperative today, with dark clouds and bursts of heavy rain on and off throughout the day. We got drenched a couple of times – fortunately, the temperatures were in the upper 70’s.
Bob: I left the boat first thing in the morning. I walked around a bit and also learned how to get to a beach (see Cheryl’s text below). Multiple street vendors are selling Tahitian ukuleles (you might have noticed our boat captain in Bora Bora playing one). They are beautiful instruments (click). They come in 4 and 8-string versions and use bulk fishing line (much cheaper than ukulele strings).
Bob: I was trying to determine the best way to the beach, and Lino, pictured, asked if I needed help. He gave excellent beach advice and helped me form a solid plan. I thanked him for his time, returned to the ship exit to wait for Cheryl. Lino came back over and offered to walk us to the bus stop, which, after initially resisting trying to respect his time, I agreed to. While we waited together, he shared a bit of his personal story. He moved to Tahiti from the Kingdom of Tonga 34 years ago, as all Tongan males need to leave home at 17. He has lived in Tahiti for 34 years. Visiting with him was fascinating, and I learned more about Tahiti and Polynesia from him than from any other cruise event. After Cheryl joined us, he walked us 6-8 blocks to the bus stop through a heavy rain shower, did not leave until the bus arrived, and ensured the driver knew the stop we needed. There are terrific people everywhere. For me, this type of interaction is one of the many reasons I enjoy travelling. Random fact: Tahiti has its own diet cola, which tastes like Coke Zero at a fraction of the cost.
Cheryl: We had the morning free, so we took a city bus to Vai’ava Beach, about 18 km from the ship. It was raining much of the trip, and absolutely pouring down rain when we stepped off the bus. Fortunately, the sun came out within minutes of arriving, as if on cue, and we spent about an hour at the beach. Most of the beaches on the island have black sand, but here on the south side of the island, the beaches are white. I had a pleasant swim in the warm, fairly gentle waters. The water wasn’t that typical vibrant blue-green color because of the brownish algae on the ocean floor. As soon as we left the park to walk to the bus stop, it started raining hard again. The buses are frequent, and we only waited about 10 minutes. We like to take public transportation because it is a good way to see more of a place, and the local residents we’re visiting.
Cheryl: In the afternoon, we had a Tahiti Lagoon snorkeling trip, stopping in a deep-water coral area and a shallow coral area. The weather worsened throughout the trip, causing us to leave the deep-water area early due to high winds. At first, the shallow-water area was calmer, but the winds picked up, and finally the captain called us all back to the boat for a miserable, windy, and rainy trip back to the docks. We had to cover our faces with a towel because the rain was heavy and coming at us sideways. Quite the experience, but people took it with a sense of humor!
Bob: It rained hard. There was not an inch of my body that was not soaked.
Cheryl: The vegetation was particularly beautiful in Tahiti. Lush, colorful plants are everywhere. Attached are some photos of various tropical flowering plants, some of which have relatives that grow in Oregon (e.g., hibiscus).
At 6pm, the Sky set sail for the Cook Islands.
Bob: We attended a talk about clouds. Julian Dowdeswell is an excellent presenter. He covered the different types of clouds, how they are formed, what can be seen from a ship, and how they create mirages and optical illusions. An educational and fun presentation.
Cheryl: We also attended a lecture on “The Origin of the Coconut” – don’t laugh. I know you are laughing at this, but it really was quite interesting because it was much more than a botany talk – Laura Lovelock wove in history, economics, and culture to tell a more complete story.
Pop quiz: Is the coconut a member of the nut family? Answer: No, it is a member of the stone fruit family (drupes is the botanical name).
Bob: The images are likely best viewed from the web page (click).