tahiti

Report 32

Gauloise, ricard, renault cars gendarme....this must be France. Well you would think so but it is Papeete the principal town on Tahiti, one of 118 islands in French Polynesia.

The Islands are in five groups, the Society Islands, Gambier, the Marquesas, the Australs and the Tuomotos all spread over thousands of kms at the end of the string in the middle of the Pacific, Pitcairn next then Easter Island. Population about 280,000 people. Tahiti Niau is the big island about 120 km in circumference with small Tahiti attached, stuck to its edge all in the form of a dumbell. Like a big volcano, 7000 ft tall rugged jungle and a string of villages along the road around the edge.

Papeete is the principal town, much like any French industrial town. Not much charm, a good market and a population of about 100,000 I would say out of 160,000 people on Tahiti. 70% native Polynesian, 11% french, 5% chinese [brought in to work sugar cane fields] and the rest "demis". Mostly protestants, 40% Catholic and the host of other beliefs, mormons,jehovah witness and so on. It is interesting to hear french spoken fluently by everyone, Tahitian and Chinese.....a legacy of colonization but a phenomena that remains difficult for me to grasp and added to my terror of having to speak french.

We stayed in a scruffy and expensive [$200 per night] hotel with a clean and large room overlooking the harbour, ferries in front of us, cruise ships to the left and the naval base to the right. It was probably a brothel, young sailors [the crew cuts give them away] with young Polynesian girls with gardenias over their right ear. And lots of action in the bars. The island of Moorea 17km away, the real tourist place with $700 a night bungalows over water, beckoning.

The wonderfully interesting part of the town was the wharf, immaculately landscaped where trucks would appear in the evening, their insides converted into mini restaurants, fold up sides as cover and fold down shelves as tables. Every kind of food you can think of. We had barbecued veal from a whole calf cooking over a barby, french fries and beans, then moved on to crepe with cidre bouche.... this is France after all isnt it. Dish washing facilities are available in the square and staff on hand to keep the place clean, dry benches of rain and keep order. Tahitian string bands play, kids play on scooters tended by parents and and lovers stroll......yes this is France.

Public transport are yet more trucks, in fact called "le truck" ....vehicles with open backs and benches, a driver and an assistant to collect the fare paid upon disembarking. As we found out they only run until early in the afternoon into town, last bus out of town to take workers home. We got ourselves stranded one day and were picked up in a truck by a most handsome Tahitian man on his way homewho explained our error and gaves a ride back to town. There is not a lot of info for tourists who are not on cruise ships or staying in resorts...it took us a while to figure stuff.

We eventually took a tour, a tour from hell with no information or as one of the Americans from Cincinatti off the cruise ship, pony tail and immaculately pressed slacks said "there is no information". He may be right, not a lot to do here if you are not a diver ......the food is not stunnning and rum and tropical juice palls after a while. But did manage to visit the museum of Tahiti and Islands that was very interesting with lots of stuff on how the islands were formed, flora and fauna, life before European contact and of course the impact of colonization.

Also went to the Gaugin museum which talked of his misery but no original paintings since these are spread over the art galleries of the world or in private collections. Both of the museums were on the edge of the sea but miles from town and seem to be rarely visited which reinforced my view that the place is not generally available to the casual visitor.

We did visit Moorea and went on a private tour, again it seemed difficult to see the place quickly since we had little time. The good thing about the trip was that the guide was a young french woman, an archeologist with her young child. Knew lots of stuff about the settlement pattern of her island.... she apparently did her research in the Marquesas, met a local dancer and stayed. Lives in a small house [I suspect] up a valley with no electricity. She shook her head when Mary asked what her parents thought of her lifestyle. But a great lunch, fresh grilled mahi mahi with beurre blanc and french fries piping hot and a crisp bottle of Muscadet de Sevre et Mains sur lie...yes this is France..... memories of many a meal in France with Carol and Chris.

During the day I ran into a guy who was very familiar to me. Turned out to be Walter Kehm a landscape architect from Toronto that I worked with years back. Lots of trading notes since he and his wife were on a similar trip to ourselves and we journeyed back to LA and Vancouver together.

Our final evening we walked the dock and lo and behold was the tall ship Soren Larsen which, during the planning of our trip we had tried so hard to arrange a voyage across the Pacific. Unfortunately the boat was going the wrong way and we had considered backtracking to get a ride. Instead we went aboard, were shown around by a delightful British guy who was vicariously experiencing his grandfathers life. He had travelled from the Panama to Tahiti on the boat. Perhaps next time we visit New Zealand we may be able to make a trip on the boat.