Papeete, Tahiti

Today is Tahiti. Papeete is the capital city and where the harbor is. The harbor is large for a small island and ugly. Mostly it is for commercial traffic. Traffic is a bad word here. From about 3:00 PM until after 8:00 PM auto traffic just goes all around the island and doesn’t move, mostly.

Many people find it easier to live on other islands and commute via ferry. There are at least 6 or 7 of various sizes and shapes in the harbor at all times.

The downtown area is just about 3 blocks from the ship dock. Everything is very expensive and is mostly from China and Indonesia. Rental cars and taxis are priced out of sight and are few. Everything on the island is overly expensive.

We took a ship’s tour to a museum and an old place with wood carved gods of the Mori people. This island is really nothing to see. Many in the Caribbean are nicer but the native people here are very friendly.

These islands are part of French Polynesia and are ruled by the French government. All are required to go to school from 5 to 16 years old. Unemployment is at least 25%. The recently had elections and voted out the French parties and put in an independent. The French are in the process of invalidating the elections and appointing their people. That is what the French call democracy French style.

All must learn to speak French as a first language, English second, Spanish third, and Latin or German as a fourth. Native languages are to be forgotten.

The museum was nice but the signs were in mostly French. The English translations were misspelled and wrong words or non words were used.

The guide was very nice and very informative and was the best part of the tour.

The main entertainment in the evening was an island group doing native songs and dances in native costumes except the women were not topless. They were very good and quite funny. They started out banging on drums and wooden things while doing a Mori war dance and then started singing calypso songs. Very funny. Ha, ha.

Tomorrow is Moorea. (Mo Oh Ray Ah). It is only 8 miles away and can be clearly seen from Papeete harbor. We will be docked here all night and leave at 5:30 AM tomorrow.

Tahiti Sherm out.

(Posted on behalf of Sherman Rootberg)