Tahiti

  Soon after 7:00 AM we were coming through the barrier reef (with the island of Moorea - tomorrow's destination - beyond it) and into the harbor of Papeete on the island of Tahiti.

  Hello civilization! Morning rush hour was underway and road traffic was heavy.

  The foursome (dressed in red & white) at the base of the gangway was clearly a bit tweaked by the much louder and more lively group down the pier.

  We climbed aboard a bus for a clockwise circumnavigation of Tahiti. There is only one major road on the island. It circles Tahiti near the coast with kilometer marker zero in Papeete and from there increasing down either side of the island until the markers meet at the south end of Tahiti. Roads radiate out from this main road. None that go inland cross the mountains to the other side. Residents describe where they live by stating the kilometer marker nearest them, whether it is the east or west side of the island, and whether they live on the land side or sea side of the road.

  Rather than expend text on sites and stops along the way, the next section will be mostly a photo essay.

  We saw a blow hole (I am referring to the picture below, not the mayor of Arue), a black sand beach, a waterfall (souffleur) and various other sites including a surfing beach.  According to our guide, surfing originated in Tahiti, not Hawaii.

 

  The tour the island completed, Pam & I had lunch at a sidewalk cafe, then walked around the center of Papeete.  We visited a large marketplace that was fun to explore.

  We returned to the ship to relax for a while and just enjoy the surroundings.

  In the evening the ship had a performance of Tahitian music and dance.

  After the performance, Pam & I disembarked to have dinner at a "roulotte". "Les Roulottes" are small trucks that become restaurants complete with tables, chairs, extensive menus, etc. This evening there were a group of them in a parking lot near the ship. The trucks started setting up in the late afternoon. It was the culinary equivalent of the clown car at a circus. Ovens, kettles, grills, dishes, even neon signs - it just kept coming out of Les Roulottes.

  By the time we got there at 8:00, they were doing a lively business. 

  It was a fun way to experience something Tahitian that a surprisingly few of our fellow passengers took the opportunity to try. Their loss. We had a great meal at a reasonable (for very expensive Tahiti) price, after which we returned to the ship for the night.