So begins our next big adventure — French Polynesia. We are starting, and will finish, our trip here in Tahiti. Since we only have one full day on either side of the rest of our trip, we wanted to make the most our time. Our strategy was to do the coast of the island on the first trip and the interior when we get back.
I guess a few quick facts about Tahiti to start. It has the largest population in French Polynesia at 750,000 people (about 70% of the total population of French Polynesia) and it sure feels like most of those people live near or in the capital of Papeete. We really didn’t spend too much time there as it is a big city, with big city crowds, traffic, and endless opportunities for retail therapy. What’s interesting is that Tahiti traditionally wasn’t the most important island (that belonged to Ra’iatea, an island much smaller than Tahiti) and Papeete wasn’t even settled when when Captain Cook arrived in 1769. That changed rather quickly because of the sheltered bay and easy access through the reef. People saw the strategic value of Tahiti, initially as a whaling port, but ultimately for trade, etc. Lots of Europeans came to settle here, followed by the Chinese. Consequently, today Tahiti is a very diverse island, but I think a few generalities can be made. The Tahitians are very warm and welcoming. They always have a smile, greeting, and wave for you. Tahitians tend to marry at a young age (in some cases, as young as 17) and, not unlike so many other places in the world, the divorce rate is very high. Part of this young marriage seems to be tied to religion (mostly Pentecostal, Catholic, and a growing Mormon influence). The growing expense of living on the island is having a dramatic effect on the number of kids couples have — dropping to 2-4 from an earlier 6-8. There is a lot of singing and dancing that goes on here. In fact, the Heiva (the annual music, dance, cultural, and sport competition) is going on now. Unfortunately, while we won’t be able to see it here it Tahiti, we hope to see it on one of the other islands.
With that as a backdrop, we got a guide (Rolánd) and headed around the island. Rolánd was quite a character and often commented on people being “lucky” for this or that — all with humor and not a trace of envy. As we passed by the new island prison that is built on a hill overlooking the ocean, he said that the prisoners had a nice view — “lucky them!” Our first stop was at what had been a luxurious hotel with an amazing view. It’s been closed for over 9 years and the prospects for reopening aren’t looking good. You see, not unlike several other countries we have visited, the president and senior leadership control the money, jobs, and decisions. If you are on the “in,” life is good; if not, you can imagine. From there, we stopped at Pointe Vénus and Matavai Bay, the site of Captain Cook’s observatory where he was trying to record the transit of Venus across the face of the sun in order to calculate the distance between the sun and the Earth. Hmmm… yeah, it sounds like a boondoggle to me too. Oh, and pretty good liberty, Sailor! This site also has an impressive lighthouse, built in 1867 and still operating today. The Bounty (with Captain Bligh) also stopped here on more than one occasion (watch the movie — any of the movies). This area also hosts a number of local outrigger canoe racing clubs. We got to see one guy practicing. He was really moving.
Down the road a piece, we stopped to see the Arahoho Blowhole and yes, we heard, and saw the hole blow. If you were standing by the entry along the path, the wind would be enough to blow you over! We then stopped at the Faarumai Waterfalls, a lovely setting for a pair of fairly high waterfalls. We also stopped at another waterfall in the area which seemed to be less trafficked. Technically, you’re not supposed to swim in the pools below the falls (a tourist got bonked on the head by a rock), but many people still do.
We past by the Paul Gaugin Museum along the highway. It’s been closed for over eight years after some storm damage and, despite assurances from the government that it will be reopened, nobody believes it will ever happen. One indication of that is that some tiki from the site have been moved to one of Marae (temple) sites. And apparently, tiki (sacred statues) don’t like to be moved. There are lots of stories about the horrible fates that awaited the men who moved the 3 tiki from their original home in Raivavae to the Gaugin Museum. Apparently, it’s bad juju (sorry, inappropriate cultural reference from somewhere else…). By the way, it turns out that Tahiti has somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Gaugin. Yes, he did produce some of his famous works here but, apparently, he had a nasty habit of harassing and pawing the native women. He still does have some living relatives on the island though.
Probably the best stop on the trip around the island was the Water Gardens of Vaipahi and the Botanical Garden. There you can walk on a variety of trails past ponds, palms, a mape forest, and a giant banyan tree. It’s really a microcosm of all the flora that exist on the island. And one of the truly impressive things about the island is how lush it is, with the wide variety of plants that grow here (over 1000 species here), especially in high areas where they get more rainfall. But being so isolated, how did this amazing variety get here? The short answer is migration. When the Polynesians arrived here, they brought plants that would provide food or create medicines. On our travels around the island, we saw bananas, taro, sugar cane, chestnut trees, coconut palms, breadfruit, and many others — all brought by the Polynesians! But in addition to the basic needs of life, they also brought things of beauty, including frangipani, bougainvillea, hibiscus, water lilies, etc. Some of these plants were used for medicine, but some were for the pure beauty they brought. And the fragrances — they are so powerful and enticing. It’s like walking into a perfume shop (or Parfumerie, as they are called here)! As Europeans began to visit, they also brought plants that flourished here, including avocado (they’re huge here!), vanilla, lemon and mango trees, and tamarind to name a few.
By the way, like many other Polynesian islands, people tend to wear and greet people with flowers. Of course, everyone is familiar with leis. But then there’s that wearing flowers over your ear thing. I always got mixed up about the left ear, right ear thing, but it turns out it’s more complicated than that. So here is the short course:
- Worn behind your right ear — you are single and available
- Worn behind your left ear — you are married, engaged, or otherwise taken
- Worn behind both ears — you are married, but still available (ruh roh)
- Worn backwards behind your ear — you are available immediately (Wow!)
So, in old advertising vernacular, it pays to advertise!
After visiting the Mara’a Grotto (a few caverns with crystal clear pools and lots of ferns), we stopped at the Marae Arahurahu, one of the most sacred (and supposedly powerful) temples in Tahiti. This is where the tiki that were relocated from the Gaugin Museum ended up. By the way, these tiki looked amazingly like the moai we saw on Easter Island and totally unlike the ones Americans have come to know — probably by drinking “Suffering Bastards” at Trader Vics. Anyway, this temple has the best preserved ahh (altars) on the island, and many a ritual sacrifice (that would be human sacrifice) was performed here — during the cannibal and non -cannibal periods. Nobody seems to know if those sacrifices were eaten during the cannibal period, but in all cases, the Manu (spiritual power) transferred from those sacrificed to the chief who was doing the sacrificing.
We ended our trip in Papeete. After seeing all the natural beauty, we weren’t all that interested in spending time in the city, so after a traditional lunch (local amber beer and Philly cheesesteak) and a quick visit to the Marché (open air food and crafts market), we headed back to the hotel for a swim and some lounging, getting ready for the next phase of our trip — chasing the total eclipse of the sun!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
