March 7-9th, 2017
Sleep abandoned, we admire the view for a while over a cup of tea and hatch a plan with the aid of tourist brochures from the desk drawer: get something for breakfast, organise tours around or into the island for the following days, and explore Papeete on foot in our free time.
We knew we had to brave the heat. The air conditioning and the fan will still be here when we get back, but the longer we waited the hotter it got out there! We found a little supermarket and bought yoghurt, cheese, real butter, pineapple jam, a couple of bottles of water, gluten free rice cakes, and a couple of pain blanc petite, pour moi. A cup of coffee was resisted; so were magnum ice creams as we could see them evaporating off the stick before we had a chance to enjoy them; may be later. Tahiti must be a civilised country as this was the first time we’d seen them in 4 weeks!
Yes, we did indulge in a Magnum – on our last day
At a tourist office we enquired about island tours; it was blissfully air conditioned, too! We could do a full-day tour into the mountains on Friday, but then we’ll be flying back to Australia, or a half day tour Thursday afternoon, and we booked the later. Another tourist office gave us a list of tours, but I’d have to ring them myself as they only deal directly with this or that company. This a strange way to manage tour options in a country which thrives on tourism!
Papeete is between the sea and mountains. Clouds developed, storms threatened.
In the end a tour into the mountains was found for Wednesday. I assured Krista it will be cooler in the mountains, and the windows of the 4WD will be open, so there will be no problem with the heat. What I couldn’t convince her about was a 6 AM start; some things, apparently, are not negotiable!
We enjoyed our brunch at our window. It was simple, and simply delicious: fresh bread and cheese, rice cakes with butter and cheese rather than just dry biscuits, and passably decent yoghurt rather than the slop that passed as yoghurt in Chile … luxury!
I think siesta is definitely an essential part of life in hot climates, especially when fans and air conditioning are available. Whether the Tahitians engage in it or not, we did! From our window we can see the palm fronds blowing, and the reflections of the boats have gone: there is a sea breeze!
From our window: the cruise ship Paul Gaugin stayed for the day
Mid-afternoon we ventured out again, and there was indeed a breeze, and when in the shade it was quite bearable. So we wandered along the main waterfront road, into and out of various shops, and checked options for an early evening meal. The river of traffic was non-stop, almost bumper to bumper. Papeete is a thriving community with an urban population of around 133,000, sandwiched between the ocean and the mountains. We had to cross this river several times during the day. There were pedestrian crossings, but very few had lights. However, I found by standing and staring at the traffic it would stop, or a car one or two cars back would flash its lights and stop … and the rest was easy
Tree lined main avenue , and the constant stream of cars created some breeze
We noted posh shoe and clothing shops, a great love for colour; hunting and fishing outlets, with guns and underwater spear guns and spears on the shelf; a surf culture; souvenirs, and lots of outlets for pearls and jewellery. There were many bars and bar-restaurants, one of which provided a gluten free meal to share sitting out in the late afternoon enjoying the coolness of the sea breeze.
Islanders love colour
There is a lot of very good street art in Papeete. Apparently it all started when “tagging” became a major urban problem and space was made for street art to be created, and guidelines, basically to depict Island life, were set. It then became an established thing with a lot of creative input. Being associated with Sheffield, Tasmania, this sounded a familiar story! We also heard a lot street music. Islanders are very musical, individually and as a society. We saw or heard several street bands, and indiviuals presumably busking, and young folk with some kind of musical instrument were quite common.
Street are and music are a big part of the Papeete social scene
On the way home we found a couple of parks to visit later, and saw the sun set behind the clouds over Moorea. The view was equally stunning from our window while another litre of cold water was consumed!
Evening light at the marina as a departing cruise ship sails off into the sunset
A cruise ship left, and another came. Neither were large, but would dwarf our Polar Pioneer. The latest is the Paul Gaugin. We could almost touch her from our window … well, with very long arms. But we can still happily walk around naked in our apartment!
We had enquired at the tourist office about the Gaugin museum; it was closed at least 7 years ago! Apparently his reputation as an artist did not make up for his bawdy personal life. We never saw any images of his or information about him. It was as if he’d never been here.
The Paul Gaugin outside our window
On our second morning we walked to the taxi rank and booked a taxi to the airport for the following night. It was so hot already that was almost enough exercise for today!
But the Papeete markets were just 50 metres from home so we visited them. Markets always fascinate, and these were no exception. It was in a large airy building where any breeze penetrated, and ceiling fans helped. It was far more orderly than I’d expected after the Vietnamese markets, and far less frenetic. There were areas for fruit and vege, fish and meat, clothing, carvings, souvenirs. And upstairs were more up-market stuff, including pearls and jewellery. There was also a rather interesting looking café, but coffee did not appeal in the heat, and a hundred or more folk were crammed in front of large TV screen cheering continuously at a European soccer match.
Images from the Papeete Market
What well dressed white women are supposed to wear in Tahiti
So we braved another 50 metres of heat, the lift and stair well, and those keys, and blobbed out in front of our window for siesta time! When the palm fronds were moving and the reflections going we ventured out again for a walk along the water front.
There was a choice: in the sun and breeze on the path by the water, or in the shade and heat and no breeze. The breeze won, mostly, and we walked barely a kilometre along the water front through the beautifully landscaped and very popular Paofai Gardens between the main highway and the sea. By mid-afternoon there were lots of young folk about doing their thing, be it cuddling, playing ball games, riding bikes or roller blades, or getting sea kayaks ready for a paddle, and older folk sitting in the shade talking or reading.
In the Paofai Gardens
In the Paofai Gardens there was a memorial to all sites and peoples affected by the use of and testing of nuclear weapons by the US, UK and French: Japan, the South Pacific and Australia.
Memorial to those affected by nuclear weapons use or testing
The Gardens also gave a good view of the old Stuart Hotel. Apparently Matisse stayed there in 1930 and, like us, had a wonderful view across the harbour. His stay at the Stuart later gave rise to his painting Window in Tahiti.
The old Stuart Hotel
We crossed the river of traffic again and found an attractive evangelical protestant church, the Paofai Church, but no access to it. Near the markets, is the simple catholic cathedral which seems to be always open. We visited it thge next day and found a very simple friendly place with a beautiful welcoming Virgin and stained glass windows obviously inspired by Islander life.
The Paofai Church Evangelical Protestant Church
The Catholic Cathedral, it’s welcoming Virign and stained glass windows
There was a pearl museum which was seriously air-conditioned, and interesting to visit, too. It talked about the way pearls were used over the ages, and I remember pearl buttons from my childhood but not a whole shirt covered with them! It also got into the technical side of the pearl industry, such as traditional ways of harvesting pearl oysters, how pearls are now cultured, and the oyster’s sex life.
One of the many pearl shop front windows
Our little supermarket yielded some luxuries for the night: Lindt chocolate, and chocolate coated macadamia nuts. And we watched another magical sunset from our window!
More sunsets from our window … I doubt I’d ever get used to the constant change of light and form of the view or the clouds from that vantage point.
No comments:
Post a Comment