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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 06, 2022 12:00 AM Baptism in Papeete
It is Sunday today so I took a walk to the catholic cathedral. They celebrate the mass only early in the morning (5.50 am) and in the evening - at 6 pm. Because the wrong information I was there before 10 am - just on time to assist the baptism ceremony of the 2-years old boy arrived from the far away atoll where they do not have the priest. They were plying guitars and singing. The ceremony was more or less like in my country, but after baptism the boy received immediately two flower necklaces and a crown made of fresh flowers. The family took a lot of photographs (me too) and then I was allowed to congratulate and took the picture with the boy and his parents.
It was not raining in the morning and I received optimistic prognosis for tomorrow.
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Nov 05, 2022 12:00 AM Pomare V - the last king...
Today I made an excursion from Papeete to the tomb of the last king of Tahiti. Every bus heading to the east of the island can take you for 200 francs to the village of Arue. Then it is a 10 minute walk to the coast and you will see first new catholic church surrounded by the giant breadfruit trees and then - a single tomb, 4m high with a kind of vase on the top. Some locals joke that Pomare V was a drunker, that's why the tomb is decorated with a vase. :)
The true is that he was pressed to abdicate in 1880 by France. Tahiti and islands became French colony...
It is cloudy on Papeete and from time we experience warm rain. I wanted to take the ferry to other Society Island but as long as it rain it doesn't make any sense: the cost ist high like 60 USD each way and it is not a pleasure to walk in the rain... Even warm rain! :)
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Nov 04, 2022 12:00 AM Boulevard in Papeete
Along the waterfront there is nice boulevard with a rows of stylish, white lanterns. Recenly they refurbished the park between the stréet and the shore locating there a nice monument of real-size Tahitian canoe. I was lucky to see there today's Youth Festival. The grass under the palms was occupied by the hundreds of Tahitian teenagers playing games, singing and dancing. Between them Monument of Autonomy was standing reminding year 1984 when France decided to give to Polynesia some independency. Rain in the evening. Mosquitos became active. Bring your repellent with you! They do not have malaria here, but it is not nice to be bitten!
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Nov 03, 2022 12:00 AM Fare Rea Rea
Finally I have the access to the free internet! Here, on Tahiti little pensions are called Fare - the House. My fare is separated from the noisy street by 6-m high live bamboo fence. We have 10m pool and guest kitchen on big verandah. Rooms are all in the rustic style with shared bath and toilet. Substantial breakfast with cheese and eggs of your choice is included. I pay 5000 CFP for the single room with a/c. Last expensive dormitory bed costs in Papeete 3500 weekdays and 3900 during weekend. So the place I stay is worth to recommend. Hosts are helpful, well organized and speak fluent English. Let's rest! But bring your earplugs because the street noise! :)
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Nov 02, 2022 12:00 AM Rainy Papeete...
Our ship arrived to Motu Uta - commercial port of Papeete at 7.00 am. Cloudy and light rain. They wanted us to disembark as soon as possible. Youy paid your bill, no more smiles... We are not in the center of the city where you embarked. I have 3 kms to walk to my pension. Before I asked for my final bill. What a surprise! Yesterday I won the trivia on the ship and the award was one free coctail in the bar. I was drinking with the satisfaction and pleasure. A now I see my coctail added to my bill. What a shame! It took them 15 minutes to give me refund in cash. They did not expect that O will check my bill!
Walk in the rain is not a pleasure. I decided to take a taxi. But the taxi did not arrived within an hour. Fortunately a sailor from the crew was going home by car. He gave me the lift! Soon I was in front of my pension on Avenue Pomare V. Thank you!
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Nov 01, 2022 12:00 AM Stormy return to Papeete
We had very nice weather during ou 10-days loop around the islands pf eastern French Polinesia. But today... The ocean became rocky already in the night. All day of Nov 1st we experienced rough sea, wind, rain and cloudy skies. Thanks God this day was scheduled as the day at sea only, so we did not lose much... In the late afternoon the crew offered us some local music. Then there was farewell dinner with the glass of wine. Tomorrow morning I expect to be back to Papeete.
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Oct 31, 2022 12:00 AM Hikueru, Hikueru...
During the two nights and one day we returned to the waters of Tuamotu. Hikueru Atoll where we landed today is 15 by 9 kms wide and has only 275 people of population. We entered the beautiful, turquoise lagoon via the narrow canal. Locals were waiting for us on the short pier playing the music and greeting us with the flower necklaces... Hikureru is very neat and has many frangipani trees planted in front of the houses. I meer the mayor of Hikureru - very nice old man, smiling and shaking everybody's hand. They have high catholic church, but it is closed, requiring restoration of the interior. We met all locals at their cultural place near the little lighthouse. They were playing music, singing and dancing. There were funny kids. Teenagers brought huge coconut crabs to show us (diameter till 50 cm) - see picure. You can buy and boil such a crab here for 3500 CFP! Great day!
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Oct 29, 2022 12:00 AM Empty Aukena Island
We are back to Gambier Archipelago. Aukena island where we landed on the beautiful beach lies just opposite the Mangareva, where we were watching black pearls few days ago. Aukena has only some 20 inhabitants. We had enough time to take a walk to the 130 m - high hill for the nice pictures of the lagoon and the lush vegetation on the slopes. After a picnic lunch there was enough time to swim in the crystal-clear lagoon. What a pleasure!
There is Mangareva on the picture on the horizon...
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Oct 28, 2022 12:00 AM Legendary Pitcairn after 25 years..
Only around 50 descendants of the mutineers from "Bounty" live here. After 25 years from the first visit I am again on the Pitcairn Island. There are changes: they built big supermarket (for 50 clients!) who is closed when the ship arrives (tourists can empty the shelves). They covered main square - which is not nice and built museum in the back. On the quite rough ocean we were jumping from the ship to the barges... Dangerous affair! i had enough time to walk to the distant St Pauls pool - this could be now the main landscape attraction of the island, absolutely worth the effort of climbing the steep path!
I also climbed the highest peak of the island 325 m - not worth the effort: you can see from the top only empty ocean! But the Pitcairn is still unusual place. Sorry, no kids here - the school is closed! Who will live here after 50 years?
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Oct 27, 2022 12:00 AM Mangareva after 25 years...
For most of the people this name means nothing... Mangareva is a main island of the Gambier Archipelago. I was here already 25 years ago, sailing from Easter Island via Pitcairn to Tahiti...
It is high, volcanic island famous for their black pearls. Then, I remember I bought here just one 1 cm pearl for 20 dollars. Now at the jetty they offer it for half of this price...
Rikitea - the capital of Gambiers is quite a village. With post office. But no nternet... Maire (city hall) is nearby. Chatming lady from the office allowed me to check my box from their persolal computers... Then a took the walk famous Pearl Cathedral and uphill to the cemetery where the ladt king of Rikitea is buried. If you will go onward the same direction you will reach Meteo France post with nice wiew of the Archipelago and further on - the well preserved ruins of the Catholic monastery under the high, rocky cliff... Nice to refresh memories after 25 years!
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