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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 30, 2022 10:00 PM 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 28, 2022 08:00 PM 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 27, 2022 08:00 PM 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 26, 2022 08:00 PM 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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Oct 25, 2022 08:00 PM My captain...
Day at sea. We have a long distance to sail from Tuamotu to Gambier Archipelago... I had a chance to introduce myself to our young captain Arnaud. Imagine that he arrived to Tahiti from France to perform the obligatory military service as a gendarme. Then he married a local lady, studied at maritime academy and now he is the madter on Aranui
Nice person!
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Oct 24, 2022 08:00 PM I love you, Amanu!
Imagine distant, flat atoll on Tuamotu. Only 174 people lives here... Barge took me here to the main motu through the narrow canal heading to the turquoise lagoon. At the entrance to the canal stands surrounded by the palms little church of St Paul from 19th century. Wow! The group of local ladies in the flower crowns were waiting for us with smelling lei - everyone got a smile and the flower necklace... The ukulele-guitar band was playing jyst nearby to make us happy... It was only 200 m distance from this pier to the village main square where they were performed polynesian dances. Playing this lovely music while we were tasting local food (what a tasty marinated fish in the coconut milk!). Then I was walking to the end of the main motu to discover paradise beach framed by the palms... Oh, what a paradise! And what a people! I love you Amanu!
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Oct 22, 2022 08:00 PM Sunday on Ana'a Atoll
First island on our route: Ana'a on Tuamotu Archipelago. Our ship is drifting in the sea and they are putting us into motorised barge to sail us to the small island. Locals greet us on the little concrete pier. Then we walk to the village Tukuhora, where most of the 600 inhabitants of the atoll lives. On the way I turn to the tidy catholic church, where Sunday service just goes. They are singing so beautifuly! On the shore of the beautiful, turquoise lagoon they prepared in the shade local meal for the lunch. I have a time to swim in the lagoon, take a walk to the end of the motu through the coconut grove or check the souvenirs made of shells by the local ladies - great, sunny day!
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Oct 21, 2022 08:00 PM Aranui5 - the legond of Polynesia
Polynesia is my favorite region of the world (excluding my home Poland) I have been here many times, traveling between islands by ferries, freighters, cruise ships, planes... Only once it was very special ship, run by the locals, offering not only the transport, but also meetings with the Polynesians, islands visits and regional music aboard. This was Aranui3. Recently the owners replaced this ship by also small, but more modern Aranui5. Aranui3 brought me to the legendary Marquesas. Now I sail to the Tuamotu, Gambiers and Pitcairn. I embarked the ship well before 8 am in the centre of the city.
Unpleasant event at the beginning: they lost my backpack between the port gate and the ship. I became very nervous until they found it two hours later in the other cabin on the other side of the ship.
For good bye fantastic dances on the deck performed by the group from the Marquesas. Bye, bye crowded Papeete!
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Oct 20, 2022 08:00 PM Papeete on Polynesia...
Hot and humid tropic. I live in the little private house of Opuhinano family, walking distance from the airport. The place is on the hill, with great view of the blue ocean and Moorea island. Since my last visit in the town few new and modern public buildings appeared. But Papeete still has the atmosphere of those old ports of colonial era. Local ladies wear wreaths made of tropical flowers. The groups of men are playing ukuleles under a shaddy trees. I just performed covid test required to board the Aranui expedition ship tomorrow. Thanks God the result of the test is negative! :) New adventure starts tomorrow!
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Oct 19, 2022 08:00 PM San Francisco after years...
I like San Francisco - its picturesque location is comparable only to Cape Town, Rio And Sydney! Today I had a stopover in San Francisco just to refresh memories. Great! I took a bus 292 from airport to the city (only 1,10 USD for senior) and then bus 130 to the bridge (2 dollars). Wow! The view is still great and you can see also Alcatraz Island. They should repaint the bridge - red color seems to be a bit dirty now.... Then I turned to Fishermen Wharf, smalling with fried fish... Why not to try again famous cable car? Years ago, in 1981, I paid for the ticket just a dollar. Today it cost 8 dollars! In the night I fly to Tahiti - 8 hours in the air and nothing for free aboard low-cost French Bee airline!...
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