Paul Gaugin lived here

 

Day 22

The tall steeple of the Notre Dame cathedral towers over the city as it greets you at the docks. 

Decked out in red Chinese lanterns, streamers and dragons to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the local market beckoned with its array of tropical fruit, oils, and vanilla. And of course, pearls. Tahitian pearls are well-known and widely coveted. The market is a short walk from the ship. 

It has a vibrant downtown, but it's not too crowded. The traffic is easy and the area teems with shops catering to tourists from cruise ships (us!) which dock close to downtown. 

What struck me most about Papeete, French Polynesia's capital city is the diversity of its people. Local Polynesians, mixed Polynesians, East Asians, French expats and other Europeans mingle like they were meant to be together. Of course, there are rumblings from the locals about the French government... like they take too much in taxes from French Polynesia (and other rumblings). 

Papeete, Tahiti's capital is the largest city in French Polynesia and Tahiti is its largest island. The High Commissioner is Marcon's representative in French Polynesia and lives in a stunning home in Papetee, a short walk from downtown. His bungalow used to be the Tahitian queen's residence with an eye-popping garden, tucked away behind the bungalow - Papeete's Central Park (per our guide, "Erik the Viking"). 

Papeete is also home to James Hall, co-author of Mutiny of the Bounty. His home is now a museum, which we visited on our last trip in 2019. I've included some pictures from that visit here, since I haven't posted them before. On this visit we stayed close to the docks with a walking tour of downtown Papeete. 

Paul Gaugin famously lived here as well. Our guide did not have a particularly favorable opinion of Gaugin the man(!). 

City Hall - It's a replica of the old palace of the Tahitian Queen Pomare IV - known as Hotel de Ville. 

View from City Hall

The local market

Notre Dame Cathedral - it has survived cyclones, a tidal wave, riots and bombardment. It is Tahiti's oldest Roman Catholic church. It's a pretty church located downtown near the market and the waterfront. While the majority of Tahitians are Christian (about 80%), many denominations live in harmony, including Mormons, Jews, Jehova's Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists and the Sanito

Sculpture of a Tiki (polynesian deity)

Bamboo growing in the lush gardens behind the High Commissioner's bungalow (used to be the Queen's residence)

Photos of Paeete's Central Park, a hidden gem - lush gardens and ponds, with bamboo, banyan trees, mango trees, and a host of tropical flowers. 

Orchid growing out of a Banyan tree

Replica of a double-hulled canoe on the waterfront esplanade - Polynesians used these to travel the endless waters of the Pacific

Our ship - view from the waterfront 

Views from Papeete's waterfront esplanade - built only a year ago - new since our 2019 visit

Tahitian dance - destination performance in our ship's Star Theater 

Growing coral on the waterfront (yes, really - quite fascinating to see)

At the James Hall Museum - a breadfruit tree (bringing breadfruit back from Tahiti to the West Indies was Captain Bligh's mission on the Bounty) - from 2019 visit

Inside the James Hall museum - 2019 visit 

On to Waitangi, New Zealand - coming up.

Mutiny on the Bahia D' Opunohu, Moorea, French Polynesia

 Day 21

Rugged and unspoiled, Moorea evokes images of pirates and explorers scaling its mountaintops and foraging for food in its lush valleys. Several unusually-shaped volcanic peaks characterize its magnificent landscapes. 

It is truly pristine, less commercial than Bora Bora and one could imagine what an olden-day French Polynesian island might have been like. This despite Moorea's fancy hotel resorts with their rows of water-bungalows stretching out into the natural lagoon. 

We visited Moorea the day after we were in Bora Bora. 

And if our ukulele-strumming guide Aru (The King) is to be believed, the movie Mutiny on the Bounty (not sure which version) was shot on Opunohu Bay, one of the 2 bays on the island. According to The King, Moorea is also where Marlon Brando found his bride. Parts of the movie South Pacific were also shot here. 

On the other side of the island from where we docked on Opunohu Bay is the other bay known as Cook's Bay (named after James Cook the explorer). 

It rained in Moorea the day we were there (yes, another rainy day!).

During the worst of it, we were out on a boat with Aru with very choppy waves. We were soaked through and cold! 

Majestic Moorea: View of Moorea's volcanic mountains from Opunohu Bay. The one in the middle (and in pic below) with an odd-looking peak (shark's fin or sunfish's tail?) is Mt. Routui. 

View from the ship just as we docked

We tried walking on the beach, but it rained! So we took a selfie and started the long walk back to the dock. (there were no taxis to be found or any form of public transportation). 

Volcanic (igneous?) rocks on the beach

On the long walk back to the ship along the only main road on the island

Also on the walk back.

More from the walk

And one more.... (it was a long walk)!

View of the ship from our choppy ride on the bay during the worst of the rain. 

Close up view of the lagoon shore from the boat ride on the lagoon (the rain had almost stopped, and the lagoon was blue again) 

Our guide Aru on the lagoon boat ride. Couldn't get a good shot - it was pouring rain and difficult to move around the ship. Can you spot the ukulele? He also sang (badly, like me). 

On to Tahiti (coming up). 

Bora Bora - the most beautiful island in the world?

Day 17 of LA to London 2023.  

“I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific. The way it actually was. The endless ocean. The infinite specks of coral we called islands. Coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean. Reefs upon which waves broke into spray, and inner lagoons, lovely beyond description. I wish I could tell you about the sweating jungle, the full moon rising behind the volcanoes, and the waiting. The waiting. The timeless, repetitive waiting.”

― James A. Michener, Tales of the South Pacific

I have never read the book or watched it on Broadway. Nor have I ever watched any movie version of Tales of the South Pacific. But the above excerpt from the book nails the description of the South Pacific Islands (no surprise). At least it does for the ones I've seen. 

Three days ago we were in Bora Bora, part of the Society Islands archipelago in French Polynesia in the South Pacific. It is considered by some to be the most beautiful island in the world! 

I recall being completely enchanted by its beauty on my first visit in 2019. It is small (only 12 sq. miles) but breathtaking, surrounded by a lagoon and barrier reef (like almost all of the islands). In the center is the remnant of an extinct 2-peaked volcano, rising to more than 2000 feet at its highest point. The volcanic mountain drops abruptly and dramatically to the lagoon shore below. 

It rained the day we were there, and the normally tranquil and turquoise (or emerald) lagoon waters were choppy, but still spectacular. 

When we visited in 2019 it was clear and the views were post-card perfect. Since I had never posted pics from that visit, I have included a few here. 

Mount Otemanu (the taller of the 2 peaks) 

Close-up view of where lagoon shore meets the mountain

Metira Beach - we hoped to walk on the beach but it rained 

Stunning vista from a bus ride around the island (2019)

Also from 2019

More from 2019

We had lunch at a beachfront restaurant to wait out the rain on Matira Beach

Celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year on the ship 

The ship's entertainment crew performing tunes from Tales of the South pacific to a full house

Did you know that the 1949 production by Rodgers and Hammerstein won ten Tony Awards and it is the only production to win Tony Awards in all four acting categories. The 2008 Broadway revival won seven Tony Awards. 

More soon! 

Honolulu after 6 days at sea

Day 9 of LA to London 2023. 

We're on our 2nd "world cruise". It's still sinking in. 

We started from LA on January 8, 2023. Stormy weather made sure we didn't stop in Santa Barbara, which would've been our first stop. Skipping Santa Barbara turned out to be a smart decision by the captain. Incessant rain had the city under water (or close) from what I understand. 

That meant we started off our cruise with 6 days at sea! Rough seas, with high swells, and lots of rocking and rolling. I was a bit sick but not too bad. 

On to Honolulu, Hawaii, our first stop. But first, our time at sea. 

Rough Seas! 

                                                                  

    Christening the Viking Neptune (our ship - it's new!) - 

really, they did christen it! 

 On-board Entertainment by the Ocean Groove (resident Viking band) 

We've had some amazing "enrichment lectures" on the settlement of the Pacific, its geology (lots of volcanoes and volcanic activity), modern human migration and the culture, language, and history of Polynesia and the Hawaiian islands. And of course, on the war(s) in the Pacific. 

Did you know that we have a common ancestor? - Mitochondrial Eve in Africa! We're all related. 

On our last day at sea (the day before we docked in Honolulu), we sailed past an active volcano on Hawaii's Big Island: Kilauea. It was not doing much when we sailed past it, but its eruption is "ongoing" according to the US Geological Survey.  That black stuff? Old lava. 

We were happy to see land! 

A close-up view of the area around the volcano shows lots of black lava, a lava beach and what appear to be a couple of tents of some sort. Are people camping there? 

In other "sea day" news, both Matt and I have been playing a little bridge in the afternoons and taking lessons in the morning.

And now, 

First Stop: Honolulu. Aloha!

Honolulu Sunrise! (yes, I was up and took this photo). That's Diamond Head to the right - a volcanic cone on the East side of Honolulu. 

More sunrise over Diamond Head. 

We spent 2 days in Honolulu. The original plan was to stay in Honolulu one day and spend the next day in Kauai - another (even more beautiful) Hawaiian island. But Viking couldn't get enough guides and tour buses for all our excursions! The reason? Covid. Hawaiian tourism took a massive beating during the pandemic and hasn't  recovered. Folks that worked in tourism have found employment elsewhere (or something). Personally, I was fine with it - after 6 sea days I was happy to spend 2 days in port. 

Below are some sights of Honolulu. 

An emotionally stirring visit to the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. The memorial is built over the original hull of the Arizona, the remains of which lie below it. It was very touching to know that the dead are entombed below where we stood. 

And to learn that survivors are interred along with their shipmates. The most recent interment from 2021. 

A movie at the Pearl Harbor visitors center had actual footage of the Japanese attack and told a moving tale about it, including reasons for the attack. 

It is hard for me to imagine that day. 

Some remains of the USS Arizona (near the memorial). 

Rainbow with Matt looking at bikes! Matt biked a bit using a biki bike (you can pick them up and drop them off at different locations). I walked or took a taxi and met him at the biki drop-off points. 

Street art! 

Sunset view from our balcony

Sunset Selfie

The Aloha Tower, also from our balcony. A retired lighthouse, the tower stands tall on the harbor, welcoming visitors to Honolulu. It was the tallest structure in Hawaii for 4 decades during the early part of the 20th century. It has long since been overtaken. 

Lots of skyscrapers in Honolulu today, and the largest open-air mall in the U.S. 

Iolani Palace

The State House, flanked by a mimosa and a banyan tree. The columns along the perimeter have shapes resembling palm trees. 

A statue of King Kamehameha I in front of the Supreme Court. King Kamehameha I united all the Hawaiian islands into the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. 

View of Diamond Head from Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach 

Drinks at Duke's on Waikiki Beach. We had lunch at Duke's and walked briefly on the sand. Duke's is a beachfront restaurant on Waikiki beach. It is named after and inspired by Hawaii's own Olympian and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. The drink on the right was called Endless Summer. It was fabulous. 

Sailing away from the sunset (view from Deck 8)

Goodbye, Honolulu. 

And welcome another 5 days at sea.  I will be taking a cooking class - green curry with mussels in coconut milk (or something like that) - the first of several. 

Next stop: Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia