Did you know that there is only 13 letters in the Polynesian language unlike English that has 26. That is why so many of their words have double and triple vowels.

The population of Papeete is 27,000 but 60-80,000 extra people come in every day to work….270,000 total on island.  Sunday mornings the traffic is normal but in afternoon the city is “dead”.

Gas is about US$1.50/litre.  Only one synagogue and no mosques in Tahiti.  Biggest high school with 3000 Students. Hospital. The AC for the hospital (and other facilities) take temperatures from ocean which is at 10 C…..save millions every year (probably using heat pumps).  Polynesians because they are French citizens, can serve in both French navy and army.  Every November 1st, families go to cemetery to clean it up and put lots of flowers on the graves.

Recycle containers at a round-about were made in the shape of sea animals.  Cute!

Pointe Venus is our first stop, is the only lighthouse on Tahiti. R.L. Stevensen’s father designed it. 

In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768 and British explorer James COOK in 1769. 

Mangos and avocados are in season.  Avocado can be as big as one kilo.  There are lots of plumeria aka frangipani of all different colours.

Mutiny of Bounty wth Marlon Brandon was filmed here…other film on the Bounty was done on Mo’orea.

Poinciania, AKA flame or flamboyant tree are the red Christmas flowered trees. There are also yellow ones but you don’t see many.

Highest mountain on Tahiti was shrouded in clouds so cannot see it.  

“Bad kids that didn’t pay attention in school”….get 6 mo to 2 years ……..with military training.

No reef on this side of island …waves come in from ocean…used to train for surfing.  Lots of black sand beaches.

Green church built in 1914 at the place for leprosy colony

Papa’ana’ana is name of place that if you turn onto road to interior of island. You need a 4 wheel drive vehicle. It is a dangerous area.  There are waterfalls, river,  hydro power plant that provide 40% electrical needs of the island. Last year a child and  mother who was 8 months pregnant, were washed away by river …never to be found.  Deep valleys.

Tunnels, very windy road….only 40 “RAPPEL” in places.

Most properties are well taken care of but then you see places where other have lots of derelict cars

At Point Guinness (?)…in 1768, Bougainville anchored on the reef but lost 6 in 9 days. When he left he took a local man Ahuturo to France….the first Tahitian to travel the world. Ahuturo died in 1771 in Madagascar, from smallpox.  Anchor and plaque at side of road near bridge at Hitiaa

 Lots of full little rivers.  Not many grocery or other stores on this side.

“Wedding cakes” built into hillsides to prevent mudslides.

Our guide used to jump into river as her mother screamed not to. Now she won’t take her grandchildren to the river cuz they may do the same as she did.

Cemeteries are different than graveyards. Graveyards are burial places “in” churchyard.  

Each tree produces 60-80 coconuts per year. They are used mostly to make coconut oil.  Metal ring around the trunks are to prevent the rats (besides crabs that we heard about before) from climbing the trees and getting the fragile baby coconuts.

Drove through 2nd city of Faa’a …..after Papeete…. We are now on west coast. Cyclone season is from Nov to Apr so sailboats come into the bay for protection.

“Hotel” for bad boys(prison)….longterm…for drug dealers…. big problem with meth, etc.  

Gauguin museum closed ……don’t know when and will reopen..near Botanical Garden.

Noni juice good for BP, cancer …immune system, arthrytis pain relieve

In 1865 English farmer brought 1000 Chinese in to work cotton fields but went bankrupt cuz too far to seek to world markets. 

Several places where you can get spring water otherwise have to buy. 

Stopped at a fern garden.  Along the way saw a yellow poincenia.

Beaches are public but again it’s access that is the problem so the govt has mad several parks with showers and washrooms, big parking lot…white sand.  Several hotels here as well closed during Covid and have been unable reopen.  Everywhere you look there are cellphone palm tree towers.

At the Marina they have built shelves for boat storage because there is not enough room for all of the boats.

3000 students attend the French Polynesian University. 

 Fa’aa international airport is only international airport in French Polynesian but the first airport was on Bora Bora, built by Americans.

Cruise-ship terminal is due to open Nov 22/24