Breakfast is tomato juice, cereal with dried fruit, a roll, vegetables, cheese for Richard. Grapefruit juice, scrambled eggs well done, bacon for me. Today we are renting a
car from
Hertz. They will pick us up at 8:30, take us to the airport where we will fill out the paperwork for the rental. I had reserved this before our trip. www.hertz-tahiti.com Arranged for an economy car. The rental period was to be 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM but we are told can return it to the airport later if we want. Cost 10013 XPF/$ At the airport I notice a store and want to check it out. A friend back home has sent me a message asking if I can buy a T shirt for her daughter that says Moorea. Her daughter's name is Moorea and her honeymoon was spent in French Polynesia. I'm in luck as I find a hand painted tie dye T shirt that says Moorea. Problem is that its a size large and request was for a medium. I compare it to other mediums and it's only slightly bigger so I take a chance and get it. Cost 2700 XPF/$26. I see a CD of island music and she plays a few clips. It's just what I want but I'm afraid to buy it now when we are about to be driving all day in the heat. Store will be open until 7:30 PM tonight but she tells me it will be open tomorrow before our flight. We sign the papers at the Hertz counter and get our car- a white Peugeot. The car guy tells us we should go into town. Do the
market and
Tahiti Pearl Market but then head back towards the airport exploring the island counter clockwise. This is opposite of what I had originally planned. I will find later that I should have stuck to my original plan. Also I should have taken the hotel shuttle into town for my shopping while Richard was diving. You will see why as I make my entries here.
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| Tomato juice and cereal with dried fruit for Richard |
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| Scrambled egg and bacon for me |
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I love the tart taste of the grapefruit juice
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| Richard's plate of vegetables and a roll |
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| Hertz arrives to take us to the airport to get our rental car |
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| Fa'aa Airport |
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| Car rentals at the airport |
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| Nice store |
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This is the T shirt I bought for my friend to give to her daughter whose name is Moorea
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| Our white Peugeot rental car from Hertz |
First mistake. We are heading in the wrong direction as I see a sign for Punaauia We should be driving the other way! We turn around. Trying to get into town, find a place to park, then find the local market and the Tahiti Pearl Factory gives both of us headaches. By luck we happen upon a parking area and right there is the
statue/
monument to
Pouvanaa a Oopa. He struggled for French Polynesia's independence. This was on my list of sights I wanted to see. Since we've spent so much time finding a place to park I don't get to see the Territorial Assembly, Archbishop's Palace. Walking we pass a McDonald's and a lovely church. Later find out the church is the Notre Dame Cathedral. Wish we had enough time for a look inside. We are given directions to the
local market but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. We stumble upon it but it's been almost 2 hours now that we've been wandering up and down streets. It's very hot and my feet are starting to hurt. The market is 2 levels with produce, flowers, meats, fish, some crafts on the main/lower level. Escalator to 2nd level where there are individual sops selling T shirts, wooden items....... I'm disappointed that all the T shirts are more expensive here than at the airport store! I do find pins that I get for 1580 XPF. The wooden masks are plain but the wood is beautiful. But they are so heavy and pricey-over $100 USD. The weight is what deters me the most from getting one. I will regret this later. Tip: if you find something you love, get it. I can't find any CDs or monoi oil shampoo and conditioner. I had hoped to get larger bottles for my daughter but I'm told I may find them at the airport. We have trouble finding the
Tahiti Pearl Market. When we finally see the store it's practically right next to the market! How could we get so turned around! Time is slipping by fast. I see a sign. It appears that today it's only open until 12:00 PM. I try the door but it's locked. While waiting and trying to decide what to do a small tour group arrives and heads up stairs to the 2nd floor. OMG! That's where the entrance is. We have not quite 45 minutes before closing. I know what I want. A guy will help me. I want single pearl pendant minus the chain, quality B set in silver for my daughter and step daughter. Would like price to be about the same. He shows me one set in silver but the other is set in gold. But the price is exactly the same. They are both quality A so I'm spending a bit more than I planned. Then I want some post earrings for myself. Quality B. Color rainbow. He shows me a pair that I get-quality A again. There's no time to have a kashi pearl necklace made for me or even to really look around. I should have taken the hotel shuttle when Richard was diving!! I could have done the market and the pearl store myself. Lesson learned the hard way. We can't spend any more time in town. We have spent 3 hours on this first part of our day! I figure 1 1/2 hours just trying to find places. We head back to the car and drive towards the airport going counter clockwise where the road hugs the coast.
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| We're going the wrong way! |
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| Fingers crossed we're going the right way now |
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| Monument to Pouvanaa a OOpa |
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| Territorial Assembly is supposed to be near here |
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MacDonald's even in Tahiti
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Notre Dame Cathedral
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| We finally find it!! |
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| Local market |
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| Flowers |
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Produce
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| Escalator |
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| Lots of shirts and pareos for sale |
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| Postcards |
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| T shirts and some wood carvings |
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| All this and no monoi shampoo and conditioner |
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Normal store hours
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Multicolor A quality semi baroque silver setting 11 mm
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| Multicolor A quality round/button post gold setting 10 mm |
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| Multicolor A quality semi baroque gold setting 10 mm |
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| Ad for new airline French Bee |
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| Big tree |
Museum of Tahiti and the Islands. Took some doing to find it. Admission 500 XPF per person. It's started to drizzle. So sad that there's hardly anyone here. It's a large museum with great signage information in French and English. Here is the culture of the 5 archipelagos of French Polynesia. There are some lovely gardens here as well. I found this to be fascinating and so informative. Try to stop here if you can. It's very worthwhile. We got here 1:00 PM. We spend about an hour here.
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| On our way |
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Road side stands
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| Found it! |
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Entrance
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| Mask of Tuteponganui-Tuamotu |
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Lobster trap
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| Tatoos |
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| Tiki |
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| King Pomare I |
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| Pomare V |
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| Canoe |
Marae Arahurahu. Ruins. Not far from the museum. We are the only ones here beside a security guard. We spend 30 minutes here. The rain is really coming down hard now. Driving past the golf course, the Paul Gauguin Museum which I was told is closed. I miss signs for the Botanical Garden/Jardin Public Vaipahi.
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| Te Ahu/the altar |
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Pathway
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| Signage/information |
We take the road branching off to the right-heading to
Teahupoo. Known for huge reef break.
Surfing mecca. Rain is fierce. We get to Teahupoo which is not much. Some kids are surfing with boogie boards. In order to see the big waves you need to take a water taxi out to the break and beyond but it's just miserable with this heavy rain. I'm so disappointed as this was a long drive to get here. I do stop at the market and luckily find a Teahupoo T shirt for my grandson who is learning to surf. Cost 2995 XPF/ And surprise-they take credit cards. It's now 4:00 PM and it will be getting dark soon. We still have so much ground to cover. It's obvious I'm not going to see all the sights on my list. I decide to head directly for Point Venus.
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| It's raining! |
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| Golf course near Mataiea |
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| It's pouring now |
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| Can barely see this church |
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| Water right up to the road! |
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| Pass a sign for Tahit Iti diving |
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| Approaching turn off to go to Teahupoo |
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| Vairao |
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| We see some waves at last |
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| We're here at last!! |
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| Way to see the "big" waves |
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| Where I bought my grandson a Teahupoo T shirt |
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| Raining harder |
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| Hard to read the signs |
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We pass a lot of churches on our trip around Tahiti
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| Sunset coming |
We finally find the road that leads to
Point Venus but it's past 5:30 PM and dark. Should have brought my flashlight! There's a park here at Point Venus with the 25 meter high lighthouse. Palma and ironwood trees. By sheer chance we find the
lighthouse, the
monument to
Captain Cook, the
monument to the
Bounty mutineers which was erected by their descendants in 2006. There is supposed to be superb views here but since it's dark we can't see them! I have missed the tomb of King Pompare V, Arapaho Blowhole, Vaiufaufa Viewpoint, waterfalls as well as those mentioned from the town Papeetee and the botanical garden. Going to Teahupoo and then back to the main road took up about 1 1/2 hours. Add that to the time we spent in Papeete and..............
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Camera set to low light and using the flash
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| Lighthouse |
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| Memorial to the Bounty mutineers |
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| Volcanic stone monument |
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| Fletcher Christian's Tahitian vahine |
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Fletcher Christian
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| Memorial to Captain Cook |
I really want to have dinner at the roulettes but we drive past the side road. Have to double back. What else is new? Always getting lost. We turn down this side road that leads to a small parking area. Luckily someone is leaving so we get a space for our car. The security guy helps direct Richard parking. There are several food trucks but most of them are for Chinese/Far East food. Do see one for crepes, one for hamburgers/hot dogs. I like the menu for Pekin. Thinking about the special chow mien. The tables for the roulettes are basic with plastic chairs. Richard is not comfortable on the chair so he says he'll wait for me and sit on one of the benches. I'm disappointed that he has this attitude. But it's been a long day of driving, getting lost. I'm sure he's tired and would have preferred we head straight to the airport to drop off the car. The chow mien special is 1300 XPf and the serving is enough for 2 people. I look around to see if I can find Richard but I don't see him. There's no way I can eat all this. I get a can of coke to drink. I get 4 rolls also. This chow mien has chicken, 3 good size shrimp, noodles, lots of vegetables. It is really tasty and hits the spot but I feel awful in that I'm leaving half. Then a guy comes over with a container. He's kind of scraggly looking. He asks if he can have my leftovers. Of course. Better this than it go to waste. He also takes 2 of the rolls. I finally find Richard and we head back to the car. We stop to get gas at a Shell station and I get a receipt. 1420 XPF. Get to the airport to drop off the car. It's 8:30 PM. I didn't check but that store is probably closed. Wish I had bought that CD. The Hertz guy drives us back to our hotel which is only minutes away. I do our check out and reception tells me they have an express breakfast that will be available for us before we leave for the airport at 5:00 AM. We finish our packing and are in bed by 11:00 PM-one of the latest nights we've had!! Set the alarm for 3:00 AM-ouch. Our trip is ending. Part of me is ready to go home but part of me wants to stay!
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