Papeete, Tahiti

French Polynesia

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

After five long days at sea, on January 31, land was a blessing to see as daylight emerged softly just after 5:00 A.M. By 6:30, the sun was peeking over rugged mountains, slowly revealing sharp, yet verdant cliffs shrouding the homes and businesses of Papeete, Tahiti. Sailboats sheltered in a small cove. We watched three kayakers hug near the shore as the Island Princess was maneuvered into a slow spin (after a ferry crossed so close in front of the bow, we braced ourselves for a collision that never happened).

Catamarans were lined up against a broad palm-tree lined walkway busy with joggers, reminiscent of El Malecon in Puerto Vallarta. Quaint churches peeked out from beneath their steeples. The air was fragrant with flowers and occasional whiffs of coffee.

From our balcony, we could hear traffic and and the calls of men speaking in French, laughing and shouting. A couple of men sitting on a concrete buoy called to the tugboat crew guiding us into the harbor. Dock workers laughed as they stretched to catch the “monkey’s claws,”pulling the ship closer to the dock.

From a distance, a landscape appears beautiful and mystical, beckoning to you in the dawn. Closer up, you might experience an entirely different impression, as we did when the busy, noisy bustling port city of Papeete came into focus. We realized that the city is nothing like the the Tahiti we pictured in our minds from Gauguin’s paintings or the exquisite photos of people, beaches and mountains that we see in travel posters.

We embarked on a short walk into the city, searching for the Papeete Market just a few blocks away. There we experienced a two story shopping delight. The first floor was vast, with rows of fruit, vegetables, flowers, vanilla, and other wares in one section; a crowded narrow “food court” on another side; and a section with handmade necklaces and clothing, pearl jewelry, and carvings. Upstairs were more shops snuggled together on a wrap-around sort of balcony that overlooked the first floor, with finer pearl shops and more handmade clothing, wood carvings, and other jewelry made of shells or bone.

Along the way to the market were many other shops, a unique brewery, and a couple of places to grab a bite of local food.

Fellow travelers had recommended that if we purchased pearls, we should go to a reputable jeweler and be sure to get a “certificate of authenticity.” Black, purple and grey pearls were most prevalent, and certainly gorgeous. We thought that the pearl and gold jewelry was pricey, whether at the bustling market or in a quiet and elegant jewelry store. A necklace with perhaps two very nice pearls on a white gold chain might run about $500. We found that most places accepted U.S. Dollars or credit cards. We read that using the XPF or CFP Pacific francs would get you a better value.

We did find a few shops where only French was spoken, but between sign language and our raw attempts to ask questions in French, giggling together, we successfully completed a purchase. The Tahitian people are very polite.

Rain would suddenly begin, heavy at first and then light, stopping and starting without warning throughout the day. We could see it moving toward us from the mountains — rainy season in Tahiti.

One negative experience we had was after walking several blocks to the post office to mail a few cards, it took over 45 minutes of waiting in line to finally purchase the postage. When traveling abroad, you must use each country’s own postage stamps. The postal workers were definitely in “island time” mode.

We enjoyed a walk back to the ship along a wide walkway, stopping to breathe in the fragrances of the many flowering trees, especially the frangipani. In the distance, on the hills, there were massive clusters of trees completely covered in red blossoms, which we later discovered were hibiscus.

For those interested in exploring the interior of Tahiti, excursions were available through Princess. Through an Island Drive, you can experience old Polynesia, including Tahar’s Hill (an historical promontory marked by one lone tree with brightly colored flowers, used by Captain Cook as a navigational landmark); Point Venus (where Captain Cook observed the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769); Arapaho Blowhole, and the Faarumai waterfalls. The Museum of Tahiti is considered one of the best in the South Pacific. You can also take a four wheel drive excursion (the only way to see some of the Tahiti’s most beautiful spots) into the island’s heart, where you will see breathtakingly gorgeous waterfalls.

After we returned to our mini-suite, we enjoyed staring lazily at the stunning views from our balcony. We could hear the occasional ambulance or revving motorcycle, but from the distance of our ship, gazing at the mountains with homes nestled among the trees, the largest mountain turned black under the shadow of a rain cloud, it matches the paradise of our imaginations. Glistening palm trees were reflected in the shifting oddly blue-green water. We enjoyed watching the shadows of the clouds shift the painting-like landscape from moment to moment.