Tahiti

Tuesday March 20^th 2012

When Captain Bligh tried to get to Tahiti by going around Cape Horn he made a big mistake! He could not do it and so had to travel all the way back and get to Tahiti the long way via Pacific. This meant that the Bread Fruit seeds he was commissioned to get and transport them to the Caribbean to feed the slaves were not in season. Consequently he and his crew had to stay in Tahiti for about 5 months during which time his crew made home in this beautiful Island and its beautiful women. So when it was time to sail and capt Bligh rationed the water so that he could water the seeds it’s no wonder that we get Mutiny on the Bounty! Yes it is a beautiful place and some of the women are beautiful and some have taken to eating a lot of breadfruit,  with the consequences in evidence, but they all wear flowers in their hair. I won’t be staging any mutiny!

This place is really something special. It is truly beautiful, golden beaches, high mountains and the whole Island is covered in so many shades of green. The climate is great too; hot but  breathable. There is also a rainy season which enables the vegetation and trees to be as green as they are. There are no wild animals and the only pest is the mosquito but this one is not malaria carrying. It is self-governing but France has still got a hand in its governance. The French influence is very evident and in some parts one could be driving in France.

We spent the morning exploring Papeete with its shops and markets, and in the afternoon we went on a tour for 4 hours exploring the “footsteps” of Gauguin. This was brilliant because not only did we see the Gauguin museum but it enabled us to see some of the stunning scenery of the Island and to understand much of the culture past and present of Tahiti. The guide we had was the best we have had on the whole cruise and she told us so much about the Island’s heritage, geo physical properties, culture, religions and much more. It was very enlightening.

Because it was a late sail away we were also able to be ashore in the evening in the warm air enjoying watching the local’s with their families playing and eating in the mobile restaurants that set up on the quayside every evening. We were also able to sit out on aft decks listening to Black Watch Orchestra playing before we set sail for Nuka Heva which will be our last South Sea island before a long voyage to Peru.

Fd