Tahiti Treats!

It was quick, it was expensive and it was a real treat! We were only there for a day and a half but I’m sure most of us would agree that Tahiti was a real treat! I think the first thing everyone noticed was how expensive everything was. From the eight dollar beers to fifty dollar tourist shirts, everything came at a hefty price. Rumour has it that Tahiti is the second most expensive tourist destination in the world (I think Japan is number one). Nevertheless, some of my Tahiti treats include:

Docked right downtown! We were within one or two minutes of the centre of Papeete and even less than that to take a ferry to Moorea!

The island of Moorea, a half-hour ferry ride away! A number of folks stayed overnight at various resorts on the island while many of us went to the island for at least a half-day. The ferry ride was scenic as was the island.

Swimming in the crystal clear blue warm water off the island of Moorea! After a 4 kilometre walk from the ferry we came upon a wonderful white-sandy beach just on the other side of a resort.

Walking on land after 12 days at sea! Walking through Papeete and on Moorea was a pleasure as we were able to “stretch” our legs and “experience” the city and island by seeing and hearing the sights and sounds.

The central market and craft exhibition! There was plenty to see at the craft exhibition and central market where local artisans displayed their crafts and Tahiti tourism souvenirs were in abundance.

The French cuisine and wine! It’s always a treat to taste such fresh and flavourful food and wine. It becomes even more of a treat when you can share the enjoyment with friends. Thanks Bachir, Dana and Christy!

Five days until New Zealand! I wonder what treats are in store for us there?

Ken

Tahiti went by way too fast. I wish I had more time to explore the region and do more of what I wanted to do there.

The first day we got there, we jumped off of the boat at 12 o’ clock right as it docked so we could maximize our day. A whole bunch of us wanted to go surfing that day, but by the time that we would have gotten the equipment and to a decent beach, it would have not been worth it, so we decided to wait for the next day. In replace of surfing, we went around the city. We went to the craft market, but everything was so expensive that buying things was out of the question. From 30$ plastic earrings to 400$ ukuleles to 1000$ black pearls, everything was way too over priced.

You could notice the loss of culture due to the French invasion, but everything was still so beautiful. Everyone was always happy. We ate at a little place called Le Retro, which was pretty cool, but a crazy guy came and sat with us. We were trying to get him away, but he wouldn’t leave! It was really funny, and I couldn’t stop laughing. He was complaining how everyone thinks he is English, but he is actually French. He didn’t even make any sense. After eating my 5$ panini (which was reasonably priced) and my 5$ coke (which was not), we decided we needed to hit up a beach. We got on a bus that locals said rode along the shoreline and stopped at great beaches, so we got on the bus. We hit a traffic jam, and were pretty much locked. We decided to just jump off of the bus. We saw a resort up ahead, so we decided they must have a beachfront, so we walked in there like we owned the place and went and sat down at their beach and pool. It was so beautiful, and we never got caught! We sat in the water and watched the sun set. It was like in the photos that you see of an ideal, picturesque paradise. It was a great way to spend the evening. When we decided we needed to get back, we asked a local where to catch a cab, but he offered we could ride in the back of his truck for free! We said, “What the heck; why not.” so we hopped in and had an awesome ride in the back of some random man’s truck.

That night, we decided we wanted to go find a nice place to eat. After searching for a long time, we got to this place called Modern. It was really high end, but it was reasonably priced! A 20$ meal in Tahiti is a bargain. I had a great lasagne and a coconut and pineapple drink. We spent a bit of time there and enjoyed ourselves there before returning to the ship.

The next day, we were planning on waking up at 8 to discuss our surfing plans, but I slept in until 11! I was devastated. I slept in while in Tahiti, and I missed doing the one thing I wanted to do; surf. I ran around the city trying to find someone I knew, and finally I found a student, Laura, who was in the same boat as me. We decided to go to Moorea before we had to get back to the boat at 4. The day turned out surprisingly nice. We got off of the ferry and went to find a nice beach. With the limited time we had, we found a decent beach with nobody on it. We just went into the water and sat there for like an hour and a half. It was so awesome. The water was actually hot, not warm, HOT. After that we got back on the ferry back to Tahiti Island, and got back on the boat, preparing for our 6 day endeavour. Now I have to write a 4 to 10 page essay about Tahiti. Wish me luck!

-Davis