Papeete,Tahiti, Moorea and Huahine - Blog

It’s an overcast morning – we’re still motoring and arrive in Papeete harbour at mid-day. World Arc control are on the pontoons, some kind people throw us our “lazy lines”, and we’re all tied up, stern to, in no time at all. It looks as if almost all the Arc boats are here now and what a perfect venue, right in the centre of Papeete where we can walk on and off the boat. It’s quite a sight with all the boats dressed over all – and our huge England and Scotland flags! We bag up weeks worth of dirty laundry and hobble along the street with one huge red sack per couple like” Papa Noels” as Hose calls to us as we pass. Then it’s into the first proper pub we’ve seen in quite a while. Of course there’s a lot of jobs that should probably be taken care of first but the pull is too great!! We have a few beers then back for a post over-nighter snooze before we’re off out on the town big style! Strega call round for us just as we are leaving – it’s Han’s birthday - then we’re off on a crawl meeting lots of other crews along the way. It’s a busy night catching up with everyone and hearing all the stories. We eat at a little Chinese caravan on the square – great food – then end the night in the nearest bar to the dock with the other stragglers; Paul, Andy, Jonas and Nuno.

Wednesday

After breakfast aboard Stewy and Avril go to town to do some errands and collect laundry, Annie guts the boat and Ian catches up with fiddly jobs and chases up the men we think we need to do the rest. In the afternoon , Avril and Annie head for the festivities along the quayside – local rowing boat and sailing demonstrations, palm weaving, conch blowing, local music and dance, soap-making , pearl stands etc. They sneak off for a couple of G&Ts while waiting for the boys who are still busy fixing things ie. the windlass and realigning the engine and prop-shaft ( to try and cure the vibration). Ian and Stewy have by now decided that they can do most jobs themselves rather than wasting days waiting for people who never turn up! With great success they repair the sail, fix the impeller and service the engine (oil and filter change @ 1170 engine hours). We return to the festivities early evening to watch the traditional dancing (which is a feast for the eyes), then adjourn to the brewery bar with Tallulah Ruby for some food. Stewy , Avril and Brian then go ahead to suss out the infamous Piano Bar but by the time Ian and Annie get there, they’re nowhere to be seen. The 2 parties then spend the night going round different routes – Ian and Annie meet Maria and the Tatoo’d man from Nuka Hiva,then return to the Piano Bar which has by now livened up quite considerably with many interesting characters of the traditional” Mahu “.

To explain;” Mahu” ; males who are raised as women, and continue to live their lives as women, were present when the first Europeans arrived in the islands. Although the missionaries did their darndest to halt this “unnatural crime”, mahu are still an accepted part of the community today.

According to Francois Bauer, author of Raerae de Tahiti, popular belief has it that among a family with 8 children, one will inevitably be a mahu. It remains unclear, however, whether this practise has a sexual or a social origin, but it is generally assumed to be the latter as mahu don’t necessarily have sex with men. Even so, anyone seeking the mythical notion of a sexually free Tahiti should note that most of French Polynesia’s modern day prostitutes are (very convincing) transvestites.)

(From Lonely Planet Guide to Tahiti and French Polynesia)

Since arriving in The Marquesas we have met many mahus, which you can imagine has been quite a challenge for some of those among us. It could be fair to say that Stewy and Ian were very gradually coming to terms with this unfamiliar custom.( as almost all restaurants and bars in these islands are staffed by mahus,) However, Papeete has a particularly high concentration of what would be called “lady boys”, (or Billy Boys - a Stewyism) in other parts of the world, particularly in the Piano Bar!

To continue, In the Piano bar Ian’s eyes are out on stalks; he takes some convincing that all is not as it seems and we vow to return again with Stewy to gage his reaction! Meanwhile , Stewy , Avril and Brian have found a Karaoke bar,- unbeknown to us at the time - immediately above the Piano bar! There is much singing dancing, merriment and BMWs! Ian and Annie swing by the boat but no-one home so they’re off out again to a few more venues before returning home at 2.30am. Still no sign of Stewy and Avril. We find out the next morning that, as they couldn’t get aboard (due to a technical difficulty), they go to an hotel in search of a room. Unfortunately their chosen hotel is full, but the sympathetic receptionist takes pity on them and allows them to spend the night in the hotel lobby.

Thursday (Labour Day – French national holiday)

Stewy and Avril return from the hotel lobby at 6.30am and manage to grab an hour’s sleep before we’re up and away on our bus tour round the island. Oh my goodness, none of us are really in ideal shape for a cultural tour! Stewy has the worst hangover of his whole trip. We struggle on and try to make the most of, and just get through, the day….. We visit ancient sites, the botanical gardens and happen to bump into Miss Tahiti doing a photo shoot (who steals the show and gets a lot more attention than the historical lighthouse we’re visiting!). At one of the ancient sites we hear tales of human sacrifice,(by this time some of us are almost volunteering!) and how during these times, by eating a warrier you inherited their strength and soul – especially if you were important enough to be given the eyeballs. Some of the sites which still belong to the original tribes continue to be treated with much respect, and are not open to the public. It is also explained that when a baby is born, the placenta and umbilical chord is buried to give life and vitality to the trees, and that this is still practised today. We also learn how tribes travelled between the islands, navigating by the stars on up to 100ft long canoes which could carry 70 -100 people, with constant fires burning to cook food. These tribes colonised all over the Pacific between Easter Island , Hawaii and New Zealend. Of course not all survived and it is believed the toughest got the furthest, such as the Mauris of New Zealand. One of the navigators allegedly guided Captain Cook to New Zealand

We stop for lunch, which ,thankfully, along with a hair of the dog, succeeds in taking the edge off! By the end of the day we’ve gone right round the island so have a couple of early drinks, a quick meal at the caravans and back to the boat.

Friday

Stewy gets a nightmare call first thing in the morning to tell him his son Steven has been in a motorcycle accident – no other details. Thankfully, later he gets better information that Steven has a broken arm and toe, and is otherwise ok – he speaks to Stephen and is reassured – hopefully he’s now had enough of motorbikes says Stewy!

Avril and Annie head off to CarreFour Supermarket for the vittles – typical nightmare Friday shop! Ian and Stewy finish the jobs and go to the Skippers briefing.. The Whitbread boys come to clean the hull and make a great job of it. We have a lazy afternoon then out 8pm on the hoy again for our last night in Papeete. As it’s a holiday weekend we start off in the square watching more traditional music and dancing – grass skirts and floral headbands – no wonder the 1st explorers thought they had found paradise! We eat in a lovely little French restaurant, then go into the karaoke bar at the back – it’s jumping but at £12 a drink we just stay for one, then back to the Piano Bar for more people watching and so Stewy can see what he missed. His reaction is hilarious but unrepeatable here! We get a booth ,and meet lots of other crew coming in and out – word has spread! There’s a lot of dancing and hilarity and” is he isn’t she?”,” surely that’s not a man!” type of chat! We move on to another lively bar where we’re immediately befriended by a local woman who is very keen to teach us traditional dancing – this is not as easy as it looks and hoola hoola and haka dancing by the 4 of us gets a lot of laughs .After a great night we stagger home at 4.30am.

Saturday

No-one moves until about 9.30am – our longest lie yet! We reckon we’ve missed the market (which opens at 4.30am!) for our fruit and veg, so we head for a local supermarket and get the rest of what we need. Stewy and Avril go to an internet café and when they return we say our fond farewells to Hose and Maria who are leaving the fleet here; they untie our lines and we’re off to Moorea. This is Avril’s first proper sail , we’re on a broad reach ,7-8 knots SOG and as we’re approaching Tuanamo Bay, Avril takes the wheel for a short while before the wind dies. We motor in and anchor just inside the bay in about 10m. Dario and Carla from Akoya call by and invite us over for a beer. Avril stays aboard while Ian, Stewy and Annie go over and enjoy drinks and chat with Dario, Carla, Lila, Felici and Pauola. Great sailing tales and Dario shows Ian his project – his commissioning of a one-off 112 foot Baltic – WOW says Ian! Back to JDI3 for dinner and early night.

Sunday

Up early, breakfast aboard. We call over to Tallulah Ruby for a quick chat then Ian and Annie go off snorkelling on the reef after dropping Stewy and Avril ashore. It’s a great snorkel through huge coral heads. Ian finds a prize shell. Unfortunately there’s something in it so Stewy and Avril claim that for bait and spend the rest of the morning trying to prise it out. We potter about the boat and explore the bay in the dinghy. It’s a spectacular bay with a dramatic mountainous backdrop, tall spiny palm trees all around and crystal clear water. We see manta rays, turtles and fish jumping right beside the boat. Candela invite us over for sundowners so we all go over and have great evening sharing tales with Jim, Mimi, Stephen and Michael.We also watch Stephen’s DVD of the family’s world tour. This is part of his Thesis that Ian Fedexed for him from Papeete 2 weeks ago. It’s easy to see why he got an ‘A’ grade. They are a lovely family and we very much enjoy our time with them . Back to JDI3 when shortly afterwards we eat a call from Akoya ; they’ve returned from a dive much later than expected and, as it’s now dark, it would be unsafe to negotiate the reef from where they left the dinghy. Ian goes and gives them a lift home from the shore where there are no dangers. Later we enjoy Avril’s excellent Spag Bog for dinner, some red wine and bed!

Monday

We arrange to meet Kasugi outside the bay tonight on our return from Papeete. We’re planning an overnight sail together, possibly also with Tallulah Ruby and Blue Flier. Avril goes to check on Paul on TR before we leave as he is still suffering after a fall. We motor across to Papeete to refuel, check out, collect passports and let Avril book her flight back to Papeete from the next island .We meet a friend of Tramontana on the fuel berth; Megan from “ Madelaine”, who recognises JDI3 and knows we’ have mutual friends. We have a lovely lunch in the Pink Coconut while waiting to refuel then fill the tanks, hose down the decks, have a quick drink ashore before heading 4pm off for our next island , Huahine.

Tuesday

It’s a motorsail all through the night ,wind 6-7 knots from the NE. No moon so the sky a carpet of stars, a few black clouds and occasional showers. We arrive at Tarerea Pass, Huahine at about 7.30am , with the rest of the convoy ( who left from Moorea) just ahead – Tallulah Ruby, Blue Flier, Kasugi, Lady Kay and Nutella. We anchor up in the lagoon just inside the entrance to Maroe bay in 5m. The lagoon has lovely coral heads, clear water, colourful fish and rays. Breakfast aboard then Stewy and Avril drop Ian and Annie on the shore of the motu by an abandoned house. Murimahore Motu appears to be mostly privately owned;simple houses,many with jettys, dotted along the inside shore with long strips of land stretching from behind the buildings to the outer shoreline. Some of the gardens are cultivated but there’s not much sign of life while we walk across the motu then along the beach. Stewy and Avril go fishing in the dinghy but only catch very beautiful reef fish which they immediately release. Ian and Annie then go snorkelling on the reef. We chat to Kasugi and Tallulah Ruby ; as there does not appear to be a good venue for a BBQ, we decide to go round the top of the island to the bays on the other side. TR are staying put but Kasugi say they’ll join us later. While motoring out the pass we see a large fin in the water – another shark! We then hoist the sails and enjoy a relaxing sail round the top of the island in 9-10 knots ,on a broad reach, then a run, to the Avamoa Pass. While motoring in we see small dolphins, or perhaps porpoises,who come and play in our wake. We pass the main village of Fare, then edge our way cautiously south inside the reef. We reach our destination – a small anchorage behind Vaiorea motu at Point Teapara – at about 3pm. In record time, the BBQ is packed and we head ashore where we meet a local man in a traditional rowing boat. He tells us we are welcome to use the beach as it is Tahitian, not French! He seems to look after the beach, we thank him very much but he politely declines our offers of beer and food. Avril and Annie go for a snorkel in the shallow water while Ian and Stewy get busy with the BBQ. It’s another perfect setting, white sand, flowers falling from the trees and tall coconut palms lining the beach. Kasugi arrives shortly after us and join us at our “camp”. Steve is sailing with his daughter , Kate, and friends, Ruby, Sophie and Jenny. Ruby and Sophie manage to persuade the beach man to let them have a shot at rowing his boat and they’re quite a sight paddling in the bay with the sun setting behind. There’s a simple little open hut with a table (which we decorate with the flowers – Kasugi most impressed, we’re getting good at this!) and a bench built round a tree trunk – no sand in the salad today! Unfortunately, despite Stewy and Avril’s best efforts, still no fish so it’s pork chops and sausages and very good too! Stewy falls asleep on the beach. We eat and drink our fill, watch the spectacular sunset, then enjoy crack and banter before retiring to Kasugi for a coffee and brandy before bed. There’s lots of activity round the boat – we think it’s the long spindly fish but can’t quite catch sight of them with our torches.

Wednesday

We have a relaxing early morning appreciating the beauty of the bay, then after breakfast, say cheerio to Kasugi who are heading for Raiatea, then up anchor and motor further south to what is described in our Pilot Guide as” possibly one of the best bays in French Polynesia”. We go cautiously as no proper charts and some areas very shallow. Stewy and Avril on the bow looking for coral heads and shallows , slowly , slowly, then we reach this beautiful bay. Just as we’re dropping anchor Stewy sees a large turtle the size of our cockpit table, then, Dario and Ciara zip up in their dinghy and invite us over for lunch. Once we’re settled over we go and enjoy a lovely pasta ,followed by fresh fruit and coffee. Dario,Ciara,Felici and Paoula are great company and we have a lovely time. We go back to the boat, Stewy and Avril go for a quick fish in the dinghy but return sooner than expected as they caught a puffer (porcupine) fish and had to cut the line to let it go. We all head for the reef at the south of the island – it takes us some time s it’s very shallow and we hit a couple of coral heads on the way. Rays are scooting about – the water is crystal clear, turquoise and we could look at it all day….We anchor the dinghy near Dario and Ciara and all enjoy an hour or so of snorkelling in a very colourful world of coral garden ,huge red balloon like anemones, reef fish, snakes and sea cucumbers! We then go ashore briefly to look at a marae (traditional Polynesian site) – Marae Anini was apparently one of the last to be constructed before Christianity arrived, and is made of massive coral blocks. This one was built by the ‘Oro cult; ‘Oro- the god of war, and Hiro- the god of thieves and sailors (not sure why we’re all bandied together!) who also practised human sacrifice. Apparently it was Hiro who split the island in two and you can see the marks left by his finger, paddle and rocky phallus! It’s another eerie place!

We go back round to the bay and call briefly ashore to look at a tree which is actually 3 trees in one – what appears to be a banyan tree, a palm and another species have grown up , around and through each other – a good spot for some happy snaps! Back to the boat for sundowners, then ashore to Pension Mauarii for dinner. We order a “plancha” to share as a starter, and soon regret it as we have to move from our lovely table with arm chairs to benches that are near an electric socket! There’s a whole palaver going on to set up nthis electric “plancha” and while swinging his leg over to get into the bench table, Stewy kicks the waitress right in the arse! She takes it well, thank goodness! Things soon settle down and when the plancha eventually heats up it works out well with us sizzling our own meat and veg, then dipping in sauces – a bit like fondue. We return to our old table for the rest of the meal,( where Stewy can sit down without further incident!), then back to the boat for a drink before bed.

- Jus'Do It 3 World ARC Sailing Rally