A Couple of Days in Tahiti
We awoke in the bay protected by Point Venus, Tahiti. We were tired from the rough passage from Tikehau. Some cruising friends knew we had pulled in overnight and radioed to tell us the new marina in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti and just around the corner from Point Venus, was having a half price opening special. After the rough passage, we weren't too keen on continuing on to Moorea right away, even though it would just be 3-4 hours. Then we heard there was fresh water right on the dock at the new marina and several friends were there.....so we went there and ended up staying 3 nights!
After being on quiet islands and villages of a few hundred people, Papeete was a busy and crowded city. It felt like the traffic was endless (sometimes there were 20 cars going past) and it seemed like everyone was driving so fast (maybe 50kph/30mph). We ate out too much - but the local food trucks were great! Dina bought more pearls - the Tahitian pearls come in so many beautiful hues: green, purple, blue, champagne, silver! And we socialized quite a bit - we caught up with cruisers we hadn't seen since the Marquesas, or in the case of Eve on SV Auntie, since Mexico!
The concern about finding good internet for Malcolm's Skype call with a potential employer regarding a job during cyclone season was also solved by being in Papeete. More about that later.
After being on quiet islands and villages of a few hundred people, Papeete was a busy and crowded city. It felt like the traffic was endless (sometimes there were 20 cars going past) and it seemed like everyone was driving so fast (maybe 50kph/30mph). We ate out too much - but the local food trucks were great! Dina bought more pearls - the Tahitian pearls come in so many beautiful hues: green, purple, blue, champagne, silver! And we socialized quite a bit - we caught up with cruisers we hadn't seen since the Marquesas, or in the case of Eve on SV Auntie, since Mexico!
The concern about finding good internet for Malcolm's Skype call with a potential employer regarding a job during cyclone season was also solved by being in Papeete. More about that later.