Au revoir Papeete

At last my sail has been repaired and I picked it up last night. Today I have to report to Immigration and the Port Captain in Papeete and let them know I am leaving Papeete tomorrow, for Moorea. And, really I have been here long enough - My view is that theres not really anything too special about Papeete - in fact, I dont really like it. The cost of everything was excessive - as I was warned - the bureaucracy is unfriendly and at least in Papeete there is a distinct feeling of there being two halves to the population - well off ex-pat french, and struggling Polynesians. This is not evident in Tubuai or Rurutu where the colonial presence is minimal, or well out of papeete itself, such as down south in Pueu, but here there are extremes of privilege alongside what looks like a polynesian underclass. This is at its extreme at the SuperYacht dock!  Evey Tahitian I asked about the French expressed quite open ambivalnce, almost resentment - and a feeling of being caught between the economic dependency on them, and a desire to be truly independent. They have a Tahitian President who is pro-independence but thre is a degree of  dissatisfaction with him as well.   Whatever....



The Dinghy Dock at Marina Taina

So today I will finish off getting supplies, roll up my sunshades and bring the dinghy on board to dry out before putting it away and tomorrow head for Moorea which will only take half a day. But tomorrow is Bastille Day so there will be things happenig throughtout the Teritory, but the Shops will be shut again!


Looking across to Moorea last night

Leaving for Moorea is the start of the return journey, which will be 6 or 7 trips of vaying lengths but nothing as testing as the Outward Leg ( I hope) There probably wont be any pics for a while as I will revert to posting from the Boat.