Then we anchored offshore, waiting for a student who had self-admitted to a hospital in Qinto, Ecuador, to arrive on the islands by airplane and make the journey to the ship. Only when he was aboard were we able to set sail again. The whole process put us an entire day behind in our schedule. This is what our route looked like, according to the map that shows on our television screens:
Our devious route from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Tahiti 7929
Since then and up until the last hour, we have been traveling at between 16 and 17+ knots per hour to try to make up as much lost time as possible. Nonetheless, we are arriving in Tahiti a day behind schedule and at approximately mid-day rather than the beginning of the day and will be leaving tomorrow at 4:00 pm. That will give us a maximum of 28 hours to enjoy Tahiti instead of two mostly-full days as originally scheduled.
As we approached Tahiti Nui, the island on which the capital city, Pape’ete is located, we first passed another very beautiful island. I was on deck as we passed it and took quite a few photos.
8001
8003
Tug coming to accompany TSS into port. 8002
Pulling into dock 8004
Nikki, coming from the harbor entrance to rejoin TSS after 9 days in Guayaquil accompanying an evacuated student. 8007
A group of Tahitian singers greeting us with traditional Tahitian music. The lone lady near the gangway greeted each of us with a plumeria flower as we exited the ship
Entertainers and Nikki, waiting to board 8008
As soon as I could, I debarked and went onto shore to find out how to get to the Pape’ete Temple. I got onto land and turned right. Just a few hundred yards along the way was a Tourist Information Center where I got the directions I needed. I would need to take a Le Truck to get there and would have to catch it in front of the Municipal Offices. They even phoned the temple for me and allowed me to talk to get the specific information I needed, such as what time the sessions were. I had a few hours before the next session would begin so I decided to see some of the town near the dock. I crossed the street from the information center and walked to the Marche, the big market where they sell everything from fresh flowers and newly made leis (traditional flower necklaces) to fruit and vegetables to souvenir items. I had no Francs at that time so I couldn’t buy anything but I wanted to see what was available and price things to get an idea of relative costs. There is only one word for the price of everything in Tahiti: EXPENSIVE! Then I located the Le Truck stop so I would know exactly where to go when I needed to catch one.
A Le Truck at the stop 8074
Then I went to an ATM at a bank and withdrew some money. It came out in one large bill which I knew I wouldn’t be able to use it to take a Le Truck so I went inside the bank and got some change. The teller was very gracious although she didn’t speak much English and I spoke almost no French and no Tahitian. She asked if I were a tourist and I said yes, I had just arrived and she welcomed me warmly to Tahiti.
Armed with Francs, I started visiting some of the nearby shops and found Le Marche le Presse, where I bought batteries for my camera since mine had given out that morning and I’d forgotten to recharge the rechargeable ones. There was a small display of CDs at the cash register that cost only 2 Francs, probably the lowest priced item I saw during my entire stay. I grabbed it and played it later. It turned out to feature three versions of one song, which was sung by Miss Tahiti with backup by an all-female group, as far as I could tell – everything was in French! In the same store I saw a children’s book, in French, that had –wait for it! – CAMELS on the cover! I had to take a picture of it to prove, and remember, that there were camels in Tahiti.
Camels in Tahiti 8010
Then I went into a music store and there was a poster advertising a new album that had on the cover – a CAMEL! Of course I had to take a photo of it, too.
Another Camel in Tahiti 8012
When it was time, I went to the Le Truck stop and did as I had seen someone do when I had scouted out the location earlier. I went up to the passenger side of the cab and spoke to the person sitting there. She couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t speak French but I asked her, as the Information Center person had told me, if the Le Truck went to the hospital. She didn’t know “hospital” so I pulled out my printout of a photo of the temple and showed it to her. She immediately smiled, nodded and said, “Oui, oui.” I asked how much the fare was and she pulled out some coins to show me. I found the same kind among the change the bank teller had given me and handed them to her. Then I entered Le Truck through the passenger entrance. It was an open bus with benches along the two long sides and the back. It was mostly full, all with Tahitians. I smiled and found a place to sit along one long side, directly opposite the doorway, which had no door. On my left was a man who was lighter skinned than the others and I thought he might be of French extraction. I smiled and nodded but didn’t speak and they did the same.
Another person boarded and then Le Truck took off. I tried to keep track of our route in case I’d need to walk back to town from the temple. It didn’t take long when I noticed that we were passing the hospital. According to the directions I’d been given, at the corner would be a traffic light and I’d need to turn right and go several hundred yards and there would be the temple. I started to figet, worrying that Le Truck would go straight and I’d be hopelessly lost. Miraculously, however, it turned right and then, suddenly, on the side of the street I was facing, there was the beautiful temple! I expected Le Truck to stop but it didn’t and I started frantically pointing at the temple and trying to figure out how to notify the driver to stop.
Then the man on my left spoke, in English! “Do you want to stop there?” “Yes!” I said, rather frantically. “You must pull ze cord.” He said as he reached up above my head somewhere. I thought he was demonstrating but apparently he pulled the cord and Le Truck slowed down and stopped, right by a hillside covered with vegetation and no sidewalk, about fifteen yards beyond the temple. I thanked the man, got down from Le Truck, said, “Merci” to the driver and walked back toward the temple.
I was very surprised by two things. One, the temple did not sit on a hill, as is most common, and two, it had a blue roof. Here are some views of the temple.
8014
Temple with some of the beautiful grounds 8017
Close-up of entrance, with flowering shrubs in front 8018
Detail of stained glass above entry doors 8021
View of entry doors with more of landscaping showing 8022
More of the grounds 8024
Every LDS temple has the phrases, “Holiness to the Lord; the House of the Lord” on it. In this case, the Pape’ete Tahiti Temple serves church members whose languages are Tahitian and French so the phrases are in both of those languages.
“Holiness to the Lord; The House of the Lord” in Tahitian 8025
“Holiness to the Lord; The House of the Lord” in French 8027
The front doors are glass so they reflect the lovely grounds, the fencing, the street and the building across the street. It would have reflected me, too, had I not stood to one side to prevent it. The stained glass above the doorway is lovely as are the side windows, which reflect only the grounds.
Front doors 8029
Side windows. 8031
After taking the above photos I went inside and attended a session, which was in Tahitian. I was provided with earphones and so I heard the English version, except for the prayer. The language is lovely and musical sounding. The others attending and those working there were very friendly and welcoming, wanting to know where I was from, how long I would be there, etc. They made sure I knew there would be a special English language session the next morning for a group of 20 English speakers and invited me to come if I could. Unfortunately, I had other things to do and did not get there.
When the session ended, it was nearly dark outside. When I asked if Le Truck stopped across the street, they said it did not run after dark. I asked if it would be safe to walk into town and they said yes but maybe someone leaving the session would be able to give me a ride. They asked me to sit in the seating area near the entrance while they checked. Soon a young man came to me, introduced himself as David (pronounced Dah-VEED) and asked in English if I needed a ride. When I explained the situation, he said he would be happy to give me a ride, which I gratefully accepted.
When we came out of the temple, I told him I wanted to take some photos of the temple sign near the street and asked if he’d mind waiting. He said no, and added that he loved taking pictures. As we walked out to the street, I asked him where he had learned to speak English. He said he had learned when he served as a missionary for the Church for two years. He had served on another of the French Polynesia islands but his missionary companions had been native English speakers and he had learned English from them.
When we reached the street, I took a photo of the temple sign, which is also in Tahatian and French. Tahitian is on the left side and French is on the right side of the sign.
Temple sign 8034
Then I took a picture of the temple itself from the street and David asked if I wanted my picture taken next to the temple sign and with the temple in the background so I accepted. I had the camera set on No Flash and the pictures didn’t show up very well so he figured out how to make it flash and the rest of the pictures turned out better. Then I asked if I could take his picture with the temple and he agreed.
Temple from the street 8035
Buveh and temple sign 8038
Buveh and Tahiti Temple 8039
David and Temple 8040
Then we approached the front of the temple again because the gate to the parking lot was along that way and David offered to take my photo near the Holiness to the Lord statement on the temple wall.
Buveh and front of temple 8041
Then I took over the camera again and took more photos as we made our way to the parking lot.
Temple cornerstone 8043
Behind the temple was a church and housing for Church members who come from other islands to attend the temple. He gave me a brief tour of the outside of the church, which was very interesting because it was built in an open square with a nice grassy area in the center. Then we got into his shiny but small new car and headed back to the port. It was about a ten minute drive and as we talked I learned that he worked at the airport as a ticket agent and he wanted to finish college. His dream is to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Several of his former missionary companions who attend there are encouraging him to come.
He drove right onto the dock, as close to TSS as he could get. I shook his hand and thanked him profusely then got out and walked back aboard my “home.”
SECOND DAY
The next day, Nikki and I decided to go to the Post Office to mail postcards and then go to nearby Bouganvilla Park. As we started out, I took a picture of The Esmerelda, a Chilean naval training ship berthed next to TSS.
Esmerelda with TSS behind 8046
View of Tahiti from dock 8048
Buveh and Bouganvilla Park Statue 8051
Painted wall on building in park 8052
Close-up of flower in park 8055
Pond and landscaping in park 8056
Sign on green box in park 8057
From the park we walked on, partially following a walking tour from the Lonely Planet guide to Tahiti. Not far from the park was the Cathedral. It was small but nice. I liked best the stained glass windows showing Polynesian people and themes. I got close-ups of some of them.
Cathedral (and Nikki’s arm – she’s taking a photo, too) 8060
Polynesian Mother and Child stained glass over entrance doors 8064
Three fisherman, person and plant stained glass windows 8065
From there we went to the famous Marche de Papeete, a produce and souvineer market. I took pictures of its sign and of the main floor of the market, from the second floor.
Marche de Papeete sign 8069
Market scene 1 8066
Market scene 2 8070
Then we walked to the Le Truck stop so I could take a picture of a Le Truck since I’d not done it the day before when I rode one and then back to the ship for lunch. As we passed the Esmerelda, I took a close-up of its masthead, which I thought was an eagle but it turned out to be a rooster!
Esmerelda’s masthead 8076
After lunch I went out to buy periodicals (newspapers and magazines) for the LRC. As I was in one shop, I heard loud music playing out on the street and thought it was a car with loud speakers going by but it turned out to be a flatbed truck with a band on it. I was making a purchase at the time and couldn’t get to my camera but later, when I was several blocks away on the same street, I saw it again and this time got a shot of it. I don’t know who they were or why they were playing but it added to the flavor of my time in Tahiti.
Band on flatbed truck 8079
After successfully purchasing about $75 worth of periodicals with TSS, I decided to do a bit of personal shopping – with my own money - before going back to the ship. I had decided to get a grey pearl for the charm bracelet I’m compiling as I go from port to port. I think I haven’t mentioned this before. I’m trying to get something typical of each place to put on a future charm bracelet. Until I get to these places, I have no idea what is typical for them but once I’d been in Tahiti about ten minutes, I realized that grey pearls typify Tahiti. Like everything else there, however, they are extremely expensive and, unlike most places I’ve been, they do not sell charms. So I was looking for something charm-like (pearl with a loop on it for attaching to a bracelet).
I looked again all through the Marche, which has a whole floor of pearl shops on the second floor and then, on a whim, as I passed a real jewelry store on the way from a newspaper shop toward TSS, I saw in the window some bleen (the word used in the UAE), novelties on special strings that one can attach to a mobile (cell phone). In this case, the novelty on each was a grey pearl! They were on sale and there were two for a price I could afford. I rarely enter a jewelry store but I did go in this one. The lone sales person was waiting on someone else so I whiled away the time looking around to see if there were any charms or similar items or more bleen. When it was my turn, I asked to see the ones in the window and then checked them over. They were obviously imperfect (not a problem for me) and I chose one that looked like it had been incised but the clerk told me it had been formed that way by the oyster. He also, when asked, said that it should be no problem to use the pearl itself as a charm since it had a special loop on it which attached to the string. So, I’m the proud possessor of a grey pearl!
Then I went back to the ship in order to arrive by 4:00, the appointed time, since we were to sail at 6:00. Once onboard, I went to the Lido Deck to take some final photos of beautiful Tahiti. The sky was misting over and clouds were gathering so it looks kind of dreamy but that’s part of the charm.
Misty mountains with white cross on one hill 8081
Misty, moisty mountains 8083
Then others standing near me on the deck and I noticed a gathering of students on the dock near the gangway. The seemed to be hanging out and not making any effort to board the ship on time. One person was standing near two suitcases; he was the “cell phone guy” who had been onboard to get the satellite cell phone service up and running and he was leaving ship. The others were students. I alternated between taking pictures of scenery and pictures of the students as other staff and I speculated on what the students were doing.
Students on dock 8085
Scenery 8086
Then I went to the aft deck to get a shot of the sunset.
Sunset from aft deck 8088
Another view of sunset 8089
When I saw the tug boat approach TSS, I photographed it and then went back to the Lido Deck to see what was happening. The sailors aboard Esmerelda were looking at the gathering of students (and no doubt oogling the females).
Tug arriving 8090
More scenery 8092
Esmerelda sailors 8094
The gathering of students was still there. They seemed to be milling around, some lounging on the ground, talking and laughing. At one point they gathered in a semicircle while photos were taken. Then one of the staff members came walking down the gangway with his luggage. He was being evicted from the ship for improper behavior. NOTE: The Staffer was NOT a member of the academic staff. The students on the dock flocked to him, threw arms around him; female students gave him full-body hugs. There was a huge farewell going on. Eventually, a ship’s officer came off the ship since it was way past boarding time and nearly departure time, to try to get the students onboard. In the main, they defied him, taking their own sweet time about going aboard. It was past departure time when they had all boarded, leaving the evicted one and his luggage on the dock. Then gangway was hoisted, overseen by the Safety Officer and, late, we set sail.
It was a day or so later that everyone, including senior administration, learned what the students had been doing. They had been Protesting! They were aggrieved that their feelings and input had not been considered when deciding that the staff member had to be evicted. They were further aggrieved that no one from the ship had come down to them during their protest to hear their grievances and give credence to their Protest. The senior administration held a meeting with the students the next day and informed them that no one had known that the gathering had been a protest and so they could not have responded in any way. I, personally, was amazed when I learned that it had been a protest because it had looked more like a going away party for the evicted one.
Almost immediately, full page, full color photos of the evicted one appeared on every wall throughout the ship, along with statements like “X Lives!” (I’m using X instead of his name; the real posters had his name) and “X forever!” It was as if a plethora of little shrines to him had sprung up overnight and it was impossible to go anywhere on the ship without being confronted with pictures of him. It boiled down to the fact that the students liked this staffer, who was very young, about the same age as the students, and apparently he had participated in many social activities with them and many students “loved” him (some of them literally, apparently). Eventually the shrines disappeared except for one on the door of the room in which he had worked. Unfortunately that door is near my cabin and I usually pass it at least once a day.
Finally we were at sea again and I took a photo Through My Porthole as we sailed toward New Zealand.
Through My Porthole: At Sea Again 8102
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