TAHITI (FRENCH POLYNESIA)

First on my list of destinations was Tahiti, where I arrived at night on the day before I had left (you have to love the complications of the international date line and time zone differences). I was rudely introduced to just how expensive this part of the world was, with some bread, a bag of grapes, some water and a few other things costing around US$25 !!!

Unfortunately this set the tone for the rest of my time there. Tahiti I thought was prohibitively expensive and given that it was my first destination I wasn't so willing to part with large quantities of my hard earned money. As such I spent alot of my time walking around and visiting the various 'free' attractions such as museums and polynesian relics, none of which were particularly interesting. I did manage to bum a lift with a group of 'Frenchies' and managed to see the coastline of at least half of the island. Particularly impressive although difficult to view from a distance was the famous surf break of Tehaupo. In my other spare time I set about trying to learn a few basics of Spanish which I was going to need for the next 4 months in South America.

The beaches, lagoon surrounding the island and sunsets were definately top class and it was a nice enough place to relax for a few days. The humidity and heat were however quite frustrating as was the torrential rain which was both frequent and erratic.Interaction with the local people was quite difficult because I didn't speak French and had no intention of learning anything given that I was only there 3 days. The locals were friendly enough however although their driving habbits left alot to be desired and I managed to witness a number of accidents and some very close calls in my brief time there.

Photos 1 -4: Sunsets from the beach on the west side of the island - looking out into the Pacific.
Photo 5: Elevated view of the 'lagoon' surrounding the island.
Photo 6: Forest bloom with traditional style french polynesian housing in the background.
Photo 7: Traditional polynesian dance show, including fire !
Photos 8&9: Crystal clear waters and bungalows as part of the Sheraton Resort.