Papeete, Tahiti
Monday, January 22, 2024 - We arrived in the port of Papeete on Sunday evening around 8:30 PM and we were able to go ashore. We took advantage of the opportunity to take a walk around the town - a welcome change from walking around the deck most other evening. We enjoyed seeing the lights of the town and found the Cathedral of Notre Dame that we heard about in our Port Talk. It was not your typical European Cathedral as it was the size of a small chapel. Tahitians love Christmas and keep the decorations up till the end of January. Most places were closed as it was Sunday, but we did hear some music coming from some restaurants/bars on the waterfront. As we walked along the waterfront, we found a “memorial site for nuclear testing” which was estabilished in 2006 in memory of the 193 atomic bombs France detonated in the Atolls, which continue to impact health and the environment of the area.
After breakfast we headed out to see if the Cathedral was open so we could go in but it was closed. We took the 2 hour walking tour as the included excursion for this port. Our time slot was 11:30 - 1:30 and it was very hot and humid, and there was a brief rain shower which actually provided some relief. Our guide took us to the open air market, town hall and the home of the Island Queen which is now their Botanical Garden. We also visited the Cathedral and spoke of the history and problems they had in building it and we also learned it is now closed to the public due to problems they have had recently with their homeless population. We returned to the ship and were treated to a performance by a local group, “O Tahiti E”. They danced and sang in their native language, with musicians playing traditional instruments. Their costumes as well as their performance was spectacular. It was a great treat to have this local entertainment onboard. They finished their 45 minute show and then were off the ship within 15 minutes as we set sail for New Zealand.
As with all the Islands we have visited in French Polynesia, they relied heavily on tourism and are all struggling to recover from the Pandemic. We came across hotels in Bora Bora and Moorea that are now closed and up for sale. Rebuilding will take years.
