A goddess guards the Marae

Tahiti greet us

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January 19th 2006
It’s true what they say about Papeete, Tahiti; it is not the tropical paradise one imagines. This large city (by Polynesian standards) has about 20,000 inhabitants and plenty of city sounds and traffic. Sitting on the balcony, drinking our morning coffee as the ship pulls into port after another day at sea, we notice the car-jammed streets. But, it is an exotic place to us and we can’t wait to ... read more

Oceania » French Polynesia » Tahiti

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The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January ... ... read more