Tahiti

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We arrived at Tahiti from Fiji, via the French airline UTA. Our hotel on the beach was a series of separate structures modeled to resemble huts. Each one had a conical roof. Sightseeing around the island included the Tomb of King Pomare V, Venus Point, where Captain Cook landed in 1769, and a Tahitian Marare. A Marareis a ceremonial or sacred space. The marae consisted of a rectangular yard of basalt rocks and coral slabs with an altar (ahu) of vertical stones inside. We made an interesting stop at a church where the artwork depicted Biblical figures as Polynesians. There was also time to walk around Papeete, a tropical town with a very French flavor.

On a side trip we flew over to Bora Bora, about 162 miles (260 km) from Tahiti, on an RAI DC-4. Bora Bora is surrounded by a barrier reef and lagoon. On Bora Bora we went out sailing on a catamaran. The sun was bright, the air fresh and and water clear and blue. However, I came away with a very bad sunburn. (The long lasting effects of it have manifested in recent years.)

Upon our return to Papeete, we attended a Tama'ara'a, a Tahitian style luau. Pork, taro and breadfruit were served. Of, course, there was also a Tahitian dance program. Tahitian music and Ori Tahiti dance is a much more energetic affair than the gentle swaying of the Hawaiian hula dance. I do like the way each South Pacific culture developed its own dance style, like the Fa'ataupati (slapping dance) of Samoa and the New Zealand Haka (where the the men stick out their tongues in defiance).

Pan American took us back to Los Angeles and the end of our South Pacific adventure. Our arrival on a Monday was also the first day of school for me.

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Photos

Bora Bora Entertainers
Polynesian entertainers on Bora Bora.
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Tomb of King Pomare V
Tomb of King Pomare V, Arue, Tahiti. Pomare V (1839-1891) was the last King of Tahiti. He reigned from 1877 to 1880, abdicated, and ceded control to France. The tomb, made of coral and volcanic rock, was constructed in 1879 for Queen Pomare IV. But, her son moved out her remains so the tomb would be his. Is the top piece meant to be a Grecian urn or a Benedictine bottle?
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Tahitian Marare
Arahurahu marae. A marare is a Polynesian temple or altar. The marae consisted of a rectangular yard of basalt rocks and coral slabs with an altar (ahu) of vertical stones inside.
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Tahitian Marare
Arahurahu marae. A marare is a Polynesian temple or altar. The marae consisted of a rectangular yard of basalt rocks and coral slabs with an altar (ahu) of vertical stones inside.
Mariposa056

Captain Cook Memorial
Captain James Cook Memorial, Point Venus, Tahiti. Installed in 1901. Captain Cook and his company arrived at Tahiti aboard Endeavour to observe the Transit of Venus expected on 3 June 1769. Point Venus on Matavai Bay is said to be the site of their encampment and point of observation.
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Mor'orea
View of Mo'orea leaving Papeete.
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Bora Bora
Bora Bora and is lagoon.
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Outrigger
Polynesian outrigger or va'a.
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Preparing for the Tama'ara'a
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RAI DC-4
RAI DC-4. Tahiti-Bora Bora.
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Comments

[Home and Away]

You mentioned very old planes...
which I thought was strange until I saw the date of your trip! I like reading old blogs...

[AndrewHL]

Aircraft
Hi, Bob, I'm posting blogs of travels old and new here. So far my oldest one is from 1961 and my newest are from 2022. I've flown on some quite unusual, and now rare, aircraft over the years, as I'm sure you have too. My favorites of the past are a Sikorsky VS-44A flying boat and a de Havilland Dragon Rapide. But I've also been on everything in between, up to the 787. :)

[Home and Away]

Aircraft...
My first flight across the Pacific was on a Pan Am flying boat...a Martin M-130 or Sikorsky S-42. My most recent flight from LHR to DEN was on the 787. I read your most recent blog and look forward to reading both your new and old blogs.

[AndrewHL]

Aircraft
A Pam Am Martin MB-130! Excellent! I'll have to see your impressions of Colorado. We were there over the summer.

[Home and Away]

Aircraft...
Prior to crossing the Pacific in 1953 I had flown on a Lockheed L-049 Constellation in 1952 from Bangkok across South Asia and the Middle East to Europe and across the Atlantic. In 1958/9 I sailed around the world. Those were the golden years of travel! I'm sorry we didn't get to meet while you were in Colorado last summer. I read your blogs and when I got to your time in Colorado you had already moved on. We love living in Colorado. We had researched and visited before moving here so knew what we were getting into. But as winter approaches I would enjoy a tropical beach. Perhaps that will be our next vacation after the new year.