We really are on the other side of the world

A Touch of Polynesia

We finally arrive in Papeete, it's one in the morning and as soon as we get off the plane we're given the flower necklace (typical welcome custom) and a little further away two elderly gentlemen dressed in ancient Polynesian style sing us a melody of theirs. An agent from Tekura Tahiti Travel is waiting for us and hands us the vouchers for all the structures booked for Polynesia and the tickets for the Air Tahiti domestic flights. With the shuttle they take us to the Hotel Mandarin (clean, excellent value for money and very central) and we go to sleep. We wake up late in the morning and go to the market that is a few steps from the hotel. Here we buy all the souvenirs and postcards because it's much more convenient compared to the other islands, and afterward we go to the Pearl Market where we'll buy some pearls that we'll have set into earrings and rings at their workshop.

The center of Papeete looks a lot like our seaside resorts with many shops, well-kept streets and dining places. The Mandarin's restaurant of course specializes in Chinese food, and since we're not crazy about it we look for a small restaurant nearby. There's no shortage of choices especially in front of the town hall, but we go a little further to a Polynesian restaurant where we'll be able to taste the legendary mahi-mahi.

Off to Paradise!

We get up early because at 6:00 the Tekura Tahiti Travel shuttle passes by to take us to the Fahaa airport. It's only 6:00, but almost everyone is up. This is how we begin to understand that here people get up early, eat dinner early and go to bed early. After stopping by the port to pick up some tourists who arrived by ferry from Moorea, we finally arrive at the airport and at 7:30 we leave for Tahaa.