[101st Cruise Report]Port of Papeete (Tahiti)

July.6th

  

The Ocean Dream called at the port of Papeete in Tahiti, known as the paradise of the southern Pacific. It had been raining until the day before, but on the day we arrived in Papeete, there was nothing but blue skies! As we disembarked from the ship, the local community welcomed us with the musical rythym unique to this region.

 

We first headed for a market located a few minutes walk from the terminal. There were vendors selling colorful pareos, fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish. The market was bustling with both tourists and local people!

 

Next we headed to the Cathedral, located in the center of Papeete. This cathedral is of the Gothic architecture style and has pointy red rooftops and yellow walls that looked beautiful against the blue sky.

 

We began to feel hungry and so we enjoyed a lunch along with a cold Hinano Beer which Tahiti is known for. As Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, we were able to enjoy authentic French cuisine.

 

  

After eating we headed for Mo’orea Island, located 18km from Tahiti Island. The ferry ride was about 30 minutes long as we made our way to Mo’orea, which was visited by artist Paul Gauguin. The island was created by a volcanic eruption and has lots of beautiful nature as well as a mountain with an altitude of 1,000m.

 

Some of the passengers immersed themselves in the beautiful Tahitian oceans while scuba diving! Some were worried that the rain that had continued until the day before our arrival would cause the ocean waters to be muddy, but they were breathtakingly transparent. A group of lucky passengers even had the opportunity of being greeted by a sea turtle. It seems they truly enjoyed the world class Tahitian ocean. (Underwater Photo: MORITA Yumi)

 

By the time we returned to Tahiti Island the sun had begun to set. Many food stalls called ‘roulottes’ were set up near the port and the area was full of people. The day was packed full of all that Tahiti had to offer and everyone seemed very satistfied with their day. Our voyage will continue to travel through the South Pacific Ocean!