Polynesian females who wear a flower behind their left ear are committed or married to one man. Those with a flower behind their right ear are available to any interested man. Those with a flower behind both ears are committed or married, but are making themselves available. Those with no flower behind either ear do not want attention. These rules make Polynesian life so simple.
Last night's walk is along a busy two lane highway at rush hour. We left our dinghy and made our way about 1 mile south. The sun is setting over the island of Moorea, which is our destination tomorrow. Moorea is about 15 miles west of Tahiti.
The Polynesian men are real serious about their outrigger canoeing and are catching their after work exercise paddling one man, two man and up to six or more man long outrigger canoes. Some of the outrigger canoes are sloop rigged with mainsail and head sail. There are several "canoe clubs" sprinkled along the water's edge; there is no beach; the land just ends and drops into calm flat crystal clear blue salt water. We notice no yachts are anchored here; maybe yachts are prohibited to allow canoe racing; then we see a man whose canoe has capsized stand up, lift his canoe over his head and dump the water out. When finished the Tahitians place their canoes upside down on racks on the shore, on their car or on their truck; then they sit in groups near the water looking like Hawaiians but talking like Frenchmen. Tahiti is French Polynesia and Hawaii is American Polynesia. Just like some of the Hawaiians resist the culture of mainlanders; the Tahitians resist the culture of the French. Just like in Hawaii there are Tahitian names and words used everywhere. The words look Hawaiian but the spoken Tahitian language and the spoken Hawaiian language while both Polynesian are very different. The tight control the French have over names and words in Paris is non existent here. I can remember when Donna and I were in Paris in the 1970s the French had just invented several new French words to displace foreign words like supermarket and software package.
Just when we reach a point to turn around and return to the marina we bump into Clive, a long time friend of John and Deborah; he is taking his evening jog. Arriving at the marina we decide to have a sundowner even though it is now completely dark; it is six thirty; remember summer days are not long near the equator and besides we are in the southern hemisphere and it is winter here. Clive walks up and joins us at the outdoor bar. The drink menu is in English and contains many familiar names like Manhattan and Tequila Sunrise, very San Francisco. Suddenly it feels like the cable car turn around near Fisherman's Warf. We return to Bella Donna and do dinner, movie and sleep, not exactly in that order for some of us including guess who.
Today we went to town, Papeete, in le truck, the local bus which costs 130 local French Polynesian dollars. It really is a truck with a low ceiling, squat and watch your head, passenger box positioned on the cargo bed. When I left a month ago the conversion to US dollar was 100 French Polynesian dollars for one US dollar. Now it is 75 French Polynesian dollars to one American dollar making it much more expensive and harder to compute prices. The cost of a bus ride to shop in town has gone from $1.30 to $1.74. We shopped all day in Papeete. You could buy anything, pearls, clothes, books, scuba gear, outrigger canoes, zodiacs, kayaks, food, souvenirs, espresso (but no American coffee) and art. I saw some chunks of tuna that looked like sides of red beef they were so big. You could buy anything, but you paid more than realize; therefore, like my rental car you are always looking for the "cheap thrill".
We arrived back on Bell Donna too late for sunset, but there is always time for a sundowner. Clive, Liala and Monica joined us for dinner. They are off in Billy Bud a big mono hull Oyster with their owner to Bora Bora, Chile, Antarctica and then to Brazil. John and Deborah may not have the chance to share a relaxing evening with them for a year or more. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening with them.
God Bless Bella Donna.
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