FRENCH POLYNESIA: A French Overseas Protectorate in the eastern Pacific Ocean comprising about 130 islands spread over 4,000,000 km2. [1,500,000 square miles].
The SIX ISLAND GROUPS are, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, [these two are often called the Society Islands], the Tuamota Archipelago, the Gambier Islands, the Austral Islands and the Marquesas Islands.
Tahiti and Moorea are islands in the Windward group. The Marquesas islands were first visited by Europeans in 1595 by the Spanish, about 174 years before Captain Cook.
The inhabitants are oddly enough called Polynesians! Where they came from is still under debate, some say they came from Peru, some say they came from Asia. Thor Heyerdahl, says Peru.
Tomorrow we are tendered ashore in Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas to explore on our own as there are no ships tours there. Two days later Tahiti, then Moorea, then Bora Bora and a few days later Western Samoa before heading for New Zealand.
Most people are a bit anxious to see some solid land although surprisingly people have been quite good about the last eight days at sea. I have found it relaxing actually, although this is not all I would want to do for three months.
Change in subject: The internet on board is a bit of a challenge. About 75% of the passengers have brought computers onboard. Some people brought new or new to them computers on board with the idea that this would be a good time to get to know it and learn all about the internet etc. As a result we have many frustrated people aboard.
Computer access costs about 23c per minute. Not a lot but nobody likes looking at a twirling beach-ball or hourglass while the quarters dribble out of your stash of remaining time.
Most of the computers do not act the same as at home. When going on-line or attempting to get on-line the computer takes a different route to get to the internet. It is like some gremlin sneaks into your cabin and changes your settings while you sleep. It is very frustrating. To go to a website and check your bank or others takes forever. We are back into the telephone dial up era as far as speed is concerned.
An example is my laptop. When we travel I use AOL, [not my home provider 'Shaw', because Shaw has to be accessed through Webmail which is slow]. That was fine until Panama. Then suddenly AOL did not work, but 'Shaw' did. Impossible but true. To complicate matters I have to send via 'Shaw', but I receive via AOL????
This last week has probably been the most remote section of the voyage as far as satellite coverage is concerned. Some people are having CNN withdrawals if you can imagine. Others go online, as slow as it is, to their stock portfolio to see how much money they have "lost". Nice way to spend the day???
Today I met a passenger who is a computer Guru. He is in the US navy and his job is to maintain the computer system on a ship. He is about 39, I have no idea what he is doing onboard as a passenger. He explained to me why the system is acting the way it is. He said that he set a lady up to use Shaw yesterday. I have a meeting with him tonight at 5 this evening to see if he can set my settings to send and receive via Shaw as well as AOL. Keep your fingers crossed.
I may be buying a new computer in Tonga!
UPDATE! [After dinner.]
My computer lives on to write another day. I met with the man and after about 20 minutes of very careful and skillfull work we had access to my home base internet provider, 'SHAW". It sounds impossible to those that know a bit about it, but it is possible to access them when out of their home area by changing a setting. That setting has to be changed back again when you get home.
After quite a while all 50 messages were downloaded. Many I had not seen before.
A plea... please do not send attachments or pictures to us until we get home.
11 hours till land!
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