Monday, January 23. Rain, then clearing later.
First of all, I will try and give a bit of a geography lesson, Primarily for me as information seems hard to come by on the ship. People seem to use various names to describe the Pacific Islands, so I will start what I have found out and remember or think I remember.
French Polynesia is where we have been bumping around for some time. Raiatea, [is the Island where we are today and tomorrow]. The Capital of Raiatea is Uturoa, [3,778 people]. Geographically we are located many hundreds of miles east of New Zealand and the International Date Line, but have several sea days and Tonga to get over before we hit that Land mass.
Tahiti is also one of the islands belonging to this political group. Yesterday, it was the island of Moorea.
Captain Cook certainly sailed around here and was ashore of course as he roamed about this vast Pacific Ocean. It is a shame that his wife burned all his letters, it would have been interesting to hear what he had to say to her about his exploits. No wonder she burned the letters, I beleive he came home, impregnated her and went to sea again! Captain Cook’s Polynesian Navigator was born on this island, Raitea, around 1725. The Cook Islands are nowhere near here.
The town we are docked at, Uturoa, is the administrative capital of this area and it is agreed that many expeditions to New Zealand, Hawaii and other South Pacific Islands started from here. It was claimed by the British first, [Captain Cook], then Spain, and finally the French, who have it to this day.
We have found, from what we have seen of the islands, a neat, clean, and well organized people that seem to be happy, polite and happy. I don’t get the feeling that they all want to immigrate to the Big Civilized New World.
Today, we were rained out, almost before we got started. We wandered ashore around 9:45 without a real goal as we have a Shore Excursion tomorrow morning at 8:15, rain or shine in a small boat going up the only navigable river on this little island. [That should be interesting.]
The Cutler’s had a few shopping items to get when a Squall came up and it pelted down with a warm but uncomfortable wind. This is not really a Tourist Town, it is a town made for working class people who do not seem to be bothered or impressed by a few hundred aged, limping foreigners wandering around their rather weary little town on a Monday morning. Did I mention overweight visitors? You should see the overweight locals! Maybe it has something to do with the foot long Subway Sandwich-like buns they all seem to be gnawing on!
We returned to the ship after maybe 1 1/2 hours to a hot coffee and tea then hunkered down to a lazy day in Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia! I fell asleep and so did Fellette, When we awoke, the rain had stopped but still overcast. There is no such thing as a bad day in Paradise. [We both needed a good lazy day afternoon Nap.
Jim and Gail invited us down for pre-dinner Champagne and Appies. Great way to start the end of a good day
A Lovely Day...
A brief glimpse of the sun this morning.
Flowers, same as Hawaii. Could be Hawaii as well.
The ship is parked right downtown it seems.
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