Exploring the town

We woke up very early in the capital of Tahiti, Papeete. The excitement of a new place to explore was pumping through our family. Around 7 am we hit the streets in search for the Market, starting at 4 am. I didn`t tell Johan that, otherwise…

Lots of fresh fruit and veggies were sold and fresh fish were displayed. Roasted pork were being chopped up into little cubes and rolled up into brown paper. But the prices of the Supermarket was better than the local market. We enjoyed the Craft and Curious with Marco sticking his head through the big smile of the smelly shark. The statues of the finely carved stone of wood, Tiki`s were Joes` favorite. These are little guardians for the people. I loved the Black Pearl from French Polynesia, known as the Pinctada Margaritifera cumingi. Legend has it that Oro, the God of peace and fertility would use his rainbows to visit Earth. He offered to the oysters` mother of pearl, its iridescence and this gave this pearl amazing spectrum of colors! Luckily my born day is coming up soon, and I saw a couple of little packages slipping into pockets, trying to avoid a Moms` scrutinizing eyes!

The flower market was beautiful! The Rose de Porcelain reminded me of the Protea of S.A. Still the white little flower, the Tiare which I fell in love with because its scent was filled with memories, was still my favorite. My men bought me a string which I wore the whole day, keeping the scent so close and now it is hanging in Andando filling the boat with their brown wilting bodies.

The people are decorated with the most with the most impressing traditional tattoos. Women`s necks and the curve around their ears are painted with the black ink…sensually beautiful! It is done with a fine carved comb, made of bone or tooth and fixed on a wooden stick.

After a great day, filled with new people and new sounds we settled for the steps of a shop, listening to locals entertaing all with their drums and ghitars and singing. So beautiful! And then we went home, for a lovely evening in Tahiti. The rump steak imported from new Zealand was delicious and reminded us of home, with the smoke billowing from the barbeque. How can we be so blessed, being on this world famous island?

All fell asleep, but I battled to settle down. I chatted on FB with my son, trying to stay a part. I filled the bath tub with hot water, and stayed there with my book until my skin wrinkled up, and then I stayed a little bit longer. But all was not well, something was bugging me. Maybe it was the news of my friends` mother being sick, or the news of another friends` father being diagnosed with cancer…. I stayed up, trying to listen to unwanted feet on Andando. After a while I went to bed, where I lied awake for a long time, and when I heard something I got up, circled the boat, and secured the windows… double checking the sliding door…. And then I slept.

Only to wake up the next morning to find our shoes and flip flops missing, and the bosun chair flung along the jetty! Our neighbours wasn`t so lucky. They lost their two bycicles! So much for 24 hours security cameras!