The city was lit up in all of her glory last night, despite the constant falling rain. Even the airport was a pretty sight. As we mentioned, the ship was cleared after 8pm, and we shall stay docked here until late Sunday afternoon.
Walking the drippy promenade deck after breakfast, we noticed that a large area across from the ship had been torn up and under major construction. This is where the tourist office was located and the big tents that housed some nice souvenirs. It is all gone now, but we bet it will be replaced with a nice new tourist center.
In the meantime, the bunkering of fuel and re-provisioning was in progress as this is our final stop to re-stock. While we were outside, we decided to check out tender boat #12, the one that was stranded on the reef yesterday. It did have some minimal damage, and was already being repaired. It was nothing compared to tender boat #9 on the Grand World Voyage in 2016 when it hung up on a coral shelf in Rarotonga, Cook islands. There was considerable damage to that vessel.
Just as we were getting ready to leave the ship, there were problems with the internet, like that is new? We placed a call to the front desk to report the problem, and very soon after that, an IT officer was knocking on our door. Finally we were able to point out that we were constantly being asked to upgrade to premium, when we already had that plan from day one. Ever since we boarded on September 7th, we have been pulling our hair out over this mystery. Explaining how we arrived at a plan that would work for 71 days, the IT fellow verified this info with a phone call to someone. It appeared that too many packages had been applied to our account, even though we only have one device, as well as one email address. The IT tech said he would cancel the incorrect packages, and come back around 4 to 5pm to check it out. We thanked him for coming to the room, even though we did not request it. Hope this finally works.
We did leave the ship before 11am when the rain began to sprinkle. Of course. We had a much longer walk to get out of the pier because one whole side was closed off with the corrugated metal fencing. We did find that Vaiete Square was still there but about flooded with all of the rainfall. We crossed the main boulevard at the stop light, where we found a lot of traffic. Our first stop happened to be at the Maghawai Fabric Store just to look. Yeah sure….Turned out that two new fabrics were just what one of us was looking for. The Chinese shop owner recognized the blouse I wore was made from a bolt from her store. She asked if we had been in her shop in 2020, and we said yes. She seemed to remember us, since at that time I wore another blouse made from her fabric. Now I just need the time to make them. Still working on the pieces that were bought in the Caribbean last spring.
The Marche de Papeete (or the marketplace) was our next stop. It is a 2 story building with 7000 square meters. It is chock-full of everything Polynesian. Today the market was really crowded with locals as well as guests from two cruise ships. We may have forgotten to mention it, but the Paul Gauguin was here as well. We took some photos, especially of the produce and fish tables. The upper level is mostly clothing and jewelry, so we skipped going up there.
Just as we were getting ready to leave the ship, there were problems with the internet, like that is new? We placed a call to the front desk to report the problem, and very soon after that, an IT officer was knocking on our door. Finally we were able to point out that we were constantly being asked to upgrade to premium, when we already had that plan from day one. Ever since we boarded on September 7th, we have been pulling our hair out over this mystery. Explaining how we arrived at a plan that would work for 71 days, the IT fellow verified this info with a phone call to someone. It appeared that too many packages had been applied to our account, even though we only have one device, as well as one email address. The IT tech said he would cancel the incorrect packages, and come back around 4 to 5pm to check it out. We thanked him for coming to the room, even though we did not request it. Hope this finally works.
We did leave the ship before 11am when the rain began to sprinkle. Of course. We had a much longer walk to get out of the pier because one whole side was closed off with the corrugated metal fencing. We did find that Vaiete Square was still there but about flooded with all of the rainfall. We crossed the main boulevard at the stop light, where we found a lot of traffic. Our first stop happened to be at the Maghawai Fabric Store just to look. Yeah sure….Turned out that two new fabrics were just what one of us was looking for. The Chinese shop owner recognized the blouse I wore was made from a bolt from her store. She asked if we had been in her shop in 2020, and we said yes. She seemed to remember us, since at that time I wore another blouse made from her fabric. Now I just need the time to make them. Still working on the pieces that were bought in the Caribbean last spring.
The Marche de Papeete (or the marketplace) was our next stop. It is a 2 story building with 7000 square meters. It is chock-full of everything Polynesian. Today the market was really crowded with locals as well as guests from two cruise ships. We may have forgotten to mention it, but the Paul Gauguin was here as well. We took some photos, especially of the produce and fish tables. The upper level is mostly clothing and jewelry, so we skipped going up there.
From here, we walked the traffic-laden side streets to the Notre Dame Cathedral, built in 1875. We also think a lot of the traffic was headed for McDonald’s drive through window, as it is a most busy place in downtown. The Territorial Assembly is located here surrounded by parklike grounds. Place Tarahoi was where a craft fair was happening. There were tables set up with products from the Austral Archipelago. Their shell jewelry seemed to be quite similar to what we saw yesterday in Moorea, but twice as expensive. We had begun walking to the Queen’s Gardens and ponds in the back, but were stopped by a guard. He said the gardens were only open during the weekdays, and closed on the weekends.
Carefully crossing the street, we strolled through Bougainville Park which was really flooded by now. We went straight to the statue of Bougainville surrounded by two canons from the Zelee war ship of 1914. We were the only ones in the park. It was already noontime, and we had to decide whether to go to lunch early or go back, dry off, and come back in an hour. Not hungry yet, we chose to walk back to the ship. We were soaked even with umbrellas.
What we won’t do for a pizza? Facing the ongoing rainstorm, we headed back down the steep gangway at 1pm for lunch at L’Apizzeria. It took us about ½ hour, but this time we stayed and walked the marina and Paofai Park instead. Once we reached the Paofai Church, we knew there was a stop light to cross Boulevard Pomare. Thank goodness the restaurant was opened. Seated by the high window opening , we ordered two Hinano beers and a Hawaiian pizza with ham, peppers, cheese, and pineapple chunks. They have a real wood-fired brick or stone oven and that makes all the difference with the taste and texture of the crust. That is why their pizzas are the best. We added one banana split to share for dessert, which was actually fun. Too bad we cannot come back here tomorrow, because they are closed Sundays.
We got back to the ship by 3pm and dried out for the second time. It had been a three soaked t-shirt day due to the inclement rain. There were still problems with the internet with it working some of the time and some not. Eventually it must have crashed , because nothing worked. It had been shut down probably for the rest of the evening we were told.
Carefully crossing the street, we strolled through Bougainville Park which was really flooded by now. We went straight to the statue of Bougainville surrounded by two canons from the Zelee war ship of 1914. We were the only ones in the park. It was already noontime, and we had to decide whether to go to lunch early or go back, dry off, and come back in an hour. Not hungry yet, we chose to walk back to the ship. We were soaked even with umbrellas.
What we won’t do for a pizza? Facing the ongoing rainstorm, we headed back down the steep gangway at 1pm for lunch at L’Apizzeria. It took us about ½ hour, but this time we stayed and walked the marina and Paofai Park instead. Once we reached the Paofai Church, we knew there was a stop light to cross Boulevard Pomare. Thank goodness the restaurant was opened. Seated by the high window opening , we ordered two Hinano beers and a Hawaiian pizza with ham, peppers, cheese, and pineapple chunks. They have a real wood-fired brick or stone oven and that makes all the difference with the taste and texture of the crust. That is why their pizzas are the best. We added one banana split to share for dessert, which was actually fun. Too bad we cannot come back here tomorrow, because they are closed Sundays.
We got back to the ship by 3pm and dried out for the second time. It had been a three soaked t-shirt day due to the inclement rain. There were still problems with the internet with it working some of the time and some not. Eventually it must have crashed , because nothing worked. It had been shut down probably for the rest of the evening we were told.
There was a special performance of The Spirit of Tahiti, a local group, in the Mainstage this evening at 8pm. However, we missed it because we had reservations in the Pinnacle Grill for their pop-up Tamarind Dinner. Oh well, we have seen the show more than once. The wait staff were dressed casually in Asian clothing for a change. We think they liked it. Dinner was good, although not exactly like the Tamarind on the N. Statendam. The choices on the menu were different, which could mean all of the menus have changed. Missing were the excellent crispy egg rolls we always order. And there was no Thai beef salad on the list of appetizers. Usually we could order two appetizers if we wished. But now, there is a charge of $7 for additional orders beyond one. We ordered one soup and one assorted plate of assorted meats - steak, chicken, ribs, and a shrimp. While waiting, we were given the warm washcloth, followed by tiny cups of green tea. Our mains were the wasabi-crusted steak with onion rings, grilled asparagus, and a teriyaki dip. The steaks were delicious and served on a very hot plate. We have been told they are marinated and taste different from the regular filet mignon served here. For dessert, we both enjoyed their lemon cheesecake, except it resembled nothing close to cheesecake. Filled to the brim, we thanked them all and went home. It had been a busy day for sure.
And tomorrow will be another day, we suspect quite the same as today…..rainy.
Bill & Mary Ann
And tomorrow will be another day, we suspect quite the same as today…..rainy.
Bill & Mary Ann
