Papeete marina
13.07.19 - 21.07.19
Being in the marina in town, which was nice by the way despite the fact that it was in the process of being refurbished, meant that I could spend time on shore exploring whilst Ian did some boat jobs. Went to the market every day which was fun. Found the pearls museum, which was instructive, as for the jewellery displayed, I just wished I was filthy rich! The shops were good too. Also went to church for the Sunday service at the cathedral, it had a nice vibe, I can't remember seeing so many young families ever attending. Loved strolling around the waterfront in the late afternoon, kids playing in the park, pirogues being taken out for practice, couple canoodling, friends catching up on the benches, a few people exercising, normal life with a stunning backdrop of Moorea in the sunset.
The Heiva open air theatre is at the end of the waterfront walk and you can hear the music from the boat. Can't resist the call of the drums, we take a walk down there most nights, to hear the music but also to watch people, especially the performers getting in or out of the arena all grass skirts and tall headdresses. The is a little night market there too (more pearls!).
We managed to get some tickets for the last night, and that was just fantastic. The sheer number of dancers on stage was amazing, each performance came as a tableau in an ancestral story, following strict rules in terms of singing and dancing (glad the announcer was making it all clear before each act). As for the costumes they were fabulous, particularly the vegetal ones. You could smell the grasses of the skirts and the flowers of the courones. Glad we saw it for real.
