South Pacific

Another trip I took before I met Steve was a vacation in French Polynesia in 1981. I had never been to a tropical island, and I was amazed by the lush greenery.

The area had not yet been developed to the extreme, and old-timers said it was much like Hawaii had been 40 years previously. Now, nearly 40 years later, there have been a lot of changes, as I've learned by searching for information online. Even so, French Polynesia may still be decades behind the Hawaiian Islands in terms of paving Paradise. I'd love to go there again.

The first Europeans to see these islands were Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the late 1500s and early 1600s. In 1767, British Captain Samuel Wallis brought his ship into Matavai Bay on the north shore of Tahiti. The local people tried to expel the British by slinging stones at them. The British fired back with guns, prompting the Tahitians to make peace offerings. As time went on, more and more Europeans visited the islands, interfering in local politics, and introducing alcohol, firearms, prostitution, and infectious diseases. Violence and illness reduced the population by half. The first missionaries arrived in 1797, and had a powerful effect on the culture, eventually converting everyone to Protestantism. Conquest and colonization followed; today French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous territory of France.

A missionary's grave on the island of Huahine.

Coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat, called copra. Here is a rack for drying copra.

Local girls.

A small cemetery. Because of the climate and weather, graves are protected with roofs, and plastic flowers are used.

Cemeteries weren't used as much as burials in the front yard.

A local boy enjoys windsurfing.

Instead of a daily newspaper, residents had French bread delivered.

Laundry day.

People in the tourist industry like to say that the island of Moorea was the inspiration for Bali Hai in the movie "South Pacific". That's probably not true, but it's certainly beautiful.

Me, driving across Moorea.

Traditional dances, performed for the tourists.

Although European artists like Paul Gaugin have found great inspiration in the tropics, there are few painters living here. Supposedly, the local folks don't perceive their surroundings as being particularly beautiful, and don't feel compelled to commemorate what they see. They do produce colorful textiles. I bought this pareo (a tradititional cloth worn as a wraparound skirt or dress) and hung it on the wall.

At that time, it was still possible to live a traditional life, building a grass hut, fishing, gathering bananas and coconuts. I don't know how many people chose to live that way; like everyone else in the world, the local folks were attracted by nice houses and consumer goods.

Fishing nets hung up to dry. Note the metal sleeves on the tree trunks, intended to prevent rats from climbing up to the coconuts.

Fresh fish for sale in the central market of Pape'ete, Tahiti.

"Le Truck", public transportation in Pape'ete.

Ah, the South Pacific