Pape'ete is a seaport town. Before the ship sailed I wandered the dockside market. Stalls with local women weaving flowers and coconut palm leaves together into crowns called "Heis", rimmed the perimeter of the market. For sale inside were fresh fuit, vanilla beans, and the country's largest export--Tahitian pearls.
The first day on board was at sea. Destination-- the Marquesas. The islands of Polynesia cover an area larger than the continent of Europe, and the Marquesas are at the outer end of that territory.
It's hard to imagine what the 19th century European travelers might have experienced making this trip amid the luxury on board the MS Paul Gauguin. They might have eaten the same Moorean pineapples and other local fruits on board, but there the comparison probably ends.
Navy water and choppy white foam surround us everywhere. Tomorrow's destination –- Fakarava!
Le marche...