Papeete, water spring

Papeete is located on the island of Tahiti, which belongs to the Society Islands. With a population of just under 27,000, it is only the third largest city in French Polynesia. However, the metropolitan area of Papeete extends over the municipalities of Arue, Pirae and Mahuna in the east and Faaa, Punaauia and Paea in the west and concentrates around 130,000 inhabitants on a coastal strip approximately 60 kilometers long. The missionary William Crook was the first European to settle in the area that is now Papeete. The Tahitian Queen Pomaré IV then also settled there and made Papeete the capital in 1830. Even the colonization by the French did not change the status of Papeete. Papeete means spring water. Legend has it that Queen Pomaré IV only drank water from the pure spring that flowed behind her royal palace in the heart of the city. Pomaré IV was born in 1813 and took over the reign from her deceased brother Pomaré III at the age of 14. Pomaré III became king at the age of just 4 and died at the age of 7. Pomaré II's last wife, Teriitaria Ariipaia vahine, was Queen of Huahine and guardian regent of Tahiti during the reign of Pomaré III. The population shrank from an estimated 120,000 to 11,000 due to the introduction of diseases and epidemics as well as bloody power struggles between the family clans for the leadership role on Tahiti. Pomaré IV their influence increasingly declined and their rule finally ended under the French protectorate.

Papeete City Hall, Tahiti

The largest economic factor is the port of Papeete with around 200 companies. Tourism plays an important role here. Around 40,000 cruise tourists are expected in Papeete every year. Pearls and souvenirs are sold in the Vaima Shopping Center. Tourists will also find numerous stores around the market and on the upper level of the market. Not far from the market to the north-east is the Mairie de Papeete.

Vaima Shopping Center Papeete, Tahiti

The town hall is surrounded by a park and built in colonial style. The building was erected in 1990 as a replica of the palace of Queen Pomaré IV. We walk further south. After leaving the city center, we come to an area characterized by several schools. Just before school closes, chaos reigns here. Hardly any pupils have to walk home in Papeete. Numerous cars occupy the ample parking spaces, but these are not sufficient at this time of day. The sidewalks are therefore parked up to keep the streets reasonably clear. The Polynesian mother spends the waiting time inside the car checking her e-mail account. Of course, the air conditioning has to be running, otherwise you'll die at 70 °C in the interior of an SUV. Unfortunately, the air conditioning only works when the engine is running, so hundreds of air conditioners with a diesel engine are chugging away while the child enjoys the last few minutes of his schooling. As all the school classes obviously finish their lessons at the same time, the chaos at the first traffic circle is perfect and an endless traffic jam forms. The population of the conurbation is now making itself felt. In principle, there is only one road on which the traffic can flow, and it is already very busy throughout the day. To be honest, it would be too exhausting for me in the long run, but the Polynesian women seem to have the patience of donkeys. 

Graffiti on house walls in the residential area of Papeete, Tahiti

We escape the hustle and bustle and enter a residential area. Some of the house walls are painted with graffiti. There are numerous small restaurants and snack bars in this part of town. This is also normal in Papeete, because in principle you never have to walk more than 200 meters to find something to eat. Lunch is sacred to the Polynesians. There is always plenty of food for lunch and so far it has always tasted good, although we are not really lunch eaters. 

You can have lunch anywhere in Papeete

But Gaby can't get past an ice cream parlor. The good thing about Papeete is that there are nowhere near as many ice cream parlors as there are snack stands or, as they are called in modern German, food trucks. However, there is one such ice cream parlor right next to the marina. There are several vending machines from which you can take your own ice cream and a counter for toppings. There you can put anything on top, from cookies to gummy bears. When you're finished, you put the whole thing on a scale and pay a price per kilo. As you can imagine, the ice cream is not exactly cheap, but it tastes great. 

Notre Dame de Papeete Cathedral, Tahiti

As I said, Gaby can't get past something like this and so we end our tour of the city in this ice cream parlor once again. Next week we'll take a closer look at our new boat and see how we get on. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.