Foreword

This is my backpacking diary through Tahiti, Easter Island, Chile, Argentina and Peru – mostly written on emails as I travelled – trying to preserve the authenticity of my feelings of those moments. For me, it was a journey of a lifetime  – the dream was instilled in me in my early twenties, when I read “Che-Guevara’s Motor Cycle Diary Through South America”. Later, for many years, I planned and replanned to make a trip from Chile to USA  – this was the truncated dream realised many years later.

In describing the details of the historic and archaeological sites, Particularly those of Easter Island and the Inca valley in Peru, I had to heavily rely on the guide books and other information sources – inadvertently some texts from those literatures may have slipped into those archaeological and historical descriptions in my diary, I apologise for such inadvertent errors.

Moin Ahsan

Part 1: Tahiti

Click on a picture thumbnail to view it - click on the arrows to see more thumbnails

12th October 2003  
This morning I went through 70 mile around Tahiti coastline - first 9 miles in a bicycle - then got tired and took a local bus. IT WAS GREAT SO FAR? This time I planned it just as a one day stopover. I will have to come back with more time to cover some of the 178 islands of French Polynesia - Tahiti is just one of them.

The image of Tahiti projected to the outside world relates mainly to all the outlying French Polynesian islands, Tahiti is just a getaway point.
 

A mix of Polynesian Culture with an overlay of French ways is quite visible in Tahiti. People are good natured and easy going, all speak French and the local language, English is widely understood - so no communication problem.

Papeete waterfront is vibrant but very placid - in true Polynesian way - there are lot of delicious food vendors operating from their mobile vans - food is quite good and safe.

But one thing, nothing is cheap in Tahiti or French Polynesia - it is one of the most expensive places in the world - most things are about two to three times costlier than Australia - accommodation is particularly costly - I mean any kind of accommodation, luxury to most basic, all are exuberantly expensive. A package tour is the best and most economic way to visit French Polynesia.

The Island’s economy is totally dependent on French Government Grants and the tourist industry. Almost everybody is paid close to EU standards; this, and the fact most goods are imported from New Zealand and Australia explains the high costs.

Tahiti is a high volcanic island; most of the population live on the narrow seafront around the island, with the ocean literally lapping on their doorsteps, with a few living in the high valley at the centre of the island.

Return to Home Page

Next: Part-2

INDEX

E-mail: nirbodh@gmail.com