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News – August 2009 (Papeete/Tahiti/French Polynesia, August 28, 2009)
- Website statistics: In July we were able to welcome on our website 29'138 visitors who did 1'041'609 hits.
- (June = 32'886 visitors – 1'165'979 Hits / May = 35'734 visitors – 1'247'634 Hits)
- The visitors are coming from about 156 different countries!
- Record day since 12/17/1998 = the birthday of our website: 11/5/2007 = 13'407 visitors and 787'456 hits
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- Finally we made it to 'advance' with our LandCruiser into the "Center of the Pacific", to Tahiti in French Polynesia. It was a long
- standing wish, which now came true.
- While our Toyota made its third voyage with the reliable shipping line "Greater Bali Hai" in the 16th container from Pago Pago in
- American Samoa directly to Papeete in Tahiti, we had to fly to our 165th destination via Apia in Samoa and Auckland in
- New Zealand due to missing airline connections. In doing so we made additionally a 9-day 'car-free' stop in Avarua on
- Rarotonga in the Cook-Islands. Unfortunately the climate there was pretty chilly so that the sojourn on the beach didn't meet our
- expectations.
- On August 11th, we flew with Air Rarotonga – which turned out to be an aircraft of Air Tahiti – into the 'South Sea Paradise'
- of Tahiti, where the doubtful reputation precedes of being the "world's most expensive place". A small foretaste was already
- experienced in Air Tahiti's prop-airplane: Whereas it's in the meantime known that budget airlines don't offer the former in-flight
- service – that's why it's cheap – these air fares are rather hefty, probably in the 'business class tariff range'. During the nearly
- 2½-hour flight, just a small cold snack is served besides a cup of water. Quite the contrary to Air New Zealand's flight on the
- ealier sector from Auckland: During its nearly twice as long but half as expensive flight, everybody was genuinely spoilt according
- to the "good old manner".
- However the private accommodation, found on the internet in the vicinity of Papeete, showed to be a 'gem'. Not only is the room
- rate a steal in Tahiti, also its situation on a hill and its outfit don't leave open many wishes at a price of US$ 45/day (from two
- weeks' stay). The island of Tahiti doesn't have campsites, and camping freely is extremely difficult due to its dense population and
- mountainous topography. The downside of our accommodation lies in the very poor public transport system, although it's only a
- mere 6 miles into the city center of Papeete; rental cars are – as are hotels and restaurants – in the lap of luxury, which has nearly
- no upper limit. However, shopping in supermarkets, self-cooking and living at locals can be even in French Polynesia within the
- borders of a smaller budget – and we have luckily our own mean of transport with us.
- Customs was once more without any problems: Stamping the 'Carnet de Passages en Douane' and entry in the 165th country
- would have been completed. But it's exactly the subjunctive that is the stumbling block: Because the customs wished us to pay a
- formal visit at the licensing department, big worries started to crawl over the horizon. The local lady boss at this office had the
- weird idea that we would need to do the complete procedure as every definitively imported car has to go through, even if it
- remains not even three months. She insisted so stubbornly on her opinion until an order from the Minister of Transport freed us
- from our awkward situation. It was also awkward due to the fact hat we already paid more than US$ 700 of port fees on arrival,
- and an inevitably deviation would have cost the same amount again as well as the new freight charges – without having driven one
- mile at all. Papeete belongs unfortunately to the trio of the world's most expensive harbors, besides Nouméa in New Caledonia
- and Port Vila in Vanuatu. But thanks to the understanding of other Tahitians, our LandCruiser could finally enter as the first tourist
- car, even if we personally – apart from our pictures – aren't able to contribute much against the recession of about 30% in the
- tourism sector. But every drop helps, and our website receives fortunately many visitors.
- Another problem in Tahiti showed to be getting enough cash: While we were able so far in the whole world to find a solution at
- an ATM with our plastic card, shortages arise here particularly if there is a need to get larger amounts to pay port fees for
- instance. In real development countries, like e.g. Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia, where ATM's don't pay out big amounts of
- money, it's possible at least to cash-in every day once or twice. But not in Tahiti: Here it doesn't pay out much either (about
- US$ 350); but after even a single draw the card remains blocked for a whole week at all the cash-points. This isn't due to the
- issuing bank; it's due to the Polynesian banking system. Athough the card can still be used at hotels, restaurants and shops, it isn't
- anymore possible to get cash. Nobody knows exactly why: Security is hardly the reason; it's rather to avoid the drainage of hard
- currency from the "island kingdom". Certainly it isn't beneficial for the ailing tourism business, at least not for those who don't
- cavort in the "super-luxurious-business" that is nowadays anyway already in the downsizing process. The few airline companies
- that fly to Tahiti take care that any possible fare is squeezed unrivaledly.
- The coming two months we shall discover the charme of the South Pacific. That means the islands of Moorea and Tahiti, which
- are part of the Windward Islands (Îles du Vent) within the group of the Society Islands (Archipel de la Société). French
- Polynesia consists overall of five different archipels (Society Islands, Tuamotus, Marquesas, Austral and Gambier) scattered over
- an area of 965'255 sq.mi.; the land area is just 1'622 sq.mi. – the main island of Tahiti even only 403.5 sq.mi., where 68% of the
- population of about 260'000 people is living. Regrettably and mentioned already before, the cost of any transports are very high
- – the only exception being Moorea – hence every visit of any other island, particularly to the "4x4-group" of the Marquesas
- Islands, isn't affordable for our budget, if already a flight is feasible only for the 'big income earner'. But we don't want to
- complain, as we are happy and proud to have made it with our LandCruiser with our own means into the heart of the Pacific.
- The few corners that we were yet able to discover due to the rather rainy weather, let us imagine the extraordinary beauty of the
- South Sea.
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Temples, Pagodas, Shrines | |
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| The visit of 11 Pacific Islands with and 1 without our LandCruiser | Pacific February 2008 - |
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| The visit of 13 Caribbean Islands with our LandCruiser | Caribbean June 2003-Dec. 2004 |
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| + added from the United Arab Emirates: | Fairytale Wedding in Dubai (March 1999) |
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| + added from a earlier visit to the USA: | Las Vegas (Millennium change) |
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| + added from our Arabian Peninsula round trip: | Pictures from Yemen (May-June 1996) |
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| + Flashbacks of our Worldrecordtour: | Pictures from "all the continents" (Oct. 1984 - April 1997) |
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