Papeete, French Polynesia

 Tahiti

I was wrong about arrival. We were docked and tied up by seven and soon on our way to breakfast.

I woke at around 6:30 we were able to watch the ship sail into port. As is usual it was a very nice sunrise. 

The captain backed into position. Imagine he can back in something of this size and I can't back our little patriot into our garage.

Many beautiful homes dotted the opposite hillside and yachts filled the harhour.

 There is a huge private yacht across from us. You have to wonder who owns it and where it is from and what they do on board?????

By the time we were done breakfast a local welcoming committee had arrived. They were passing out tropical flower buds ... not coconut as I thought..

The beautiful arrival point had lovely flowers and magnificent palms . It certainly did not look like January.

We made our way to the local market. Having been here before we knew where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. The air was warm and humid. There were a couple of light showers while we were off of the ship. It was about a 10 minute walk and after a couple of mis steps we found the market. The last time we were here I bought a magnificent flower arrangement and that was my goal again. 

This arrangement sold for 20.00 US. The best bargain at the market.

The market is an amazing place with lots of vendors. I have never ever seen so many pearls . The designs are exquisite .  As it is with other tourist places you have to wonder how anyone makes a living because there are so many selling the same things. Prices are quite high.

I did find a suitable decoration for our World Cruise Xmas tree. It is a beautifully etched and painted shell of Mother of Pearl.

We returned to the ship and had lunch and a short nap. Then I went to the SPA and had a shampoo and blow dry. It is not as good as Dee would have done but it needed doing so I had no choice. If ever I win the lottery I will bring Dee with me when I cruise.

Scallops were on the menu for dinner so Ken was in his glory. After dinner I spoke to the head waiter and asked about being moved to a different table for the next segment. The table we are at now is right under an air conditioning vent and I am always cold. He said he would see me the day before Sydney and see what he could do about another table assignment.

We had planned to wait to head to the theatre but when we saw the crowds headed in that direction we decided that we had better get a seat while we could. That was the right decision. The theatre was packed and the show was second to none. The energy and beauty of youth is amazing to see especially for those of us who are no longer young.

After the show we came back to our cabin and sat on the balcony to enjoy the star lit night and the beauty of the setting. That big yacht, the Luna Sea  , was intriguing enough that I googled it . Mr Google knows everything. That ship was built in 2017 at a cost of 110 million and it takes 5 to 10 million to run it and pay the staff of 20. If you decide to check out the dozens of photos of it both inside and out look for the yacht Luna Sea. There are other Luna Seas.

With that we called it a night and our day in Paradise came to an end. Tomorrow we will be in Moorea, our first tender port.