Not only did we make almost daily trips to the Carrefour (aside from having everything you could want - think Walmart - it is air conditioned) but we visited the Roulettes many times. Roulettes are exactly like taco trucks, except they don't sell tacos (unfortunately). They do sell everything else: hamburgers, crepes, chow men and every other Chinese dish you could desire, sushi, curries, poisson cru and fish 100 other ways. There is a plaza in downtown Papeete that is filled with about 25 of these trucks every night and the place is packed every night. My favorite item has been the dessert crepe with chocolate, banana, and whipped cream. Tre delicious!
Aside from eating, internet-ing, shopping and a litttle surfing, Tahiti is... how do I say this without seeming like a pompous you-know-what... well, you could save some money by going to Hawaii instead and probably find more of what you are looking for. There are no really nice beaches in Tahiti. All the coral is dead; snorkeling here is like swimming in a grave yard. Traffic is bad, Papeete is fun but not particularly special, and the water in the lagoon is not super clean (around the city). Granted, there are some magical places in Tahiti - Teahpoo is insane and I am sure on the right day there are epic waves all over the place. There are beautiful waterfalls and hikes, too.
But, after being in the Tuamotus where, well, you have already heard me go on and on about them, Tahiti just seems kind of... like a good place to get groceries and upload pictures onto Facekook (which I hope you enjoyed!). This is why we left Tahiti yesterday and headed for the leeward island of Huahine (still in the Society Islands). After a rolly overnight passage we arrived here this morning, greeted with nice clean blue-green water and rugged hillsides covered thick with vegetation that give one more of a sense of isolation and adventure. The surf is supposed to be amazing, but we came in one pass and it was flat (no surprise, I am used to getting skunked by now). Perhaps the other side of the island will have something. Our friends have been here a few days and say the snorkeling isn't that great here either, but we are spoiled.
Regardless, it feels great to be back in an anchorage with only a few other boats, in water that I feel good about swimming in. There is no Carrefour here, but I think we stocked up sufficiently and can buy the giant stalks of bananas on the beach here (not available at Carrefour).
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At 6/13/2011 7:44 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 16°48.04'S 151°00.59'W
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