Marquesa & Christmas Islands: 1 - Costa Rica to Marquesas via Papeete, Tahiti

Friday, April 4, 2008

Our last week in Costa Rica was a frantic one. We've added onto the house, and the place was full of contractors whose work was supposed to have been completed a week ago, all scrambling to get their part done so they can be paid before we leave. Of about 8 only two actually got finished - the rest will have to wait until we get home in May. We ran the last of them off the property by 5 PM the day before we left to give us time to pack and secure the house.

Carlos, our loyal caretaker, drove us to the airport at 4:45 AM to catch an on time flight to Houston. Fortunately they fed us a decent breakfast, as there was only a snack on the flight from Houston to Los Angeles, which left the gate on time, but was held up almost half an hour for runway access. With the price of fuel that kind of delay must get expensive! We weren't concerned, as we had a 9 hour wait for our 11:30 PM flight for Tahiti.

In Los Angeles we couldn't get rid of our baggage, as check in didn't open until 3 ½ hours before departure. LAX has my vote as the world's worst major airport - not a great place to be stuck for a long time. As there are no decent restaurants, dinner was foul tasting Chinese fast food, followed by chocolate bars to kill the taste! At check in the bad news was that departure was delayed until 12:30 AM. At least once we checked in we had access to a lounge with wireless internet, snacks and drinks.

After a long bus ride to a remote building everyone walked up a long concrete ramp, then filed through a normal jet way to board. We were delighted to see that the plane was not a 737, as shown on my Yahoo Travel itinerary, but a quite new Airbus 340-300, which got underway just before 1 AM. We decided against the meal and drinks - I took one of Dr. Hayes sleeping pills, lowered the seat to horizontal and didn't wake up until breakfast at about 7 AM Los Angeles time.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

After a 6 AM arrival in Papeete customs was quick and easy, and the baggage eventually arrived. One piece was among the first off the plane, and the other arrived 15 minutes later, by which time I was working out how to get along without it. After changing dollars for French Polynesian Francs we hopped into a waiting taxi-van and headed to where the Aranui was docked. Neither the pleasant driver nor his young son, who sat beside me, spoke English. I think I totally confused the young fellow with my limited French.

At the ship we were ushered aboard right away, with instructions to leave our baggage on the dock. Marilynn was pretty uncomfortable with that, but apparently theft is not a major problem. The crew were friendly and courteous, and quickly had us up an elevator to our stateroom, four floors above reception. It was very comfortable, with a large window looking out over the bow where the loading cranes are, and a good sized balcony. The room has a bathroom with bathtub and shower, shipboard TV with 5 movie & documentary channels, a queen sized bed, desk, sofa, coffee table and lots of storage space.

The 117 meter (384') ship can carry 198 passengers, with accommodation running from the large president's suit to bottom deck dormitories for 20 people. There is a decent sized outdoor pool, a bar/meeting room with coffee & tea 24 hours per day, a bar, a well stocked shop and a nice dining room. Rooms have phones for communication within the ship - outside calls are made at reception.

The dining room has open seating, making it easy to meet other passengers. The majority speak French or German, but South Africa, USA, Australia, Spain, Britain, Ireland, Canada and various other countries are represented. Everyone has been friendly, easy going and happy to help get past the language barrier. Breakfast is a buffet with eggs custom cooked. Lunch and dinner have a set 3 course menu - no options. The meals are excellent and well prepared. It was unusual to find laundry, doctor visits and ample bottles of excellent wine with meals included in the price. A 15 minute internet card costs about $1.70, but connections are available at only two ports of call.

We left Papeete's well protected harbour shortly after 11 AM and were soon rolling heavily in large swells on an otherwise calm sea. Rum punches were served in the bar on our deck as a welcome, then lunch, then a meeting to outline services available, then a lifeboat drill and finally a briefing on the next day's activities. These were all spaced about an hour apart, with the last being followed by dinner. So much for my planned siesta! After dinner we made straight for bed, where the rocking of the ship soon had us both sound asleep.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

We work up in the calm waters of Fakarava Atoll, the second largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. This is the largest chain of atolls in the world, covering an area in the Pacific roughly the size of Western Europe. The total population of the Tuamotus was 15,862 in the 2002 census. The area is noted for its black pearls and subsidized production of copra. There is little tourism, although a 5 star hotel on Fakarava gets $500 per night for its bungalows. In spite of its vast expanse, total land area of the 78 atolls is only 885 sq km (345 sq mi).

The atolls of Fangataufa and Moruroa in this group were the site of 193 French nuclear bomb tests between 1966 and 1996. Only a detachment of foreign legion troops inhabit the islands now. It was suggested that they may be used as street lights when their tour of duty has ended.

The average temperature all year is 26 C (79 F). There are no lakes or rivers, so rain water must be stored. There is not a lot of flora and fauna due to sparse soil, but coconut palms do OK. Of 57 species of birds, 10 are endemic to the archipelago, 1 is extinct and 13 are on the endangered list.

After breakfast we climbed into one of two barges for the short ride to shore at the island's capital. The barges seat a fair number of people, and can be boarded from the side or by walking up a ramp that drops down, much like a landing craft.

The atoll, which was once the capital of the Tuamotus, has a population of 700 people. The lagoon covers 1,121 sq. km, and is roughly 60 km long and 20 km wide. There were no pushy vendors to be seen, and singing could be heard from the town's three churches. Unlike most Pacific islands the town was neat, well cared for and very clean. Marilynn went for a swim in the warm, clear lagoon while I sat in the shade of a palm tree reading a book. Later we walked across the narrow island to the wilder ocean side. There was no beach - only rocks and an ancient lighthouse which long ago housed an oil operated light.

We strolled through a small market area where a band with traditional drums and guitars was playing, then walked to the landing area to be shuttled back to the ship. This stop was to drop off 13 passengers and a small amount of freight, so we were underway again within 3 hours. There are now only 72 passengers, so things are certainly not crowded on board!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Today we are at sea heading for the relatively remote Marquesas Islands. Marilynn got some photos edited, and after dropping by the doctor's office to pick up something for a sore throat I did some writing. There were a couple of lectures, but mainly it was a great day to rest. Sea conditions were relatively calm under a blue sky with scattered white clouds. We were headed into the swells, so the motion of the ship was comfortable as it cruised along at 12.5 knots.

The hour before dinner was spent drinking complementary rum punches around the swimming pool while the ship's officers were introduced, and the owner and captain welcomed us aboard. I'd wondered why I had not noticed any officers in the time we have been aboard, but that became clear when they were presented. Most wore T-shirts, shorts and sandals. The captain and chief engineer were dressed slightly differently - they wore Hawaiian style shirts! The advertisement that said dress for formal nights was T-shirt, shorts and sandals wasn't kidding! A fun fashion show followed, featuring primarily the French contingent.

The owner is Chinese from some generations back, born and raised in Tahiti, and now living near San Francisco. We've come to know him quite well - a quiet, unassuming person but very interesting to talk to.

We expect to dock in Ua Pou, the first of the Marquesas Islands, at 6 AM tomorrow.