settled in Tahiti

Panulirus
CR and KN Williams
Sat 30 May 2009 03:02

17.32S 149.34W

 

Friday 29th May,

 

Papeete is actually quite fun, lots of tat shops and a few Marseillaise drains but on the whole OK.

The French, who, as far as I can remember, haven’t won a decent battle since Austerlitz, get their own back by giving the menus in French and ‘Anglais’, but determinedly put the american flag against the ‘english’ version; after 1940, ‘quel ingrats’. Immigration also describe me as ‘anglaise’, but I hesitate to correct the document as it is doubtless offence so to do. As Michael put it ‘il ne faut pas se moquer des douanes’.

 

Sadly the R/B ratio has dropped below unity, but I have great hopes that a visit to the chandlery (the last one was scarcely better than B&Q) will provide the wherewithal to bring it back to it’s rightful place ie infinity. The second jib furling separation was almost certainly poor workmanship on my part. (and the fact that the best rope we could buy on Rangiroa was a bit like a pyjama cord intended as a temporary measure only. Clare)

 

Thus far food has been fine but a little difficult to find, we have hopes of improving on the excellent gastronomy of our cheeky little Bistro tonight. I asked the Capitaine du Port where we could eat langouste and his answer was a graphic imitation of emptying my wallet and cutting my throat.

 

Our neighbours yesterday were an odd mix of two Lithuanians, a Russian, and a German circumnavigating in a tiny 32 foot sloop; sadly they roared off again in the morning.

 

Keith