Disappointment is my biggest complaint about Tahiti and French Polynesia. While it is certainly a beautiful place, sort of, it has rained since I arrived. I eventually gave up and went to Moorea, an island just off and visible from Tahiti. It suited me well, as Anna and Kirsty were moving on to the states, and I was getting bored of Papeete.
I went to Moorea, and turned up at Chez Nelsons. It was picturesque but the worst elements of the two cultures, French and Polynesian, surfaced here. The service everywhere was arrogant and rude with delays being the norm. Saying that, the diving was superb and I went for a shark feeding dive.
It was certainly a good exercise in control of your breathing, as the excitement and fear means that you use more air than normal. Having around 20 black-tipped reef sharks ripping fish apart about 30-50cms away from your face and a couple of large lemon sharks looking menacing tends to raise the bloodpressure somewhat. Ok, it was bloody amazing and I would love to do it again, but in my ignorance I suspect but dont know that these things change the sharks behaviour for the worse.
The dorms at Chez Nelson were small, in fact it was 2 to a room, so I dont know how that is a dorm. No matter. Rika was the Japanese girl sharing my dorm. My nickname bcame Beroncho Rowlychan, (beroncho is big bottom lip) and I have learnt how to say I need the toilet in Japanese; that should get me by when Im in Tokyo shouldnt it?
The upside to French Polynesia is the way you can enjoy a continental breakfast, or have fresh, fresh baguettes for breakfast lunch and dinner with good french cheese and wine. Still, the bastards like Nuclear testing, so I was glad to leave Tahiti all in all.
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