{"id":746,"date":"2015-03-22T15:59:46","date_gmt":"2015-03-22T22:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/?p=746"},"modified":"2015-03-22T16:42:34","modified_gmt":"2015-03-22T23:42:34","slug":"magical-day-on-a-tropical-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/?p=746","title":{"rendered":"Magical Day on a Tropical Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen,<\/a>I have never returned to Tahiti. I prefer to remember it as it was one special day in February, 1962. When I think of that day, a melody from the musical \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d fills my head.<\/p>\n

Play \u201cBali Ha\u2019i\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"aerogramme\"<\/a>In a letter to my parents I described coming in to port: \u201cWe got up early in the morning, in time to see us come through the passage between Moorea and Tahiti. Moorea is the most enchanted shape of any island \u2013 fantastic contorted peaks rising up out of a faint mist, and shimmering in the morning sunlight. \u2026 The sea perfectly calm, glassy inside the reef, and a sparkling sunny day.\u201c We had plans to explore the island by motor scooter, so after wandering around Pape’ete until we found the rental place, we \u201cfollowed our noses and found ourselves on the coast road.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>

View of Moorea from the lookout point. By the shore is the airport, still under construction.<\/p><\/div>\n

“Took a turning up into the hills \u2013 very steep, narrow winding road up to a lookout point \u2013 excellent view over Pape’ete and out to Moorea. Hibiscus everywhere, vivid red, pink, yellow \u2013 any colour you can think of. The vegetation is all a bright yellowish green, and the soil is bright red.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing down \u2013 discovered that scooter\u2019s brakes were practically nonexistent \u2013 slightly hazardous! Continued along the coast road, looking for somewhere to swim, asking the way in our best French. We were agreeably surprized all day that we could understand and make ourselves understood. Of course they speak much more slowly than the French of Paris \u2013 hotter climate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Canoe outrigger & fishtrap on the beach<\/p><\/div>\n

Found a good beach after a ride down a track through a coconut grove \u2013 i.e., very large rough boulders \u2013 every so often the scooter would jam and we would have to get off and lift her over. Came out between the houses of two Tahitian families. Fishing nets hung along the beach to dry \u2013 used them as a changing tent \u2013 not that one would need to worry in Tahiti. \"\"<\/a>Just wallowed in the lukewarm water \u2013 crystal clear, and watched the tiny tropical fish nibbling at our toes. Pretty little things, mostly black and white, though some coloured ones, all spotted and striped. Eavesdropped on the Tahitian families at home \u2013 fascinating. A very happy, leisurely people \u2013 we were amazed with the genuine friendliness we met everywhere. \"women<\/a>We saw a fishing canoe come in, manned by six men \u2013 and with an outboard motor. Also watched women fishing along the shore \u2013 four of them splashing about in their sarongs and laughing and singing as they pulled in the net.\u201d<\/p>\n

My letter goes on to describe people-watching at an outdoor caf\u00e9 back in Pape’ete: \u201cEasy to pick tourists from the ship \u2013 they stood out a mile \u2013 the footsore look, paler complexions, brand new plaited straw hats \u2013 we got one each too, very fine models for roughly 6\/- [about $US 0.42] and were very glad of them all day.\u201d Then an evening visit to a tourist hotel for a display\u00a0 of Tahitian dancing. I commented: \u201cThe tourist trade is thriving here, especially since the Americans have just finished making a film here, Mutiny on the Bounty<\/em>. They have sent prices up. The hotel was one of these places that you know are touristy and a bit artificial, but exciting all the same. Guests sleep in native-style bungalows, and the dance floor was also in native style, with carved supporting poles, thatched roof, and open sides. Dimly lit with coloured lights inside bamboo fish traps. Tables both inside and outside on the grass on the shore of the lagoon \u2013 that was where we were. All round the edge, kerosene torches on poles to keep away the insects. A huge full moon shimmering on the water, a jetty to wander out and watch the fish. European dancing (Tahiti version) with floor shows \u2013 native dancing. The most exciting dancing I have seen. Fantastically fast hula to the urgent throbbing of native drums. Later in the evening the slower, more graceful hula to drums and singing.\"Hibiscus<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the show closed \u2013 about 1 a.m., there was a general move toward \u201cLa Fayette,\u201d which turned out to be a pretty low dive several miles the other side of Tahiti, and was the most terrific entertainment yet. Dim lights, floor jam-packed \u2013 mostly pretty well under the weather. Lots of people from the ship \u2013 stewards and passengers, with Tahitian girls. No inhibitions \u2013 man, what an education! Got back to the ship about 4 a.m. \u2013 shore leave finished at five \u2013 and wandered round on the wharf, where women were still sitting patiently at souvenir booths \u2013 they had been there all day. Spent our few remaining coins on postcards, etc. Many of the passengers waited up to see the boat out, but we piked and went to bed. Very hard to say goodbye to the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"tahiti<\/a>In closing my description of the day, my first in a country other than New Zealand, I wrote: \u201cWe found it rather difficult getting used to being tourists \u2013 you feel so brash and raw, and totally ignorant, and tolerated by the local population mostly as a useful source of income. I think I would much rather go to a place to live for some length of time \u2013 it would give you a much better idea of what it is really like. We were lucky in getting a glimpse of Tahitian families about their ordinary life \u2013 that I think was the best part of the whole day. But it was only a tantalising glimpse \u2013 enough to whet the appetite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All photographs are by Tony Eppstein.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Maureen is exploring the contents of an old black filing cabinet in her attic, which contains 55 years of her writing notes and memorabilia.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have never returned to Tahiti. I prefer to remember it as it was one special day in February, 1962. When I think of that day, a melody from the musical \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d fills my head. Play \u201cBali Ha\u2019i\u201d In a letter to my parents I described coming in to port: \u201cWe got up early […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[213,9,241,5],"tags":[242],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/746"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=746"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":806,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/746\/revisions\/806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maureeneppstein.com\/mve_journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}