2022 Tahiti

Enjoying the empty lounge at SFO

Our plane was at gate G5 in the middle

Empty lounges are so nice in these days

Selfie with Andie on the plane

Alley cat stalking a bird

Shade is a treasure

Looking at the nearby island of Moorea from Papeete

Andie walks away from the monument to Polynesian autonomy

Drink & Joy

Fruit vendor at the Sunday morning Market in Papeete

Fish on ice at the Sunday morning market in Papeete

Bargining over fresh fish

Fish for sale

More fish and a carved tuna on the right

Broken glass looking onto the private dock

The view of Moorea from Papeete

Andie photographing the Grotte Mata Va'a, one of the smaller caves at Grottes De Mara'a

Flower at Grotte Mata Va'a

Water drips down from above Grotte Mata Va'a

Plants roots descend to capture more of the water trickling down

Grotte Mata Va'a

Selfie with Andie

Jungle overtakes the sign to Grotte Mata Va'a

Ferns hang down above Grotte De Mara'a

A rooster bars my path at the Water Gardens Vaipahi

The Water Gardens are a small park with labelled plants. There are also sign posts describing the story of burial and after-life rituals for important people in ancient Polynesian culture.

Andie in the midst of photo'ing

Giant leafs span overhead on the walkway

Small waterfall at the Water Gardens

After a short hike and climb, looking south-east to the coast of Taiarapu-Ouest, the appendix on the island of Tahiti. Note the lone wind-surfer.

Looking south to Afatauri

Painted cranes in Papeete

Sunset over Moorea, taken from Papeete

Moorea from Tahiti in the morning

Chicken and pancakes with parmesan sauce

A school bus for a Protestant school

Murals overlooking a school playground

Truth in advertising

Outdoor exercise equipment in the Paofai Gardens park

Rain on the hillside seen through the trees

A windy ferry ride

Leaving the port of Papeete, Tahiti

A practically empty upper deck of the ferry

Approaching Moorea on the ferry

Our little room at Moorea Beach Lodge

Lodge's giant tree in the middle of the property

Just after sunrise, waiting for the coffee to brew

Andrea under the palm at MBL

A pair of Myna wait for the pigeons

The Myna is a very common bird on Moorea. Apparently introduced from India in the 1920s to balance the fire wasp population.

Moorea Beach Lodge's palm hangs over the ocean as a coconut floats by

A pelagic stingray spent its time in the waters directly in front of the lodge

Several Chestnut-breasted Munia on a thorny branch

Enjoying the beach

Just behind the lodge, the hills rise steeply

The lodge's waterfront from out in the lagoon

Palm reaching out over the water

The Criobe center was closed, but situated in a lovely spot on Opunohu Bay.

The Criobe center was layered in solar panels

Criobe center is part of an active research center affiliated with UC Berkeley

Mountain bike trails through the middle of the island

Looking at Mt Rotui from Belevedere point

Andrea in front of Mt Rotui at Belevedere point

Lone palm beach

Enjoying the sunset

Lodge-mates enjoy the sunset

Sunset looking out over the pacific

Starting the hike up to the Three Pines Lookout.

The vegitation is dense and tangled. This was taken at the end of November, just at the start of the rainy season, and the trees were lush and green.

Some of the trail we were following was part of the XTerra triathalon about a month prior. Signs marked the way.

The path crossed several little creeks coming from Mt Tamarutofa

Andie in the trees

Andie in the trees 2

Last climb to the lookout point

Andrea at the Three Pines Lookout

Cook's Bay from the Three Pines Point

Layers of rock

Mt Rotui from the Three Pines Lookuout

Descending from the lookout into the trees

In front of the CRIOBE center

2022 Tahiti

Map