Soirée Merveilleuse

Our elation at a Tahiti landfall soon turned to disappointment. Things just didn't seem to be going our way. It all started with the entry clearance which took five days and first, a long walk to the Customs office, followed by four trips by bus to Immigration at the airport to find out that 'yes, non-EU citizens must do, or have, one of three things on arrival into French Polynesia:

1. an air ticket out of French Polynesia (even if you're leaving by boat)

2. pay a bond of $1,600 USD each into a bank escrow account and we'd get the cash back
on departure

3. produce a bond exemption letter after paying a non-refundable $ 330 USD, per person, fee to a yacht agent

We thought we'd pay the bond, problem was nobody at Immigration could tell us how much it was and how to go about doing it. We were told to 'just ask at the bank'. After a long wait over the weekend (banks close early on Fridays) and a patient bank clerk that made many phone calls on our behalf, we pulled out our bank cards to begrudgingly pay the money and multiple debit/credit cards wouldn't work, for some unknown reason. Now, there was no choice, buying a one-way air ticket to nowhere seemed ridiculous, so, we went with the bond exemption letter option. We got back on the bus to visit the yacht agency and to fill out all the paperwork we'd already filled out. They took over the process and we finally got our clearance along with intimate knowledge of the local bus system, all you need to know is that yes, there are buses, but, there's no schedule, you just stand and wait.

We needed a rest, so on arrival at the marina had booked and paid-for a four week stay. The facilities were reasonably ok and we settled in. A week later a notice was posted saying that renovations
were starting and the facilities were going to be demolished starting that very week. When we paid the advance payment nobody bothered to let us know that there were to be NO facilities available
until the new ones opened in December! Now, there was going to be no toilets, no showers, no laundry and worst of all, no internet. The cost for a four-week stay hadn't been cheap. We ended  up paying a full price that included all the advertised facilities and now were to have none at all. It
was turning out to be a rather expensive parking spot. Polite complaints were met in the office with
a typical Gallic shrug. We're just trying to make the best of it. There are compensations, like our
gorgeous sunset view of Moorea from our boat. In Papeete, real estate is priced depending on the
presence and quality of a 'Moorea view'. I'd say we have one of the best views available.

At night, the waterfront along the city promenade is lit from below and becomes a magical shade of aqua. They've made a small artificial reef adjacent to the sidewalk and it was mesmerizing to watch the tropical fish.

Some of the boats here are interesting to ogle at although they don't seem to go out much.

We were in dire need of a pick-me-up, so, when we found out that the nearby luxurious InterContinental Resort and Spa offered a  Soirée Merveilleuse  every Friday night with a special buffet and a traditional Polynesia dance show, we went for it. Our bad luck theme continued though. When we arrived at the hotel for our special evening we met a picket line at the entrance. Then, they couldn't find our reservation and we ended up at a really bad table with a rather large pole right between us and the stage. However, the buffet was good and the dancing excellent.

Traditional dance is taken seriously here, it's not all about the tourist opportunities. Many schools exist throughout the islands. In July, there is a month-long Heiva festival in Papeete where competitions are held and the participants come from many different islands.

Before the show started, we spent a couple of hours enjoying the grounds. Very lovely, with two
infinity pools, over-water bungalow accommodation and a 'lagoonarium' which is like a very large, outdoor aquarium with many tropical fish. In spite of the startup problems, it was a nice day out and we enjoyed it very much.