A Peaceful Bike-Packing Adventure in
French Polynesia
(Photos are not necessarily in chronological order)
It goes without saying for all of us, that the last four years have been excessively stressful. In many ways, I have felt like Alofa and I have been like soldiers on the front line, not unlike being engaged in sustained trench warfare. It has been especially hard because we are helping more and more people, two years into it, who have been hurt by the vaccine, the lab-generated virus bioweapon, or both.
We have taken a few breaks this year, when I competed and won the masters mountain bike marathon and Olympic-style cross-country world championships. But these were not relaxing holidays.
The gift that came with winning the marathon worlds was a dose of shingles. I think this is because I was exhausted from everything that goes with this kind of event, which made me tired and weak, thus vulnerable to infections like shingles. When I found out I had shingles, I quickly started a non-drugs-based treatment and recovery. My recovery was almost complete after 10–14 days. Thankfully, I do not have any chronic nerve pain, and the scars on my stomach and back are not noticeable. Shingles can be devastating, causing disfiguring scars and chronic nerve pain.
So, we boxed on with work this year, coping well. Then we received an unwelcome notification by Medsafe that upended our tidy little operation. You can read about it here.
Once the dust had settled from the Medsafe problem, it was time to take a break from being in the trenches. Hence the break we are now taking in French Polynesia.
Our first choice was to go to Noumea, but that was torpedoed when civil unrest broke out on the island, so the destination became Tahiti. I will let you know that we have a goal of cycling around the main islands of the South Pacific and Southern Asia. So far we have cycled around Bali, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, and now it is Tahiti's turn, but with a low-stress theme this time.
We have now spent around 10 days in Tahiti (who is counting?) and we have less than a week to go. The sun has been intense with temperatures between 25 and 35 Celcius, and made for some hot cycling. We got ready for the heat and humidity by going to a sauna about once a week for a few months before our tropical vacation. This made it easier to handle the conditions.
Unlike Alofa, with her beautiful brown skin, my adaptation to the intense sunlight is slow and limited, so I have had to take great care not to fry. So far, so good!
We spent the first few days in Papeete, the capital, and were very relieved to be out of it sooner than later. Like so many places in contrast to NZ, the main island is overcrowded, and ruined by the constant noise, dust, and fumes of trucks, cars, and motorbikes.
As usual, we loved interacting with the locals, and I got to practise my very rusty French, much to the amusement of everyone, including Alofa.
While we did cycle around the main island, Tahiti, I do not recommend doing so, although the motorists were always considerate. Cycling on the main island is best only for experienced and skilled cyclists. It was constant noise, exhaust fumes, and often narrow shoulders to ride on.
The main town, the capital, Papeete, is more of a city than a town, and it is too congested and noisy to safely enjoy on a bicycle. Having said this, the road surfaces are excellent. The French have done a good job with building cyclone-proof ring roads on the islands. So, we took the ferry to Moorea, created a base, then spent the rest of our time relaxing, plus exploring the island on bikes.
After two days in Papeete, we took the ferry to the adjacent island, Moorea, where we planned to spend the rest of our holiday. The plan, as with previous similar trips, is to find a home base, settle in, soak up the culture, learn the language, make friends, and generally chill out. I have been getting lots of practise with my French and learning Tahitian, which is similar to NZ and Cook Islands Maori.
Whenever we can, we stay with the locals and eat their food, including food from roadside stalls, and to practise our Tahitian and French. It saves us precious money while putting cash directly into the hands of families.
Paradise, it may be for the tourist, but I would not say it is paradise for the Tahitian natives.
The cost of living is such that a hamburger is around NZ$20-25. While nobody goes hungry or without somewhere to sleep, they must work hard to afford anything other than the basics of life for them and their families. We are told that, to get ahead, most adults work two or more jobs each week. Many who live on the adjacent island of Moorea commute daily by ferry to Papeete for work.
I admired the wild chooks, which have evolved into true free-range creatures. It never amazes me how, within a few generations a relatively helpless line of domesticated creatures become beautifully adapted to their wild environment. Chickens on the Pacific islands are an excellent example of adaptation on steroids taking place. Survival of the fittest in action.
The same can be the opposite as well, and this is apparent in Kiwi children since when I was a child in the 1950s. It is time for New Zealand to recapture its free-range, pioneering traditions.
Food for thought.
I will leave this with you while we enjoy our last days in paradise, getting a final recharge of the batteries.
Ia Orana and Nānā from Moorea in Tahiti!
Gary and Alofa
Comentarios