Coral Communities and We Visit the Government Buildings

Each step between the boat and the concrete quay, we look down and admire the beautiful coral growing on the vertical concrete sides of the quay. Of course, the coral is a magnet for smaller fish, providing food and shelter. The photos were taken by shooting vertically downward on the quay walls, but the result is indistinguishable from a photo taken of a horizontal bottom.

This coral community is directly beside our boat and we admire it each time we go between boat and quay. At the bottom of the photo you can see the teak cap rail on Wings.

Beautiful fish, including the tiny neon-blue ones at left, live around the coral. The fish at left "above" the coral, although appearing to swim vertically as it should, is swimming on its side, horizontally!

Yet another tiny community of fish and coral, but this one shows a dock line, providing a clue to orientation. Look how colorful the coral is!

Gin-clear water helps see the colors around this colony.

The last photo, but showing a patch of dead coral, too. The orange-colored coral is alive and the more rugged but "bleached" coral is dead, and many fewer fish are around.

The result of a lot of hard work, the two stringers are reduced in height by 30mm and the bilge has been cleaned...again.

The Cathedral du Papeete, the main (and government owned and maintained) Catholic cathedral in the city. Although originally a European-styled church, it's been transformed through the years to a more Polynesian sentiment.

This is the holy water bowl, although I'm sure that there's a more proper term for it.

Usurped to promote recycling cans, a more Polynesian Popeye squeezes a Hinano beer can.

Conni's favorite restaurant in Papeete is La Squadra. We stumbled on it this time and took a photo to remind ourselves.

Conni approaches the French Polynesian government campus.

Conni snapped this photo of Bill showing the shape of the building, reminiscent of an overturned canoe.

This is another view of the building. Note the "totem pole" at left. We've seen them all over the country, especially at ancient religious sites.

Lovely Conni admires a rare and protected Nuku Hiva palm. Nuku Hive is an island in the Easternmost island group in the country, the Marquesas.

We were both taken by the beautiful growth pattern of the Marquesan palm leaf.

Conni's (tiny) hand can be used for comparison to the huge leaves on this plant.

The Queen's pool was feeding a small fresh-water stream and this sizable eel showed up. It was over a meter long and well camouflaged.

The Queen's Pool is named for Queen Pamore IV. Although her alcoholic son gave the country to the French, she ruled with intelligence and remained true to her people. She resisted both the English and French claims to the country until her death.

Lovely Conni walks the path away from the Queen's Pool. The large sigsns tell the story of the Queen and the government through the 1700-1800.

Similar to the ginger we've seen along roadsides, this ginger shows the beautiful and eye-catching red flower.

Even in Tahiti, it's no fun to be homeless. We don't know how many homeless there are, but this was our first "camp". We've also started to see more intoxicated Polynesians on the street.