The French Connection -- or French Polynesia

Vanuatu and New Caledonia

We arrived in Vanuatu and it literally poured with rain just as we were cleared to disembark.  When I say pour I mean it.  The rain came down in sheets for a good thirty minutes at least.  No one was getting off of the ship because of it.  We decided to go for it and so ventured out with our rain jackets. We were completely drenched in very warm rain within 3 seconds.  It was raining that hard.

 

Once out we grabbed a cab and went into town.  We walked through the market and one of the first things we noticed was that the Vanuatuan people were VERY shy and culturally passive.  Whether this was based on cultural norms or legalistic means wasn’t clear but in the market we were not pulled in and if we walked up and asked a question they were almost pained to be talked to.  The town had both French citizens and also native Vanuatuans who are culturally Melanesian.  The market was fascinating in the types of food and how they were displayed for sale.

 

After the market we went to go see the town itself.  We stopped at a French bakery for a drink and pastries.  We walked the rest of the town which was a little more colonial in look and feel, but still fascinating.  We had our first encounter where the American dollar was not the preferred form of currency.  We tried to pay with our dollars and instead we had to get local currency as it was either that or New Zealand dollars.   After the town we found out from some other passengers that there was an unofficial water taxi back to the ship and so we took that as it gave a good tour of the harbor.

 

The weather improved in time for our excursion which was a snorkel expedition to Paradise Beach.  We were taken by wooden sail boat to the place and then anchored off the beach.  Those who wanted to drop into the deep water and snorkel to the coral area did so at that point.  The rest were ferried by skiffs to the beach to then snorkel back to the coral area.  Obviously we jumped into the water.  It was quite spectacular, the reef.  There were dozens of types of fish, sea snakes, and other types of animals, including a purple starfish.  There were two poles with food bags where we could grab the food and have the fish eat right out of our hands.  The fish were very tame.  Afterwards some of the crew, who were very friendly and fun, took us on a tour of the beach area.  We saw hermit crabs the size of fists and small lizards climbing all over the trees. 

 

We enjoyed Vanuatu and came to find the people very warm once they got used to you.  Our next stop was Ile de Pins, which is part of New Caledonia.  It was the first time a cruise ship had stopped there.  Usually only a passenger ferry goes there regularly from the main islands of New Caledonia.  This was by far our favorite stop.  The name means Island of Pine Trees.  And it is well named.  For the first time in the tropics we saw pine trees.  They are tall and thin and contrast against the more tropical plants in the area.  We tendered from the ship and were welcomed at the dock by native dancers and given flowered hats and wreaths.  From there we did a bit of shopping at a local artisan commune and then rented bikes to ride into the main town which was four miles away.  The whole island has no more than 2,600 people.  There are French but the vast majority of islanders are the native peoples.  We rode into town which was spread out.  Its buildings were set amongst lush plants on large plots of land.  We found an ATM (as only the local currency was used) and went to the local store only to find that it wasn’t opening until much later.  The owner happened to be working in her yard and saw us (noticed we were foreigners) and ran to open the store.  We were desperate for a cold drink as it was a very warm day, much to hot to be riding the hills on bikes.   Everywhere we were greeted with a healthy “Bonjour” and the people were friendly while also going about their daily business.

 

After town we rode to the old Penal Colony ruins.  It was much overgrown and the land had been reclaimed as pasture but the buildings still stood with the barred windows and doors slowly rusting and rotting.  Exhausted we rode back to the beach area and relaxed and swam.  The marine life was rich here too.  The sand the finest we have encountered yet.  It dried and fell off your feet and water shoes immediately after getting out of the water.

 

We had too much sun there which we suffered the next day but we had enjoyed the quaintness of the island and the sincere friendliness of the inhabitants.

 

The port city of Noumea also in New Caledonia was our last stop in the French Polynesian Islands.  It was a very busy city with a vibrant port.  Colonial in nature but bustling.  It was very French and a good number of the city’s inhabitants were expatriates.  Friendly and helpful in every way we had a great time here. Everyone was very laid back and everyone spoke French. We rented two scooters and a “fun car” to get around town. We decided to have a full day free of ship food.  We ate at a local breakfast spot just across from the beach where we enjoyed crepes.  The owner wondered if we had a recipe for spicy hot wings as he had tried some from a visitor from the states and that person had refused to share the recipe. We had a few ideas of how to do it and he was very thankful.  The food was great.  Afterwards we took a ferry ride out to “the best snorkeling in New Caledonia” to see if it lived up to its name.  it was a resort built on a small island just off the beach from the main island.  We caught up with some crew members and enjoyed the sun, the beach and the good snorkeling.  It WAS pretty spectacular.  We ate a big lunch and then continued back to the main island.  We decided that we would try out the local French bakeries as they looked like the real deal.  They were.  We bought out the store and hauled it all back to the ship.

 

At night we heard there was a market on Thursdays (when we were there) and so proceeded to it to see what it was about.  It was the biggest gathering of locales in the large park at the center of the city.  There was not a lot but it was interesting to see the city pull together as one community.  Later we walked to the waterfront (where the small boats harbored) to find a place to eat.  We were told by locales that is where the nightlife was.  We found a large restaurant/ bar and sat down. Like france it did not serve dinner until after 7.  So we had a drink and then waited for the evening meal to start being served.  We had a great waitress but the other person waiting our table, the waiter was a little rude and assumed none of us could speak French.  It was all over not finishing a fish.  It had been served continental style bones and head mostly intact, the scales cleaned off and pan fried with little or no coating.  I was not as hungry as I thought and didn’t bother to turn the fish over to eat the other side.  It was quite evident from my plate (since I had not finished the potatoes or vegetables) that I had not appetite.  The waiter made a slight comment about me not having eaten the other side in French to the waitress while laughing.  I called him on it which he immediately played ignorant with English and aloof.  The waitress was embarrassed.  I would have pressed on but Forrest reminded me that it is a big faux pas to not finish your plate among the French.

 

Afterwards we enjoyed a nice stroll back to catch one of the last shuttles into the ship terminal.  We loved French Polynesia.  Apart from one waiter, everyone was friendly and happy and laid back.  Each of the islands had their own flavor and each had a unique feel. 

 

Next stop the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.