We arrived in Mangareva today. Unlike in Pitcairn and Rapa Nui, the ship was able to dock directly to the pier, as it's in a large protected lagoon.
This marks the end of the sea voyage part of the trip, but far frome the end of the journey! I will disembark from the ship and continue on my own -- I don't yet know for how long. I will just play it by ear until I decide it's time to go home.
Mangareva is part of the Gambier group of islands in French Polynesia and the most remote group. It's a 4 hour flight from here to Tahiti! It's fairly sparsely populated with less than 1500 people on the island. Very few tourists, no big resorts, only a few small markets in the main town of Rikitea. The main export here seems to be the famous black pearls. Though often marketed as "Tahitian pearls" they really come mainly from here in the Gambiers. This is the largest island in the Gambiers and it's ringed by an atoll creating a large lagoon with 4 other islands: Taravai, Aukena, Akamaru, Temoe. The airport itself is not on any island but rather on the atoll!
On the last night aboard, the ship hosted a Disco party with Grant as DJ spinning 80s music. There were laser lights and even a smoke machine!
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| Disco party aboard the ship! |
There is internet here but it's very poor quality since it's run by the French government. But it's about to get a LOT better! The lodge I stayed at had requested two of the passengers to bring a couple of Starlink kits with them from the USA, which they did! Using a Starlink is the best way to get high speed internet here, and it works very well (although technically illegal). Looking around the houses on the island we spotted several Starlink antennas.
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| Cathedral in Mangareva. Thousands of Polynesians were killed during the construction of this church. |
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