PHOTO: Papeete Market

"Toiling" might be a stretch - we have managed to squeeze some fun into our week in Tahiti - but don't think life on board resembles that commonly held landlubber vision of us off in paradise in a permanent state of relaxation and hedonistic pleasure. I suspect that folks back home picture us on a perpetual vacation, visiting exotic ports, smoothly and gently sailing along while sipping ice cold tropical drinks garnished with paper parasols. That might hold true at intermittent times (sans the parasols), but the reality is that we spend the bulk of our time doing the same kinds of mundane, tedious, cumbersome, annoying and labor-intensive chores that everyday life demands back home - except now we are doing them in foreign (usually third-world) countries, in unfamiliar languages, with no phone, car, internet or help. With Papeete, Tahiti serving as the capital of French Polynesia, we are stopping here at this hub expressly to focus on these chores, to Get 'Er Done: massive re-provisioning, full-capacity fueling-up, inescapable officialdom.

We arrived in Tahiti after a perfect 38 hour sail from Anse Amyot, Tuamotus: running with our spinnaker all day, moonlit sailing with our white canvas at night. With Tahiti soaring at a height of 8000 feet, we could see this spectacular island, legendary since the days of Captain Cook, beckoning for many hours before making landfall. We set down our anchor adjacent to Marina Taina (and the mega yachts) giving us an unparallel view sandwiched between Tahiti Nui (the large half of the island) and gorgeous Moorea a mere 20 miles away; if one must toil, an incomparable backdrop does help.

On to officialdom. Setting out early the next morning, our first order of business was to begin the process of requesting a visa extension which we need to accommodate the arrival date of Eric's friend, Robert, who is joining us on Andiamo for three months. On misinformation from the marina personnel we burned a couple hours: first with figuring out how to catch a bus to the airport and then being told by immigration once there that, no, we need to make our request to the High Commissioner downtown. Clinging to a crumpled map in the rain (in paradise?), we caught another bus to downtown Papeete and entered the High Commissioner building at 12:15.....fifteen minutes after she had left for the day. ARRRGGGHHHH.

Finding our way back to the bus stop, we were actually pleasantly surprised to find Papeete better than purported in our cruising guides. Small but lovely city parks alive with music, a majestic Presidential Palace, a lovely cathedral, pricey surf shops and windows dressed with elaborate bijoux, delicious street-side baguette sandwiches packed with jambon, fromage, ouefs and crudités; never mind the disconnect of roosters crossing the streets. Adjacent to the main bus stop, we popped into the two-story, open-air Papeete Market. Part Grand Bazaar, part Mall, part Farmer's Market, we scanned the handmade crafts, bought some locally grown produce and worked our way past the crowd assembled watching a World Cup match (homeland France was playing). An ice cream cone to share before our bus ride back helped salvage a frustrating day in paradise.

On take two, the next day we arrived at the High Commission building bright and early. We met with a congenial middle-aged administrator who seemed delighted to expedite the process for adorable French-speaking Eric, but for our missing some documents: proof of medical coverage, a formal request letter, and two passport-sized photos of each of us. This well-meaning administrator said we could get the photos at the Carrefour, a gigantic SuperTarget-like store right near the marina - voila, that sounded easy enough, and we could pick up some produce to boot. Since we needed to return with our documents and photos by 4pm that day, we wasted no time, grabbed a cab and made for Carrefour...where we found they have plenty of produce, ah, but no photo shop. A clerk advised us of another photo shop, called us a cab and we arrived there at 12:15....fifteen minutes after they closed for the bloody, are-you-kidding-me-how-do-you-run-a-viable-business, mid-day break! Thankfully, another clerk recommended a different photo shop....where, you ask? Three blocks from the High Commission office.... right back in downtown Papeete. After our third cab ride and now $90 lighter, we miraculously delivered everything required for our visa extension by 3pm with an hour to spare. Voila. Two days in paradise burned.

On to provisioning. Carrefour is great. I especially like how we bump into so many yachtie friends when we are there (I wish I had worn the clean shorts, but I knew I would be sweating all day). The walk from Carrefour to the dinghy dock is what sounds like an ideal 1/2 mile. But try pushing three shopping carts (we each had one) with $1500 worth of groceries on sloped, uneven, bumpy macadam sidewalks. (I officially have no need for a gym membership). Oh, and then the joy of loading them onto a dinghy, off a dinghy - don't crush those chips, please! - and finding a place to stow them. Yes, I am sweating; good thing I didn't wear the clean shorts. Voila. Six trips, three days, I think we have enough food for now.

On to laundry. We have been managing without a washer-dryer by hand washing our mostly quick-dry, limited wardrobes. But with Katie & Ben coming, it is time for a good overhaul of our linens: sheets, towels, blankets, pillows. I decide it is worth the $15 a load to wash and dry(paradise is expensive) these items now that I am in this "hub" at a marina. I grab my laundry bags, a money belt full of coins and a Kindle in my backpack. Two of the four machines are out of order. One of the two dryers works. I wash two loads, one doesn't spin properly, a bizillion coins later, I re-spin and get 'er done. However, half way through the dryer cycle - et voila - power outage. Soaked blankets sit looking at me. It's Saturday. The guy who runs this enterprise does not answer his cell phone. We drag the heavy, wet haul back to the boat, rig some lines bow to mast and hang the heap to dry. Luckily it is a nice dry, sunny day in paradise.

On to fuel. In Papeete, cruisers can obtain paperwork for duty-free fuel reducing the cost by a whopping 40%. Utilizing our divide-and-conquer strategy, while David and I were on round six at the Carrefour, Eric walked a good 5 miles to secure our paperwork (no need to make free also easy). Awesome, we are now all set as planned to fuel-up Sunday morning and then shove off for Huahine where Katie & Ben will meet us. Not so fast. Apparently, no duty-free fuel on le weekend (are-you-kidding-me-how-do-you-run-a-viable-business). We rework our itinerary, skipping a stop in Moorea, and decide to stay until Monday to make our fueling-up happen.

Deep breathe. No worries; flexibility works best in paradise. Eric squeezes in an extra day of surfing the reef break right near the marina while we catch-up on internet chores. Oh, and Casa Bianca has a great 2-for-1 happy hour. With our weeklong slog-fest behind us (for now), we have a relaxing final night here in Tahiti Nui. Satisfied with our accomplishments, we take in the very welcomed cooler evening, the cheap (by Polynesian prices) draft beers and the extra crispy thin crust pizza all in the comfortable company of our increasingly familiar cruising friends. A perfect counterpoint to Toil.