Let me say this about Papeete: It is expensive, noisy, not particularly clean and beautiful, and did I mention expensive. However, in the short time I spent ashore today I found its inhabitants to be very friendly, helpful and polite, even the French. Most of the locals speak at least some English so it is not difficult to transact business. I discovered a huge supermarket, not far from the marina. which has almost everything one could want. Tomorrow I will go back to begin reprovisioning. I will not see another market like this until Pago Pago or New Zealand.