We've finally seen the real island of Tahiti and what a sight it is. We signed up for a 4 X 4 off road trip up into the mountains for last Saturday and had a great time. Two guides picked us up about 0945 at the Yacht Club and we headed out on a converted four wheel drive pick up truck with a big bed on the back with bench seating for about 8 people. We were the only two for this trip!! We had it all to our selves. We stopped at the Radison Hotel to see if there was anyone else interested but we ended up being the only two for the trip. As we sat in the back of the truck, we talked about Tahiti and all the changes it has gone through in these guys life times. As recent as ten years ago, the Tahitian language was forbidden in schools. It has gone through a reawakening since then and is now allowed and is even encouraged. Many of the old traditions that had been thought lost are now coming back(cannabalism not included). One of our guides has four part time jobs to make ends meet as it is so expensive.

We rounded the north top of the island and headed inland up into the mountains. They have installed a traffic light at the beginning of the road to let people know if they are allowed to go up it. Apparently, there has been a big problem with locals going up into the mountains and playing loud music and getting drunk. The police are trying to discourage it any way they can. While the light was red when we got there, as a tour we headed up anyway. Now the road we were traveling on was just built about 1997 so that the French government could build three hydro electric plants along the river that flows out of the valley. The two men we had as our guides could not have been nicer. Being just the two of us, we stopped along the road to take lots of pictures. We saw an incredible waterfall ahead of us across the valley towering far into the mountain side. The guides wanted to know if we wanted to hike up to it. DUH!!! You betcha! We turned off the road a short time later and headed for the river. We locked everything in the truck(theft is a problem with the economy being so bad) and the guides cut down(they carry a machete) some small trees to make walking sticks for all four of us and we headed out. One of the guides looked at Tracys feet and decided her shoes(flip flops) were not good for the hike so he took off his shoes and gave them to her to use. The other guide wasn't even wearing shoes. These guys have tough feet!!! Over the rocks and through the water we went. Up the stream from the waterfall and up the hill. I think the guys were amazed that we did so well climbing the hills and streams. About 30 minutes later we arrived at the base of the falls. WOW!!! What a rush. The water was falling so fast that it created a huge rush of wind from the base of the falls. Water and spray were everywhere as well as the crashing sounds of the water hitting the pool and rocks at the bottom. It was amazing. One of the guides as well as Tracy went all the way up to the pool. I took pictures with our water proof camera. After a while discussing these falls--known as Princess Falls, we headed back. One of the guides comes here off and on just to relax and get in touch with nature and the Gods of the valley. Once back at the truck, we headed farther up into the hills. There was a tarp over the top of the sitting area in the back and they offered to remove it so we could see better. Off it came and we stood on the seats hanging on for dear life as we headed up the road. While it is a concrete road, there were lots of pot holes along the way. It was an amazing trip seeing what the valley was really about as trees whipped past our heads as we made our way South into the heart of the volcanic valley that formed Tahiti millions of years ago. We saw all three of the hydro electric plants along the way. Before they were built, they used diesel powered generators for electricity.

We stopped for lunch at the Maroto Hotel. We'd packed a lunch of cheese, Summer Sausage and French bread along with some cokes. We lounged around for a while and toured the small grounds of the hotel. This place was built back in the mid 90's for the construction crews that built the hydro electric plants. It would have been a long trip back and forth to their homes each day with out it. Even though it is only about 15 years old, it looks like it was built 40 years ago and the elements--water and wind--in the valley had done a job on it. Rust is every where along with moss clinging to everything. It is truly an out of the way place. It does have satellite TV, but it is a place to really rest and relax as you are out in the middle of no where up there.

We took off again heading farther up into the mountains and their sheer rock sides to a tunnel near the top. It was literally bored through the mountain side. At about 100 yards long, it was amazing to drive through with lots of water seeping through to top of the tunnel. As we came out the other side, it was like we had entered another world and moved to a different island. While the North section of the island was all sunny and covered with lots of vegetation, the South side was enshrouded in clouds with the look of rain. Even more moss and waterfalls with a huge fresh water lake(the only one on the island) near the bottom. While the signs along the road told us we were approaching a 15% to 20% incline on the road, let me tell you, their protractors are WAY OFF!!! We hit grades approaching 40 percent in many places. It was everything the poor truck could do to get down as well as back up the road. There were numerous culverts in the road for the water that falls along the roadside to get past the road with out washing it out. We declined slowly into the valley. We parked at the bottom near the lake and the two of us hiked along a small road(term used loosely) to the lake. As the water from the hills came across the "road" it made large patches of mud and muck to walk through. It got so deep at some times that it sucked the shoes right off Tracys feet. The back of her pants had a nice covering of mud as she walked along. Since she was wearing a swim suit, she pealed off her pants and stuck them under the falling water to get them clean. It was an amazing valley truly in the heart of Tahiti.

We were now close to the South edge of the island and figured we would just continue to the main road. Oh no, that's not the way it works in the island. One land owner in the valley owns the right to the land that the road covers and he doesn't allow anyone to use the road to get out of the valley. Try that in the US and see what happens. So we reversed course and headed back up the mountain side towards the tunnel the same way we had entered. It was just as amazing on the way out as it was on the way in.

When we left the hotel after lunch, one of the guides stayed behind and we were joined by one of the local girls for the trip in. When we returned to the hotel, our second guide wasn't back yet(he's headed up into the hills I guess) so we took off again(with a new girl) and headed back for town. I guess the second guide will find his own way back to town. As back in the mountains as this is, there was really no shortage of trucks going in and out of the mountains. We finally got back to Yacht Club about 1830 after a marvelous day in the mountains. We have now seen the real Tahiti and not just the big city of Papeete. What a difference a few miles makes.

One thing I forgot, as we made our way along the road, stopping from time to time, we came across wild raspberry plants. The berries are not as hairy as what we have back home, but one of the last things we thought we would see was a raspberry bush in Polynesia.