Maupiti, French Polynesia

A Society on the Margin


Coral Maze
Small vessel advances along the coral reef inside Maupiti Atoll.
in the middle of the pacific
A blue atoll sea beyond a tropical slope of Maupiti.
Mini-Port
Fishing boats raised over the sea off Maupiti.
Boo
Casario de Vaiea, the main town.
Polynesian Eden
The view from the summit of Mount Teurafaatiu.
Canoeing for real
Native trains in a canoe
coconut bay
Tropical bay of Maupiti with coconut trees over the Pacific Ocean.
velvet shelter
Family rests on a sailboat anchored off Maupiti.
high berthing
Traditional boat moored on the still waters around Maupiti.
Beach Tereia
Peninsula full of coconut trees next to Tereia beach.
Mehari Fashion
Residents in a Citroen Mehari.
tropical coast
Coconut trees protrude from the gentle coast of Maupiti.
Pontoon over coral
Narrow walkway leads to the middle of a vast coral reef inside Maupiti Atoll.
appeal of the sea
Coconut palms from Maupiti lean towards the Pacific Ocean as the islands of the Society archipelago disperse.
Elevated berthing II
Traditional boats moored on the still waters around Maupiti.
Boo II
Vaiea's houses along the foothills of Mount Teurafaatiu, the highest point in Maupiti
In the shadow of neighboring Bora Bora's near-global fame, Maupiti is remote, sparsely inhabited and even less developed. Its inhabitants feel abandoned but those who visit it are grateful for the abandonment.

Ever since we stepped onto the runway at the airport installed in Motu Tuanai, we felt cozy due to its simplicity.

The plane's propellers are still turning but we already have our bags in our hands and a dispatched native presents himself to the service and makes sure we follow him. The airport pier is right next door and despite the air of tupperware old boat, the engine does not disappoint.

We set sail for the turquoise inland lagoon and, as the wind massages us, we approach the verdant heart of Maupiti. A stark-looking green and red Protestant church stands first against the steep slope. Further on, we glimpse the rest of the ground-floor houses and Vaiea, the main village on the island, is complete.

Vaiea, locality, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Casario de Vaiea, the main town.

Vaiea the Unpretentious Capital at the Foot of Monte Teurafaatiu

We disembark in a balancing act across a long board, which is too sloping. As for the high pier, we find the funds of some fares including Chez Manu's, the cheapest pension we'd managed to find in this remote but exasperating domain of Comptoir Français du Pacifique.

Vibrations of Caribbean music reach us from the patio, followed by one of Bob Marley's several hymns of those who, with the most suitable herb, continue to purify the souls of Jah from the vast tropical latitudes. Manu appears out of nowhere.

Dancing is barred, he welcomes us with a drunken hug and invites us to the celebration. “Come to Mommy! I don't know if you knew but today is Mother's Day. Put your things in the room and have a drink.”

The party seems to have passed its deadline. Two or three buddies slumber on folding chairs. Only one friend stays awake and shares the hostess's shaky choreographies. The afternoon is coming to an end, we settle in the secluded room of the house, turn on the tired fan and give in to a greenhouse sleep.

The Possible Foods on an Island Too Alone

A few hours later, hunger awakens us. We went out into the street with dusk giving way to night and we found no traces of the celebration. Not a shadow of a restaurant.

mini port, moored boats, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Traditional boats moored on the still waters around Maupiti.

The sound of a generator and a diffused light catch our attention. The sight of some islanders leaving armed with baguettes suggests that we can get supplies there for the next day, but we don't take long to discard the unambitious wish list.

We ask for yoghurt, drinks or fresh fruit, but beyond the heat, humidity and taro – a common vegetable in the South Pacific – only what comes from overseas canned or, at the very least, full of preservatives is preserved in those parts.

“My friends, it is fortunate that we were able to turn on the chests just now. They will have to choose from what they see outside”. We ended up surrendering to the electrical whims of the place and the evidence. The new day would bring better news.

Those who travel through these insular creations of French Polynesia end up realizing that they cannot leave without conquering the panoramas from their summits.

To the Conquest of Mount Teurafaatiu, the Roof of Maupiti

At first glance, the 380 meters of Mount Teurafaatiu looks like an easy task but we start the ascent later than we're supposed to.

Tropical slope, coconut trees, vegetation, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

A blue atoll sea beyond a tropical slope of Maupiti.

We end up distilling under the atrocious sun, all too often mistaken on slippery paths that disappear between the dense vegetation and the rocks.

During most of the ascent, a huge stone wall limits us to contemplation, but at a certain point, we reached a natural platform and found the totally open scenery we were looking for.

view, Mount Teurafaatiu, sea, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

The view from the summit of Mount Teurafaatiu.

From there, in the foreground, two or three sharp secondary peaks reinforce the haughty feeling. Downwards, the remaining atoll of Maupiti and the shrunken houses of the two villages compete for our gaze.

Further away, a stunning coral network in shades of blue and a sandy and calm sea contained by five moved linked like walls that the ocean continues to tear down.

coral reef, maupiti atoll, Maupiti, society islands, French Polynesia

Small vessel advances along the coral reef inside Maupiti Atoll.

Only the hiss of the breeze and the roar of a boat or chainsaw engine in the distance break the silence. They are the only signs of life breaking one of the most exuberant and rewarding lethargies we have ever witnessed.

However, Pierce Brosnan or any other of the famous and well-heeled frequent guests can at any time descend from their private jets to nearby Bora Bora and unleash a new media tide.

moored sailboat, sea, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Family rests on a sailboat anchored off Maupiti.

The Insignificance of Maupiti, a Genuine Society but on the Edge

Just a few miles away, Maupiti is a world apart as humble as it is ignored. Back on flat terrain, we rented bicycles and as we cycled around the island, we confirm your forced retreat. We want to buy stamps and postcards but the post office is only open twice a week and only from 2pm to 4pm.

residents, citroen mehari, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Residents of Maupiti in an old Citroen Mehari.

Every time one of its 1300 inhabitants needs a hospital or even a medical center worthy of the name, they have to take a flight to Papeete, the capital of great tahiti. Lives have already been lost in this inconvenient transport, but babies have also been born along the way.

In the opposite direction, the few stern (white fur) curious people who land on the island give something to another family and bring some blessed money.

tropical coastline, coconut trees, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Tropical bay of Maupiti with coconut trees over the Pacific Ocean.

For the rest, what is left is fishing and the cultivation of noni the fruit of a homonymous tree (Morinda citrifolia) of the coffee family and with properties that conventional medicine suspects but that both the Polynesian cultural tradition and alternative medicine in several countries have become accustomed to praising.

Oddly enough, it's impossible not to call Maupiti paradise, but these overseas Edens are almost common in endless French Polynesia and metropolitan settler investments don't reach everywhere.

As a rule, the natives complain when they lack opportunities or help, but to compensate, they have all this divine recreation almost all to themselves.

The Atipi Bay Divine Canoeing Circuit

We are still circling around the geological heart of Maupiti as we pass through the bay of Atipiti and continue to Tereia beach. They had already explained to us that we could take the opportunity to cross the lagoon on foot to the solid ground of the motion Auira.

Whenever possible, we keep our eyes on the bottom, looking for rays that can sting and poison us, but the depth increases in certain areas and forces us to walk with our arms in the air, to protect our backpacks and cameras.

It is in these strange preparations that we see four colored canoes moved by determined Polynesian paddlers approaching at great speed. The caravan passes a meter or two from us but ignores us.

canoe, canoeing, native, Maupiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Native trains in a canoe

Rowers continue their competitive navigation around the core of the atoll more concerned with getting the ideal shape for the upcoming inter-island competitions.

Maupiti is part of the Society archipelago but lives a life apart.

Tonga, Western Samoa, Polynesia

XXL Pacific

For centuries, the natives of the Polynesian islands subsisted on land and sea. Until the intrusion of colonial powers and the subsequent introduction of fatty pieces of meat, fast food and sugary drinks have spawned a plague of diabetes and obesity. Today, while much of Tonga's national GDP, Western Samoa and neighbors is wasted on these “western poisons”, fishermen barely manage to sell their fish.
Moorea, French Polynesia

The Polynesian Sister Any Island Would Like to Have

A mere 17km from Tahiti, Moorea does not have a single city and is home to a tenth of its inhabitants. Tahitians have long watched the sun go down and transform the island next door into a misty silhouette, only to return to its exuberant colors and shapes hours later. For those who visit these remote parts of the Pacific, getting to know Moorea is a double privilege.
LifouLoyalty Islands

The Greatest of the Loyalties

Lifou is the island in the middle of the three that make up the semi-francophone archipelago off New Caledonia. In time, the Kanak natives will decide if they want their paradise independent of the distant metropolis.
Cilaos, Reunion Island

Refuge under the roof of the Indian Ocean

Cilaos appears in one of the old green boilers on the island of Réunion. It was initially inhabited by outlaw slaves who believed they were safe at that end of the world. Once made accessible, nor did the remote location of the crater prevent the shelter of a village that is now peculiar and flattered.

Praslin, Seychelles

 

The Eden of the Enigmatic Coco-de-Mer

For centuries, Arab and European sailors believed that the largest seed in the world, which they found on the coasts of the Indian Ocean in the shape of a woman's voluptuous hips, came from a mythical tree at the bottom of the oceans. The sensual island that always generated them left us ecstatic.
Tahiti, French Polynesia

Tahiti Beyond the Cliché

Neighbors Bora Bora and Maupiti have superior scenery but Tahiti has long been known as paradise and there is more life on the largest and most populous island of French Polynesia, its ancient cultural heart.
Papeete, French Polynesia

The Third Sex of Tahiti

Heirs of Polynesian ancestral culture, the Mahu they preserve an unusual role in society. Lost somewhere between the two genders, these men-women continue to fight for the meaning of their lives.
Île-des-Pins, New Caledonia

The Island that Leaned against Paradise

In 1964, Katsura Morimura delighted the Japan with a turquoise novel set in Ouvéa. But the neighboring Île-des-Pins has taken over the title "The Nearest Island to Paradise" and thrills its visitors.
Ouvéa, New Caledonia

Between Loyalty and Freedom

New Caledonia has always questioned integration into faraway France. On the island of Ouvéa, Loyalty Archipelago, we find an history of resistance but also natives who prefer French-speaking citizenship and privileges.
Bora-Bora, Raiatea, Huahine, French Polynesia

An Intriguing Trio of Societies

In the idyllic heart of the vast Pacific Ocean, the Society Archipelago, part of French Polynesia, beautifies the planet as an almost perfect creation of Nature. We explored it for a long time from Tahiti. The last few days we dedicate them to Bora Bora, Huahine and Raiatea.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Serengeti, Great Savannah Migration, Tanzania, wildebeest on river
safari
Serengeti NP, Tanzania

The Great Migration of the Endless Savanna

In these prairies that the Masai people say syringet (run forever), millions of wildebeests and other herbivores chase the rains. For predators, their arrival and that of the monsoon are the same salvation.
Thorong La, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, photo for posterity
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 13th - High camp a Thorong La to Muktinath, Nepal

At the height of the Annapurnas Circuit

At 5416m of altitude, the Thorong La Gorge is the great challenge and the main cause of anxiety on the itinerary. After having killed 2014 climbers in October 29, crossing it safely generates a relief worthy of double celebration.
Architecture & Design
napier, New Zealand

Back to the 30s – Old-Fashioned Car Tour

In a city rebuilt in Art Deco and with an atmosphere of the "crazy years" and beyond, the adequate means of transportation are the elegant classic automobiles of that era. In Napier, they are everywhere.
Tibetan heights, altitude sickness, mountain prevent to treat, travel
Aventura

Altitude Sickness: the Grievances of Getting Mountain Sick

When traveling, it happens that we find ourselves confronted with the lack of time to explore a place as unmissable as it is high. Medicine and previous experiences with Altitude Evil dictate that we should not risk ascending in a hurry.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Look-alikes, Actors and Extras

Make-believe stars

They are the protagonists of events or are street entrepreneurs. They embody unavoidable characters, represent social classes or epochs. Even miles from Hollywood, without them, the world would be more dull.
Victoria, capital, Seychelles islands, Mahé, Capital Life
Cities
Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles

From Francophone “Establishment” to the Creole Capital of Seychelles

The French populated their “Etablissement” with European, African and Indian settlers. Two centuries later, British rivals took over the archipelago and renamed the city in honor of their Queen Victoria. When we visit it, the Seychelles capital remains as multiethnic as it is tiny.
Cocoa, Chocolate, Sao Tome Principe, Agua Izé farm
Lunch time
São Tomé and Principe

Cocoa Roças, Corallo and the Chocolate Factory

At the beginning of the century. In the XNUMXth century, São Tomé and Príncipe generated more cocoa than any other territory. Thanks to the dedication of some entrepreneurs, production survives and the two islands taste like the best chocolate.
Conversation between photocopies, Inari, Babel Parliament of the Sami Lapland Nation, Finland
Culture
Inari, Finland

The Babel Parliament of the Sami Nation

The Sami Nation comprises four countries, which ingest into the lives of their peoples. In the parliament of Inari, in various dialects, the Sami govern themselves as they can.
Spectator, Melbourne Cricket Ground-Rules footbal, Melbourne, Australia
Sport
Melbourne, Australia

The Football the Australians Rule

Although played since 1841, Australian Football has only conquered part of the big island. Internationalization has never gone beyond paper, held back by competition from rugby and classical football.
Cove, Big Sur, California, United States
Traveling
Big Sur, USA

The Coast of All Refuges

Over 150km, the Californian coast is subjected to a vastness of mountains, ocean and fog. In this epic setting, hundreds of tormented souls follow in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and Henri Miller.
Jingkieng Wahsurah, Nongblai Village Roots Bridge, Meghalaya, India
Ethnic
Meghalaya, India

The Bridges of the Peoples that Create Roots

The unpredictability of rivers in the wettest region on Earth never deterred the Khasi and the Jaintia. Faced with the abundance of trees elastic fig tree in their valleys, these ethnic groups got used to molding their branches and strains. From their time-lost tradition, they have bequeathed hundreds of dazzling root bridges to future generations.
Sunset, Avenue of Baobabs, Madagascar
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio

days like so many others

Trycicles, Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Filipinos
History
Bacolod, Philippines

Sweet Philippines

Bacolod is the capital of Negros, the island at the center of Philippine sugar cane production. Traveling through the Far East and between history and contemporaneity, we savor the fascinating heart of the most Latin of Asia.
Islands
São Nicolau, Cape Verde

Photography of Nha Terra São Nicolau

The voice of the late Cesária Verde crystallized the feeling of Cape Verdeans who were forced to leave their island. who visits São Nicolau or, wherever it may be, admires images that illustrate it well, understands why its people proudly and forever call it their land.
Northern Lights, Laponia, Rovaniemi, Finland, Fire Fox
Winter White
Lapland, Finland

In Search of the Fire Fox

Unique to the heights of the Earth are the northern or southern auroras, light phenomena generated by solar explosions. You Sami natives from Lapland they believed it to be a fiery fox that spread sparkles in the sky. Whatever they are, not even the nearly 30 degrees below zero that were felt in the far north of Finland could deter us from admiring them.
silhouette and poem, Cora coralina, Goias Velho, Brazil
Literature
Goiás Velho, Brazil

The Life and Work of a Marginal Writer

Born in Goiás, Ana Lins Bretas spent most of her life far from her castrating family and the city. Returning to its origins, it continued to portray the prejudiced mentality of the Brazilian countryside
Meeting of the waters, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Nature
Manaus, Brazil

Meeting the Meeting of the Waters

The phenomenon is not unique, but in Manaus it has a special beauty and solemnity. At a certain point, the Negro and Solimões rivers converge on the same Amazonas bed, but instead of immediately mixing, both flows continue side by side. As we explore these parts of the Amazon, we witness the unusual confrontation of the Encontro das Águas.
Girl plays with leaves on the shore of the Great Lake at Catherine Palace
Autumn
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Golden Days Before the Storm

Aside from the political and military events precipitated by Russia, from mid-September onwards, autumn takes over the country. In previous years, when visiting Saint Petersburg, we witnessed how the cultural and northern capital was covered in a resplendent yellow-orange. A dazzling light that hardly matches the political and military gloom that had spread in the meantime.
Prayer flags in Ghyaru, Nepal
Natural Parks
Annapurna Circuit: 4th – Upper Banana to Ngawal, Nepal

From Nightmare to Dazzle

Unbeknownst to us, we are faced with an ascent that leads us to despair. We pulled our strength as far as possible and reached Ghyaru where we felt closer than ever to the Annapurnas. The rest of the way to Ngawal felt like a kind of extension of the reward.
gaudy courtship
UNESCO World Heritage
Suzdal, Russia

Thousand Years of Old Fashioned Russia

It was a lavish capital when Moscow was just a rural hamlet. Along the way, it lost political relevance but accumulated the largest concentration of churches, monasteries and convents in the country of the tsars. Today, beneath its countless domes, Suzdal is as orthodox as it is monumental.
Zorro's mask on display at a dinner at the Pousada Hacienda del Hidalgo, El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico
Characters
El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico

Zorro's Cradle

El Fuerte is a colonial city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. In its history, the birth of Don Diego de La Vega will be recorded, it is said that in a mansion in the town. In his fight against the injustices of the Spanish yoke, Don Diego transformed himself into an elusive masked man. In El Fuerte, the legendary “El Zorro” will always take place.
conversation at sunset
Beaches
Boracay, Philippines

The Philippine Beach of All Dreams

It was revealed by Western backpackers and the film crew of “Thus Heroes are Born”. Hundreds of resorts and thousands of eastern vacationers followed, whiter than the chalky sand.
Young people walk the main street in Chame, Nepal
Religion
Annapurna Circuit: 1th - Pokhara a ChameNepal

Finally, on the way

After several days of preparation in Pokhara, we left towards the Himalayas. The walking route only starts in Chame, at 2670 meters of altitude, with the snowy peaks of the Annapurna mountain range already in sight. Until then, we complete a painful but necessary road preamble to its subtropical base.
Train Fianarantsoa to Manakara, Malagasy TGV, locomotive
On Rails
Fianarantsoa-Manakara, Madagascar

On board the Malagasy TGV

We depart Fianarantsoa at 7a.m. It wasn't until 3am the following morning that we completed the 170km to Manakara. The natives call this almost secular train Train Great Vibrations. During the long journey, we felt, very strongly, those of the heart of Madagascar.
Kogi, PN Tayrona, Guardians of the World, Colombia
Society
PN Tayrona, Colombia

Who Protects the Guardians of the World?

The natives of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta believe that their mission is to save the Cosmos from the “Younger Brothers”, which are us. But the real question seems to be, "Who protects them?"
Casario, uptown, Fianarantsoa, ​​Madagascar
Daily life
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

The Malagasy City of Good Education

Fianarantsoa was founded in 1831 by Ranavalona Iª, a queen of the then predominant Merina ethnic group. Ranavalona Iª was seen by European contemporaries as isolationist, tyrant and cruel. The monarch's reputation aside, when we enter it, its old southern capital remains as the academic, intellectual and religious center of Madagascar.
Tombolo and Punta Catedral, Manuel António National Park, Costa Rica
Wildlife
PN Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Costa Rica's Little-Big National Park

The reasons for the under 28 are well known national parks Costa Ricans have become the most popular. The fauna and flora of PN Manuel António proliferate in a tiny and eccentric patch of jungle. As if that wasn't enough, it is limited to four of the best typical beaches.
The Sounds, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Fiordland, New Zealand

The Fjords of the Antipodes

A geological quirk made the Fiordland region the rawest and most imposing in New Zealand. Year after year, many thousands of visitors worship the sub-domain slashed between Te Anau and Milford Sound.