Two Exports

A good, fast boat will cover a lot of ground in a day’s time.


While we were looking for good places to snorkel, we visited two very interesting places.

They were “Oyster” and “Vanilla” farms.
Except for these two crops, most things on these islands are imported.

It takes a long time to harvest both of these items,

but they are well worth the effort it takes for success.
They can be a nice “side line” for making ends meet.

And they are some of the BEST in the world.

A nice 11 mm “black pearl” can cost $1000, and although I don’t know the price of vanilla,

I know it’s hard to find the good “pure” stuff.

A Small "GREEN" Tahitian Island

This was one of the more interesting forays we had on the islands.

It was spent speeding along the coast in a “fast” twin hull boat.

We visited a “private island” that was powered by “solar cells”.

The electricity was stored in large "marine batteries".

Everything on the island was ran by DC current.

All the lighting at night was provided by fluorescent DC bulbs.

The rain water was caught and stored in large fiberglass tanks.

If hot water was needed, it was also heated by solar panels.

All cooking was done on an “open fire” and the “fresh fish” they cooked was the best I’ve ever eaten.

This was a very GREEN ecological experience.

I was glad we visited this place.

Sights Along the Country Roads

As I mentioned earlier, life is simple here, and the “important things” are provided by the French Government.
In simple terms: That means ALL the infrastructure!

They provide the roads, the water, and the electrical power. They also provide "free" healthcare and a good education.

But the greatest joy, of these islands, is its simplicity and stress free lifestyle.

It was great to just drive around, see the sights, swim, and take in the skylines.

The other modes of transportation are bike, scooter, le truck, and outrigger canoe.

Here are a few of the things we saw while driving the perimeter of the many islands.

Sting Rays

I’ve done a lot of "snorkeling" in the ocean.

But I’ve never “Hand Fed” a Sting Ray.

This guy was “comfortable” serving them breakfast.

I was lucky to capture it on film!

Tahiti

I admired the simple uninhibited life of the Tahitian Islands. Many of these islands are sparsely populated and can be enjoyed by renting a car and viewed leisurely in a few hours. On a few gallons of gas we drove completely around several of them.

All the basic infrastructure of French Polynesia is furnished by the government and the people seemed very happy to me. I learned to admire the French speaking people, and literally, found this place as close to paradise as life can get.

There’s not the glitter of skyscrapers, crime, and the social ills that befalls us here in America.

Among the islands, I saw a good example of what is really important in life. When the needs of food, shelter, and clothing are met, the rest of life is what you make it.

It’s a shame life, in the US, has been reduced to a struggle to financially survive medical bills and put food on the table for many families. And a good education can cost a family a small fortune.

Life’s not like that in these islands….

Russian Churches

There were a lot churches in Russia, some more beautiful than others, but still lots of churches. I had always been led to believe that religion was banished in this part of the world but I didn’t find this to be the case.

Still true to my basic outlook about people in all parts of the world, we all have more in common than differences.

Here are a few of the many churches we saw while traveling along the Volga River between Moscow and St. Petersburg.