Thursday Feb 12, 2026
Hi Folks! Just another day in paradise! Today we are docked in Raiatea in French Polynesia. It is the second largest island in the Society archipelago, and serves as the administrative center for the Leeward Islands. Known historically as Havai’i Nui, it is recognized as the spiritual center of the Polynesian Triangle. That triangle goes from Hawaii to Easter Island to New Zealand.
So we did a trip to the most spiritual spot on the island called Marae Taputapuatea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and considered the first known human settlement in Eastern Polynesia around 1000 AD. There was a large stone area where people were sacrificed. (I was worried some ghosts would show up!). It actually was a beautiful setting right along the ocean.
We also stopped at a few photo stops to take in the beauty of the island. We rode in a vehicle they called “Le Truck” and it was actually a school bus with no air conditioning! But it wasn’t too bad since we could put the windows down and there was a nice breeze. We had a native local with lots of interesting body art and tattoos as our guide and we got a picture with him.
After our tour we got back on the ship and grabbed a late lunch. We’re here until 9 PM tonight so we’ll be going out later for a fun adventure. I’ll update you on that later. Hope everyone’s having a great Thursday!
PS: I’ll let the beautiful pictures do most of the talking!
The Wandering Italian 