Last year when Marc's family was showing me around Tahiti island, they stopped by a pebbly black sand beach (the first I had seen in my life). Next to it was a bit of road which had been fenced off. On the other side of the fence, I was told there was a tourist attraction of Tahiti that had been closed for a while due to some apparent dangers. Approaching the fence, there was no one around the area, and I really had no idea where we were going or what I was going to see. The family pointed out a crevice in the rock wall on the other side of the road, and told me to go take a photo with it. At this point I wasn't too sure what the big excitement was... it was a hole in the rocks after all... but I figured what the heck. I walked up to the hole to pose for a photo, and they kept telling me to go closer to the hole. When I was told to "look at it!" I had this dreaded feeling of oh no... what's going to comes out of the hole? What came out was not what I expected at all! It is called the Arahoho Blowhole (Trou du Souffleur de Arahoho in French) but locals will just call it Trou du Souffleur. It's currently closed due to some road improvements but should be opening soon.
0 Comments
An iPhone video filmed on Manihi Island, French Polynesia. Hermit crabs varying in sizes are commonly found on the shores of French Polynesian islands. Marc teaches us how Tahitians use hermit crabs as bait for fishing.
This is the cone shell (aka, cone snail, conus purpurascens) - one of the things you need to be wary of when visiting French Polynesia.
A very modest-looking specimen, this sea shell should not be collected as your souvenir of Tahiti. It can be found in shallow ocean waters and coral reefs of the pacific ocean.
Shooting its venom through a harpoon-like dart, the venom of the cone shell contains the most powerful neurotoxin in the world. Did you know that it was this very venom that was used as the ingredient to shoot down the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. (Okay it's a fictional book/film, but so what! It was imagined as THE ingredient to use against the mighty dinosaurs). There is a local legend in Tahiti that once a tourist picked up a cone shell out of interest, ignorant to what it was. He stored it in the pocket of his shorts, and a short while later the snail shot its venom and the tourist died. Gee, thanks for making me feel so secure about Tahitian waters. Though apparently the snail is quite slow to come out of its shell, so as long as you stay away from them and don't touch them, you'll be right. See the sea snail in action!
Did.... Did you just see that? :| Fascinating, but slightly disturbing.
What seems to have become a trendy piece of footwear in Australia, is really quite the opposite in Tahiti. These shoes are commonly worn by Tahitians for the purpose of hiking and protecting their feet from nasty stonefish. Not because they think they are cool.
Worse than mosquitoes are the pesky sandflies, "Ouch! I've been bit by a nono!" See more tahitian words of the day here.
The tahitian word of the day is Painapo! And it comes from the English term.
If you think you've eaten a good pineapple, wait until you try the pineapple in Tahiti. In the heart of Tuauru Valley lies a cascade. It's not a place where tourists normally go. This is the authentic Tahiti. View this photo essay in collaboration with Tahitian local, Marc.
Next to Papeete lies a might mountain called Mt Aorai, sweeping past the city at a height of 2066m. If you are sick of beaches and water activities on your tahitian adventure, why don't you head to the mountains? Mt Aorai provides some of the best views on the island. It's a hard but rewarding climb, and is highly recommended for anyone with a couple days to spare in Tahiti. Moorea island can easily be seen in the distance. If you're feeling adventurous and want to escape the hot weather, read this photo essay on how to climb Aorai.
Teahupo'o (Teh-ya-hu-po-o) is Tahitian for 'Wall of Skulls'.According to locals, the name Teahupo'o came from a rivalry against the tribes in Tahiti centuries ago. Other tribes came to invade the local tribe in Teahupo'o, but the locals were victorious and hence created a wall made from the skulls of the invaders. Some say this was also done to scare off anyone else who tried to invade the territory. This spot is now known as Teahupoo (commonly pronounced as choe-poo or chopes by English-speakers) and is famous for its giant barrel waves reaching up to 7-8 metres. Attracting the world's best surfers and holding the annual Billabong Pro Surf Competition, it is known to be one of the most dangerous, heaviest, scariest, deadliest waves in the world, causing countless numbers of injuries and even deaths. But what may seem like a place of absolute terror is not always the case. The beaches around Teahupo'o can be unbelievably calm and tranquil. Who could have known it was a place lined with a wall of skulls. These photos taken by Marc show you another side to Teahupo'o that you might not have known. |
AuthorJo Tsai Archives
November 2015
Categories
All
|