Stamps
Colorful and artistic in design, Tahitian stamps
depict the flora, fauna, people, history, and culture of the
islands, each one a mini travel poster for this exotic paradise.
Stamps can be purchased throughout the islands, but keen philatelists
should head for the main post office in Papeete. A reliable
subscription service is available to those not wanting to miss
new releases.
Robert
Louis Stevenson
Arriving in Polynesia in 1888 aboard the Casco,
the author of Treasure Island settled for two months in the
village of Tautira on the island of Tahiti. Seduced by the profusion
of tropical flowers and spectacular ocean views, he described
Tautira as "a paradise with the friendliest people in the world."
 Tama'ara'a
and Ahima'a
The ground oven, ahima'a in Tahitian, is at
once a way of cooking, a ritual and an occasion to get together
with friends and family for a tama'ara'a. Suckling pig, mahimahi,
taro, 'umara (sweet potato), 'uru (breadfruit), and fafa (chopped
taro leaves) are wrapped and placed on red-hot stones in an
earthen-covered pit for several hours of patient cooking.
Tamanu
Oil
The large, unusual ati tree grows wild in Polynesia.
It produces a perfumed white flower and, later, a small fruit,
the tamanu-which tastes a bit like an apple. The fruit's kernel
contains the tamanu nut which, when dried in the sun, becomes
high in oil content. The Tahitians learned to extract the tamanu
oil and use it for skin care, as a natural sunburn lotion and
moisturizer.
 Tapa
Cloth
 Ornamental
tapa cloth, made from the pounded and pulped bark of a tree,
is still being produced today employing the same methods that
were used hundreds of years before the first European set foot
in the South Pacific.
 Tattoo
Revered as an ancient Polynesian art form, tattoos,
or tatau, are a badge of honor, a sign of courage, a testament
of manhood. Prized possessions for which islanders are prepared
to endure months of agony, tattoos form an important part of
the social structure because they pass along stories about legendary
ancestors and important chiefs.
 Tattooing
 As
a sign of status and beauty, early Marquesans covered their
bodies with tattoos. Tattooing is, today, experiencing a revival,
and the rich tradition of meanings is being passed on. Common
motifs include tiki faces, dancing figures, fishing nets, shark
teeth, coconut fronds, fish tails, and pandanus ... all important
icons connecting the islanders to the natural elements.
 Tiare
Worn behind the ear, in the hair, made into
leis and hei (floral crowns), the fragrant, white, star-shaped
flower of the gardenia tahitensis is the national emblem of
Tahiti. When placed behind the left ear of a vahine it signifies
"my heart is taken," and behind the right ear, "my heart is
still to be taken."
 Tiare
Apetahi
According to legend, this delicate white flower is the hand
of an island princess who proclaimed, as she died in her lover's
arms, "Every morning when you come to the mountain, I will give
you my hand to caress." As proof of its unique nature, the tiare
apetahi cannot be transplanted and grows nowhere else in the
world except on the slopes of Raiatea's Mount Temehani.
 Tifaifai
Quilts
A relatively recent art form, the tifaifai reflects the sense
of color and design so dear to Polynesians. It was just 200
years ago that missionary wives showed Tahitian women how to
use small pieces of colored fabric to form what today has become
a treasured wedding gift.
Le
truck
Tahiti's most famous form of transport is the inimitable le
truck. These converted cargo vehicles offer an inexpensive and
often entertaining way to get around. Hop aboard, exchange smiles
with shy Tahitians as you bounce your way along, then pay the
driver when you get off. It's not only cheap, it's fun!
 Vanilla
The variety vanilla tahitensis, created at the end of the 19th
century, is the most widely cultivated in French Polynesia.
It has an exceptional aroma, and its beans are plumper, shinier
and richer in oil than those of other species. The islands of
Huahine and Taha'a are famous for their vanilla plantations.
 Samuel
Wallis
The French were not the first Europeans to visit Tahiti. Before
the aristocratic Bougainville sailed into one of Tahiti's majestic
inlets and dropped anchor, English explorer Samuel Wallis had
been and gone. Wallis, who claimed the island for Great Britain
and named it King George Island, stopped only long enough to
allow his men to recover from scurvy.
 Wedding
Ceremonies
Couples wanting to exchange vows in a traditional Tahitian ceremony
may do so at several locations in the islands. The most authentic
and spectacular ceremony is offered by the Tiki Village on Moorea.
Dressed as a Tahitian princess and chief, the bride and groom
are wed at a marae (stone temple), to the songs and dances of
local villagers. Details on Weddings
in Tahiti.
 Woven
Hats
First introduced by the missionaries, Tahitian hats are modeled
on European styles but made with local materials, such as reed,
bamboo and pandanus. Attractive and reasonably priced, they're
the perfect headwear to protect modern-day beachcombers from
an overdose of South Pacific sun.
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