Category Archives: Daily Journal

In January 1846, the inhabitants of Huahine fought a group of French soldiers and sailors of the ship Uranie. The bodies of twenty-four of the dead soldiers and sailors were buried near the bridge that connects the village of Maeva … Continue reading →

On Huahine, just inland from the fare pōte’e in Maeva, there lies a hiking trail. The trail passes a large mango tree before leading uphill to Marae Tefano. There, at one end of the ahu (altar), a huge banyan tree dominates … Continue reading →

Adjacent to the fare pōte’e in Maeva are several Marae. Like the marae on Raiatea, these marae were sacred and social spaces. Each marae includes a row of standing stones and a paved courtyard. The marae served as places for the … Continue reading →

Maeva was the old capital of Huahine. There, in Maeva, a huge fare pōte’e was reconstructed to house a museum of artifacts unearthed during excavations of archaeological sites in Maeva. The fare pōte’e itself is typical of traditional housing on Huahine, its … Continue reading →

One of the less visited of the Society Islands, Huahine is a gem that most people never see. Today, I’m just showing some of the beauty of Huahine. SOURCE: Huahine 1 (Huahine, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 10 April … Continue reading →

Today, I’m just posting the last of my underwater photos from Raiatea. SOURCE: Scissortail Sergeant Damselfish (Abudefduf sexfasciatus) (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016. SOURCE: Saddled Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko … Continue reading →

I went snorkeling in Raiatea, although snorkeling was not officially part of the excursion I was on. The time was scheduled as a beach break on a public motu. My guide told me there wasn’t much to see snorkeling. As … Continue reading →

Just some views of Raiatea from the lagoon. SOURCE: Raiatea 1 (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016. SOURCE: Raiatoa 1 (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016. SOURCE: Impending … Continue reading →

The Taputapuatea marae in Raiatea includes a number of distinct marae, all contructed in a similar fashion. They all include a paved courtyard, sometimes enclosed by a low wall. All include a number of upright stones that represent the position of … Continue reading →

Before coming to Raiatea, I had not heard of a marae. In Polynesian society, a marae was a sacred space, a rectangular area cleared and bordered with stones or wooden posts. Altars were constructed on which to place offerings to … Continue reading →