travel south pacific french polynesia tahiti papeete la presidence
HEADLINE: MEETING OF HEADS OF STATE - FRENCH POLYNESIAN PRESIDENT TEMARU HOSTS EX YACHATS MAYOR CHAMBERLIN
Although we had gotten home phone numbers for President Temaru from a mutual friend who had stayed with his family a few years before,
we were reluctant to put his family on the spot with a direct call to his home.
Instead we went to the Tourist Bureau where they spoke French and asked there if they could call his offices and see if he was in and could see us.
We found out from his office that he was in, but, as you would expect, we ran into a lot of red tape.
However, we set off to La Presidence with a simple letter of explanation and some gifts from our mutual friend.
Our first attempt finally got us into La Presidence to his secretery where she took the open letter and gifts but said he was too busy today to meet with us.
By the time we had worked our way out through the building to the security booth, he had read the letter, called the booth, and invited us back in.
He is a very charming and charismatic man and we met with him for about fifteen or twenty minutes and discussed our mutual friend, a visit he had made to Oregon,
and his recent political experiences going in and out of office. He presented us with shell lais and agreed to have his secretary take a photo for us.
When we got back near the Tourist Bureau, we passed the young lady on the street who had helped us make the original calls.
She had been flabbergasted that she got through to the president's office. She was more flabbergasted that we got in to see him.
LINK TO WIKIPEDIA'S PAGE ON TAHITI
LINK TO WIKIPEDIA'S PAGE ON FRENCH POLYNESIA
TRAVEL: 2007
This location has earned an four star (very good+) rating from
Travel Fanatics Unlimited
*****
unless noted otherwise all images copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc
A special audience with independence-minded French Polynesian President Oscar Temaru at La Presidence, Papeete, Tahiti, 2007.
(photo of meeting by staff)
This is the young tourism girl who directed us to the La Presidence and who was surprised we got in to see the president, Papeete, Tahiti, 2007.
(photo by Lynn Chamberlin)
This was sa separate government building where the French Polynesian Assembly met, Papeete, Tahiti, 2007.
copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc
page last revised september 2022