Dia de Los Muertos

November 1^st is Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, but they also celebrate here in Polynesia. It is not quite the same, no festivals or big parties. But they do decorate the graves of their deceased. My friend Corinne McKittrick, who has recently retired from the Department of Tahitian Culture, took me around to see a few of the grave yards and beautiful flowers.

First stop was the Catholic graveyard. It is on a hill in Fa'a'a above the airport.

Many of the graves are white and have a sand covering.

The beautiful tropical flowers were so lovely.

This is a very old unknown grave, but still someone put a plant there.

Next stop was the downtown Papeete graveyard. This one is not of any particular religion, but many of the important historical figures are buried here.

Some of the gravestones go back to the 17 & 18 hundreds, like this one.

This was for some of the French military who were killed in the take over of the islands.

The gravestones is this yard vary in style tremendously depending on how much money the family has.

The flowers are still spectacular, even if they are not in a mausoleum.

This grave site is made in the style of a traditional marae. Apparently the man's wife died and he carried each of these stones on his bicycle to the graveyard and built it by hand himself. He is now buried in there with her. It was my favorite!

More white with raked sand and lovely flowers.

A big family grave made with pink marble.

Even the older gravestones are marked with flowers this day.

Many of the graves around the islands we have seen have rooftops built over them to keep the rain from eroding away the stones.

Women placing flowers on family graves.

This is Corinne's family, including her grandmother.

This guy obviously like to drink Hinano beer and must have been a fisherman or sailor.

The split leaf philodendron plant is lovely with the sand and other flowers.

This was the last King of Polynesia, so it is also somewhat like a marae.

The last two Queens were both named Pomare, but the princess is buried with her husbands family as well.

A big family marble covered gravestone. Notice on some they put a photo of the person above them. That is kind of nice.

This main graveyard is huge and we only saw part of it.

Marlin Brando's daughter was buried with her boyfriend's family.

Such a sad story. He was killed in a car accident before they got married and she could not live with out him, so she took her life. Mr. Brando ask special permission for the boyfriend's family to allow them to be buried together. He had several Polynesian wives and many children here after making the film the Bounty. This version of the Bounty seems to be the favorite of all the locals. (the film was made 3 times). Marlin Brando bought the atoll of Tetiaroa near Tahiti, which used to be the island of the King's family. The Pomare's bequeathed it to their dentist Dr. Williams, who was the British Consul to French Polynesia from 1916 to 1935. Marlin Brando bought it in 1965 and used it as his private family island until he died. He then gave it back to the Polynesian government. It is now a day trip tourist destination and you can take a catamaran there from the down town marina. Maybe we will someday, since there is no pass into the lagoon and no place to anchor.