Whoa pine trees! Look at the giant grapefruit… and check out the view!!!
These were our impressions during our first hike in Mangareva, to Mokoto Peak. The Gambier Islands are special because the whole archipelago is within a protected lagoon and there are multiple islands with nice hikes.
The temperatures are also cooler which means there is quite an array of tropical to temperate plants, including cathedral-like groves of pine trees that we saw during this hike. When we got to the top, an astounding view was had…
Note: This is our first attempt at posting by email from Rikitea’s wifi, let’s see if it works. Their internet is ultra slow but occasionally we get lucky…
Green Coconut Run 
That’s actually a pomelo, an ancestor to the grapefruit.
That was an extraordinary hike starting with pine trees leaving slippery needles underneath making the steep slopes particularly challenging and culminating with howling winds. But was it worth it? Absolutely! The views were spectacular in every direction. The waters varying in hue from deep indigo blue to vibrant turquoise. The reef of the encircling Gambian archipelago clearly visible. Amazing!
Michael.
So glad we motivated to hike on that sunny day! And that we pushed to the top, it was quite strenuous.