1400 years ago bold Polynesians navigated their sailed, double-hulled catamarans from Southeast Asia to discover and populate the Society Islands, now known as French Polynesia, a land of jagged peaks and rugged terrain formed by no-longer-active volcanoes.

I was impressed with every view - from the beautiful, curved shorelines and sparkling lagoons to the dramatic pinnacles towering above the islands, their peaks disappearing into the clouds.

The largest of the islands is Tahiti whose sheltered harbor, Papeete, welcomes ships from everywhere in the world. The outer islands, sparsely inhabited and far more scenic than Tahiti, were the places from which, in earlier times, migrations eventually arrived in Hawaii.

To adequately view the striking panoramas I traveled by boat, by car, and by helicopter. Each new vista was breathtaking in its raw, impregnable power.