I Want To Sail That Boat To Tahiti

Our clocks were all messed up (internally) so we woke up at 4:30 am; 5:30 am; and finally 6Am to try and find the sunrise. Smell of flowers was awesome. Sunrise was on other side of the island, but the colors over the mountain were beautiful. Also got to see the color of the sunrise reflect onto Moorea, across the Channel. Showered (finally!!), packed, went to breakfast. Yummy buffet, omelets, fresh fruits and juices, etc… Got bags, checked out, and went through Papeete to the ferry – Aremini 5. Sat in first row of ferry inside, great view of entire approach to Moorea. Had a beer. The whole thing reminded me of a favorite song.

Not sure what to do once on dry land; finally found a local bus (think whitewater rafting school bus) that slowly took us to the IC. Got to appreciate the amazing scenery on the ride there. Overcast and clouds at the mountaintops. Passed Cook’s Bay, which (supposedly) inspired Buffett to pen “One Particular Harbour”. Jen realized that the constant whitecaps were NOT a continuous line of boats in the distance, but the waves crashing on the reef. With a little difficulty, finally checked in – our Platinum Ambassador status upgraded us from beach front to semi-OW bungalow. T.J. used difficultly checking in as excuse to open computer and get on internet. Meanwhile jen enjoyed welcome drink at the bar. :) Got to our room – awesome décor, deck over small lagoon that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Can see ocean while laying in bed. Took a walk around property. Passed the turtle rehabilitation center – didn’t know turtles had substance abuse problems. Checked out the gym, which is free and we probably won’t use. Checked out the spa, which is definitely NOT free and which we definitely WILL use. Wandered past dolphin habitat, where you can swim with dolphins (tomorrow). Checked out the beach area, and pool, and the dive center. Jen says she is trying a resort type dive (3 total dives) and if she likes it, she can finish the course and get certified in Bora Bora. If she doesn’t, it’s back to diving with Fred for T.J.

Had a poolside lunch of sashimi tuna in a coconut milk and lime sauce w/cut up cucumbers, onions, and tomoatoes, over rice. MMMMM. Also had slivers of swordfish and whitefish with a dish of mango sorbet, diced cucumbers, and onions. Also was mmmmm, even if it sounds funny at first. Both are traditional Polynesian dishes. Had a bottle of water, a sea breeze, and a soco and coke and the tab for lunch was $90 USD. Ouch. Came back to room, found a complimentary bottle of champagne in the room, and a tshirt for t.j., a wrap for jen, and a small Tahitian scroll painting. Took our first dip in the water – was slightly chilly at first, but felt so good after a minute. Tested out the water-resistant camera and our snorkel equipment – both worked great. Not a ton of fish or good snorkel sights, but still pretty darn cool. Napped on the oversized sofa with the breeze coming in the door. Decided to walk to the grocery store that we had read about online and passed on the way here; except the one we read about was past the hotel by only 10 minutes or so on foot, and the one we went to was a good half hour+ hike in the other direction. Oops. Jen’s first “Sharpe Adventure” of her married life. Get used to it sweetheart. :) We stocked up on some bread, cheese, fruit juice, snacks, and a couple of bottles of wine. On the way back, Jen almost knocked over a sign for a small side of the road restaurant, and gave the only patrons a good chuckle. Lucky for us, she must have been entertaining, since the couple who saw us picked us up in their car a few minutes later. Turns out they are staying at our hotel, and they are from Philly to boot!! They gave us some good advice on things to do. We got home, popped open the champagne, cheese, and bread, and did this little blog of our first day in French Polynesia, sitting on our deck, sipping champagne, and watching the day turn into evening with some amazing dark colors (no sunset tonight b/c of clouds, but made for some amazing blue, purple, and aqua hues in the sky).

So after we were done this little blog, Jen looked out the front door and saw that the sunset was actually happening on the other side of our bungalow. We quickly ran over to a small bridge to see the remnants of what must have been an amazing sunset. The colors were unlike anything either of us had seen before. It was spectacular, and we can’t wait to actually see the sun go down on Wednesday. We’ve seen a lot of sunsets before (especially all of Dad’s pictures) but this one by far was the most amazing. Will try and send pics. Napped again while the breeze blew into the hut from the ocean, then finally got up and went to dinner. Both of us were half asleep for dinner, which was very good – Jen had a great piece of Mahi, and T.J. had a curry-sauce piece of Kangaroo. It was actually REALLY good, although I have a case of the hops. :) we brought the bottle of wine back to the hotel room with us and had about two sips before we passed out on (one of) our favorite places, the sofa next to the open door of the bungalow’s deck.