It's Ova Joey, It's Ova

Day 20 – Moorea Day 7

Since I left home on September 25^th to start this amazing trip, I’ve not had one episode of insomnia. Not even a mild one. Each night I crawled into bed rather early, was asleep in minutes and stayed that way for a good 7-8 hours. It was a thing of beauty. I used to sleep like that every night. 

Last night, I was awake until 2am, tossing and turning and when I finally did go to sleep, I woke up at least once every hour. UGH Of course, when the alarm went off this morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. But out I got and into the shower.

I headed over to the restaurant at the hotel for a continental breakfast. They did have a decent spread of “cold” food. Lots of fresh fruit, lunch meat, cheeses, cereal, yogurt, assorted decadent pastries and breads, several kinds of fresh juice, water, coffee and tea. I tried to savor every slice of fresh pineapple, papaya and those cute tiny bananas. I think I could have lived life on those and a fresh baguette!

After I checked out, I went down to the reception desk and asked if they would print me an up to date summary of charges. I guess I should have expected it when the place charges 1875 for a pina colada and 500 for a can of soda. The cost of that breakfast: 3210. But Ehh, we live once!

I was given access to a transit room where I could shower and change before I needed to leave. It’s basically just a room with a shower, sink, chair and table that they clean and restock with new towels, shampoo etc. Nice touch as they couldn’t give me a late check out this morning.

So, I spent about 3 hours sitting under an umbrella by the pool trying to memorize everything. It was overcast but not raining and I think maybe that made it a bit easier to leave. The colors were not nearly as vivid. I got into that water a few times and finally it was time for me to shower and get ready to go.

My shuttle arrived on time and took another couple and me to the ferry landing. We boarded the ferry for the trip back to Papeete. The water was pretty choppy going across but it felt like a rocking chair to me.

Once back in Papeete, all the available taxis at the ferry landing had disappeared, so I got a nice workout in by lugging all my baggage about ½ a mile to another taxi stand I knew of. But before I hired that cab, I stopped at The Retro bar and café for a final Hinano. Sigh

$20 for a ride to the airport and the poor old man driving the cab could not lift my bag into the back of his minivan. So, I hoicked it up there and off we went. I arrived at the Open Air Tahiti International Airport where it felt like it was at least 100 in the shade. I was dripping sweat. Ugh. The time was about 7PM. We waited until 830PM until the signs were put up showing you where to queue to sign in for your flight.

Then I had to march to another office “down there a bit” to get my VAT tax refund processed for the pearl I bought. Finally, you got to queue for the pre-queue for security. Then, after being scrutinized by some sort of guard and asked a few questions, you could continue queueing and finally make it passport control, where you are again questioned about your trip. Finally you are off through the actual security line.

I got stopped in security because they spotted manicure scissors in my carry-on. They searched my bag and took out the offending scissors because they had a ‘point’. I think this was wrong but didn’t want to get put on the TSA naughty list so I just said.. Ooops, sorry. The guy filled out a form and make me sign it. It was all in French. I said what does this say? He said, Just that the scissors were yours. Oooooooook!

After waiting another half a lifetime, it was finally boarding time—11:40PM flight. You walked out of the terminal and across the tarmac, in the rain, to a covered set of very steep stairs. You schlep aboard with all your carry-on. As I walking to the jet, I saw this man, carrying this disgustingly dirty plastic handled bag with stains on it that looked like blood. He was very dirty looking and when I got closer to him, he smelled awful. My seat companion for the next 8 hours? BINGO He was wearing shorts as was I and his wiry leg hair kept touching my leg freaking me out once we got seated.  

I asked the stewardess if she could move me… NO CAN DO. What could I do? I reached down into my carry-on and pulled out my trusty bottle of Ativan, took a couple, inflated my travel pillow, covered up with a blanket and faced the window. And thank the Good Lord, I slept like the dead until we got about 1 ½ hours from LA.

Breakfast was being served so I ate my crepe and fruit, left the yogurt, tried one of the bisquity crackers and left the other two on the tray. Unfortunately, my seatmate is still there, stinking and in addition, has taken off this shoes so I could view his lovely thickened and discolored toenails. He is also playing chess on the seat back monitor and every few minutes he utters in a thick German accent, I VIN AGAIN.

As I handed my tray back to the flight attendant, my man snatched the open bisquits from the tray and picked the (unopened) yogurt out of her trashcan. Oh yes, pure class. Swear to God! I couldn’t make this stuff up.

I reached down for my trusty carry-on and got out my little package of handi-wipes, that I personally think smell like some sort of petroleum product, and proceeded to wipe down all the surfaces in and around my seat and seat tray area to overpower some of the stench. Now, all I smelled was ‘gas station’. A huge improvement.

I fumbled my way through Customs at LAX although it was fairly painless and actually organized. My next flight was on Southwest so my bags and I made the trip from TBIT to Terminal 1 and checked in for the flight to Phoenix.

Quick flight and I was in Phoenix phoning Miss Lindsey to pick me up. Off we went to my hotel. I was staying at a very nice Holiday Inns and Suites near the airport. After I showered and disinfected myself, we set off again. We drove to her apartment and she showed me all her new shelving and some new decorating in the bedroom. Their place is looking nice.

Once Ryan got home from work, we all chatted a bit about my trip and then we were off to Pappadeaux’s for dinner. OMG that place is amazing. We had the best dinner. Started off with a dozen raw Blue Point oysters and a seafood trio appetizer to share (Salmon, Alligator Tail & Crab Dip. A crusty baguette appeared and then our dinners. Ryan got the Shrimp and Oysters on some sort of Spinach Risotto. Lindsey got the special—Halibut topped with Scallops and Shrimp served atop Dirty Rice. I got the Costa Rican Mahi topped with crab served over Dirty Rice and Asparagus.

Then we had desserts---3 of them.  Pumpkin Cheesecake, Hazelnut Cheesecake and Hazelnut caramel Bread Pudding. Can you say STUFFED????????  I love this place.

I’m very tired and have the rest of this long journey home tomorrow. It was so good seeing my kids, even if we only spent a few hours together. They caught me up on what’s going on in their lives and I got to hug and kiss them in person! I am most certainly most blessed. Life is very, very good.

Mauru-uru and Nana!

Things I will miss:

·         The millions of shades of blue.

·         Healthy coral reefs

·         New friends

·         The weather

·         Hearing La’orana every place I go

·         Sleeping like the dead

·         Hearing the roosters crowing all the time

·         Seeing the stars with little light pollution

·         Being in the water every day

·         Waking up to ‘that’ view

·         The soft feeling of the air at night

·         Fresh Pineapple

·         Fresh flowers perfuming the air

·         Baguettes for less than 100

·         Crepes

·         Fresh coconut

·         The fact that you will never starve here because you can find fresh fruit trees everywhere and the fish is plentiful.

·         There is no place Flip-flops are not acceptable

·

Things I will not miss:

·         3210 for a Continental breakfast at the hotel

·         84000 dogs running lose all over the islands

·         Blisters on my feet

·         Mosquitoes

·         Having to pay for water

·         Men with serious man-scaping needs