Tahiti Cruise

The first several days of our vacation were spent in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton. We had perfect weather and spent a lot of time walking around and enjoying the parks and walking paths of Beverly Hills’ and window shopping along the way. Each morning we enjoyed our elegant breakfast buffet and planned our days very leisurely. This was the perfect way to adjust our bodies to the time difference and prepare for the next few weeks. Sunday we left for the airport at 12:30 and we returned the car and checked in with Tahiti Nui Airlines. We waited in the upstairs lounge until it was time to go through security. We boarded the plane late but the service on our flight was quite good. We arrived in Papeete, Tahiti at 10:30 pm local time which was almost 2 hours late and 4:30 EST. We got our luggage and were met by the RSSC staff where we received lei’s which smelled very sweet. It was time to board a bus, oh joy, more sitting, for the hotel and this procedure took forever. We made it to the hotel by midnight- checked-in, admired our beautiful suite, and we were in bed by 12:30 am. It had bed a long uneventful journey. Oh yeah, it was 90 degrees when we arrived!!

Today is ours to rest and relax. We slept well and woke just in time to shower and get to the breakfast before they stopped serving. This was not my finest day; when I tried to walk my right foot was so sore that I could not put weight on it. I made it to the restaurant and then out to the pool. The view was lovely and the weather was just right for swimming, reading, swimming, etc. Our resort was isolated and there was not too much to do and this was perfect for my recuperation. We staked out our pool chairs and had a day of relaxation that was much needed. The sand on the beach was black and very lovely; it was extremely hot and burned our feet when we tried to get to the water. Our infinity pool looked out over the ocean and it was a most pleasant place to hang out. Late in the evening we showered and had a quiet dinner. We were confused by the Polynesian franc, but whatever we paid the dinner was terrific. After some reading of our itinerary, we went to bed. Tuesday

Up at 8 and off to breakfast. The Lord answered my prayers and my foot was much better today. Our luggage had to be out after breakfast and we worked this by using our packs to plan for our trip to the ship. We were not leaving the resort until 3 pm so we put on our bathing suits and enjoyed the pool. After reading, swimming, and sunning we enjoyed a quick lunch before showering and checking out of our room. After that we visited the boutiques and impatiently waited for the bus.

We arrived at the ship and filled out forms, turned in passports and were shown to our cabin. We were pleasantly surprised at our cabin; it was large, bright and well arranged with lots of storage. We unpacked and stored our luggage before donning our bathing suits and going off to explore. The ship was small and very easy to navigate. We had a fun afternoon and before long it was time for dinner. Our ship had open seating and we had a lively dinner with 2 couples from Michigan, one from Canada, and a single gentleman from Australia. We had great wines and cocktails and stayed after dinner for the welcome program in the Grand Salon. A wonderful start to a long anticipated trip!!

Up early—the sun is shining in (oops it’s only 5:45 am. Boy, the sun comes up early in this part of the world. We closed the drapes better and went back to sleep until 7:30. For breakfast we choose the LeVeranda restaurant and had a quiet breakfast for 2 and then went back to our cabin. This a.m. we have our mandatory boat drill. We found our muster station and learned this boat's drill. After that we went up on deck 9 to photo our arrival in Rangiroa. This was a beautiful approach as we passed through the various atolls and all the lovely blue colors. Dolphins escorted us through the pass and the view was breathtaking. Lunch was served as we anchored and the tender service began to the different docks. We decided to go to the beach and snorkel. It was nice to practice with my new fins and also get through my first and hopefully only panic attack. The snorkeling was easy but there was not as much to see as we had hoped. After our snorkel we walked around the island and it started to get cool in the afternoon wind. We made the last tender to the ship and had hot showers and watched as the ship repositioned for the night. We went to dinner and we were randomly seated with 5 other people from South Carolina, not one of them further than 40 miles away. It was a loud and funny dinner as everyone knew someone in common. It was amazing how many shared experiences we had and we laughed and talked the night away. We finally made the late show and off to bed. Great Day!!!

Up early for our snorkeling trip. We had a light breakfast and waited for the tender to take us ashore. Rangiroa is the most popular of the Tuatmoto Islands, especially with snorkelers and divers. There are 78 islands (41 inhabited) and they comprise the largest chain of atolls in the world (population 14,500). Rangiroa is a series of islands around a lagoon. Most of the water flowing into and out of this immense lagoon is carried through 2 passages, which provides the only access for boats. These passages allow a constant exchange of water between the open sea and the lagoon creating a most fertile environment with clear, clean water and marine life of every size and description. On shore we met our dive guide from Para dive Club Rangiroa. We got on a zodiac and headed into the lagoon where divers are already on the reef. Soon we were over the side and for 1 ½ hours we snorkeled and saw sharks (black tipped reef), manta rays, jack, parrot fish, trumpet fish, butterfly fish, emperor angels, Moorish idols, cleaner wrasse, octopus… After our group was back on board we headed out into the pass to see the dolphins, but the riptide was strong and the wind high. We soon headed back to the shore. We walked around Avatoru and saw Polynesian men covered in traditional tattoos. Soon it was time to go back to the ship for a noon sail away. We saw the dolphins as we sailed out the passage. We stayed up top and watched a fish carving demo. The fish used was a moonfish and it was a cartoon like fish- large with red meat when carved. It was to be served in the restaurant tonight. We headed down to the dining room for lunch and ate lightly with only one dessert. Then it was off to a lecture on Polynesian sharks. After the lecture by Bobbie, our naturalist, we headed to the Main Salon for a presentation on the life and art of Paul Gauguin. The lecturer was a crazy French lady named Jacqueline and she was “uber” French and just overall over the top but very knowledgeable. There will be 2 more lectures on this subject and I look forward to them. After the lecture we went to tea and listened to some lovely Polynesian music. We spent time on top making pictures and then checked emails and relaxed before dinner. Tonight was the Captain’s cocktail party and we got to meet the Captain and all his senior staff. It was nice to see the faces of the people who truly run the ship. We had dinner with Dave and Judy from Canada and Wolfram and Angie from California. The most popular entrée at our table was the moonfish and it was delicious, very delicate and light. Dinner was long and fun and all six of us retired to our cabins at the end. A full fun day!!

Today we were at sea in route to Hiva Oa, Marquesas. There was a full day of onboard activities and after breakfast Hugh and I split up as our interest are different. 8:45 Hugh went to a marine mammals seminar by Bobbi.
· Susan went to a seminar on black pearls which are associated with this area.
10:15 Hugh went to work on the computer.
· Susan went to a cocktail demonstration. Boy, the drinks were not watered down and I could only take a very small sip of them.
11:10 Susan went to a cooking demonstration and the food was delicious. Our Chef is quite a character and put on a good show!
12:30 Lunch
1:00 Susan went to Arts and Crafts of the Marquesas with Mark Eddowes
1:15 Hugh went to fish identification with Bobbi
1:45 Hugh went to the enrichment lecture with Jacqueline on the life of Jacques Brel
2:00 Susan went to a fashion show put on by the boutique with the Les Gauguin’s as models.
2:30 Susan ice carving demo
· Hugh nap.
3:30 Susan went to pareo tying demo and learned at least 6 ways to tie her new pareo.
4:30 we went to tea and enjoyed the music and the scenery.
5:30 in cabin dressing for the PES cocktail party.
6:15 cocktail party in Grand Salon. Jamie and Wendi kept us busy with great games to encourage us to make new friends. We had a blast and had dinner in La Veranda with 2 adorable couples we met. There was a storm going on at sea and we were battling some 8 ft. swells. Our table was filled with lively conversation but after the soup course I retired to our cabin; maybe too much wine or just the placement of the dining room at the stern of the ship. Back in the cabin I felt fine and Hugh partied on until after 10.

Up early in anticipation of our arrival in Hiva Oa, Marquesas. The views are lovely but the sea is rough. After breakfast we grab our cameras and head to the tenders. Boarding is long because the ship is rocking and they had trouble keeping the tender alongside. Once we make the rough crossing there is trouble stabilizing enough to get everyone on shore. On land we waited for the le truck to transport us to Atuona. Atuona was at one time capital of the Marquesas and is the final resting place of Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel. We were lucky and got a real air-conditioned bus for the short trip to the cemetery. While we stopped at the cemetery we visited the two graves, Gauguin’s and Brel’s and made some great pictures. After that we walked into town and the foliage and views were great. We saw an old man carving wood saddles and also go to see the Gauguin Cultural Center. In the heart of town there was a festival complete with dancers, drummers, craftsmen, and of course vendors selling the crafts. We spent the greater part of our morning just walking about and watching the people and the demonstrations. We also did a little shopping and bought a tiki for ourselves. This seemed to be the perfect souvenir and the wood carving was beautiful.

We then walked to the sea and also to a church in a small residential area. The heat and humidity was overwhelming and we drank our full supply of water. Before we boarded the truck back to the pier we bought a few little gifts for friends.

When we arrived back on the ship we were soaked to the skin and very smelly. We showered and had a very late lunch. After lunch we checked our emails, read and headed to the top deck for the 4:30 sail away. We were late leaving but we enjoyed the view.

Dinner was in Etoile tonight and we were seated with Bernie and Jan and also Margaret and Jim. We had a great time and stayed until it was time for the Cabaret show. Our cruise director, Michael, a Broadway singer and dancer did a marvelous job. PJ’s band was great and kept the show lively. It was a wonderful evening and we left wanting more. Off to bed we went hoping our passage to Nuku Hiva would be calm.

Up early with bright sun shining in the crack in our drapes. We ate breakfast outside and watched our approach to Nuka Hiva. We met a lovely couple, the DeVores, who noticed Hugh’s African Dream Safari hat. They stopped us to say that they too had been on one of their safaris and they just loved it. After we talked we found out they had been there just before us and had Reggie for a guide also. It was fun to compare notes and they said that in 50 years of travel that was their favorite trip! I also talked to two lovely women who were travelling by themselves. They were from Las Vegas and Reno. We took cameras on top and enjoyed the scenery as we anchored. The area was calm and it was hot already.

We made the decision to snorkel if we could and dressed, gathered gear, and headed for the tenders. It was a short easy trip and we were greeted by Polynesian drummers and dancers. This island is the largest of the Marquesas. It was the sight of Survivor Marquesas and was also written about by Robert Louis Stevenson and Herman Melville. This is a volcanic island and we are anchored in its cone. Because it was Sunday the town was quiet and we had no trouble walking to the beach closest to town. The area was beautiful and foliage lush and exotic. My favorite was the bright orange flowering trees the natives call the Flamboyant tree. The shoreline is black sand and the area is rocky and difficult to enter. Hugh donned his snorkeling gear and fought his way out. I stayed and swam in the area not inhabitated with black sea urchins. Hugh saw coral plates like Chinese hats stacked on top of each other, sea urchins moving about, schools of mullets, and some small reef fish, tangs, etc. I saw crabs of different species and sizes and small fish. We hiked up the hill and enjoyed a gorgeous view of our ship and the surrounding hills.

The sun was up and hot as we hiked back into town. We shopped the markets and cultural center. We noticed that the tikis in the Marquesas have very large eyes which are different than in Tahiti. We enjoyed looking at the beautiful wood carvings, especially the very large dough bowls and trays. We also enjoyed looking at the seed jewelry. After a complete exploration we headed to the ship. After a late lunch we showered and I checked email and Hugh read and napped. A book on Dean Smith just couldn’t keep his attention.

I went to a class on making seed bracelets and had fun laughing and talking with the other women. Our bracelets turned out well and we were happy to have them to wear at least for the trip (who knows if we can get them in the states?). I then checked email, posted pictures on facebook and sent my mom birthday wishes. Hugh was up and we walked on deck for some exercise and watched the retrieval of the tenders before sail away. It was interesting to see the mechanics of this and how easy they make it look. It drew a big crowd.

We had a dinner planned with Wendi and Jamie McCray as the dad Dr. Jim McCray of PES. It is in the open restaurant and very warm. The food and company was excellent and before we knew it 9:45 rolled around and it was time for the dance show. We all went down and enjoyed a colorful and festive performance. It was a long day and we went to bed as we sailed to Bora Bora!

This morning we awoke to a more than gentle sway of the ship. It was not enough to be bothersome but you had to be careful in the passageways and near the railing. We are in the open sea and over 200 miles from land. We shopped in the boutique on our way to eat and I still cannot decide how to best use our ship board credit. We headed up for an early breakfast of eggs benedict and a time to catch up on journaling. Then we were off to the Grand Salon for a lecture on Bora Bora and the last ports of call.

Next we were off to the naturalist corner with Bobbi; shells, coral, and sand; wow, what a great lecture. It gave us help on conserving when shopping for souvenirs. She also told us that white sand beaches are older than the black sand ones. Tahiti is in between and has both. Hugh left and went to the 2nd lecture in the art series, Paul Gauguin at 10 am. I stayed to complete the nature series and shell identification. Most interesting was the textile cone snail which has a poisonous barb. When this lecture finished I joined Hugh for the Gauguin lecture and Jacqueline's choice of words and enthusiasm help me to appreciate the art more. Hugh decided to process some pictures and I returned a book to the library and started a new audio book while relaxing in the sun.

I must report that I ordered a side of pomme frites today and they brought me a dinner plate heaped high. I immediately became the focal point of the dining room and everyone had to make a comment—wont make that mistake again!

1pm we went to a presentation on the future trips planned by PES (under new management after this trip). The trips for 2010 are ones we have already made. Oh well, we will look ahead to 2011.

We are in the throes of a sudden storm-high seas and wind. Our Polynesian country fair and ice cream party had to be postponed and there is no pool time either. I looked for a quiet corner to listen to my book. It was a very restful afternoon.

We joined our German friends Willi and Trudi for dinner and we were seated with Alice, whose husband was cabin bound with Mal de Mare. It was a lovely dinner and the show tonight was an Elton John tribute. We stayed a bit but soon tired of the poor rendition of song after song. Off to the cabin and sleep!

We are on course for Bora Bora and there is no land in sight. The seas are calm today and the sun is bright. We had breakfast in Le Grille an open air dining room on the top deck and the food and service was excellent. At 9 am I went to a Polynesian crafts seminar and we had a sewing project that was a little like appliqué but all done by hand. We also had another pareo tying seminar and we learned some new styles. This should make covering up my bathing suit fun. The last 30 minutes was spent making shell bracelets and we had a ball-just women and lots of laughter. 9:30 Hugh went to the 3rd Gauguin lecture by Jacqueline Hahn. It was on how he depicted women during different stages of his career. I joined the group for the last 30 minutes. 11:00 Hugh went to process pictures and I stayed for a cooking demo. The chef’s were great comedians and the pastry chef made baklava while the executive chef made pork and spinach paella. It was a fun time and we got to taste the recipes.

Lunch was outside and we enjoyed the sun and food. 1:30 not your normal fish with naturalist Bobbi. We both enjoyed this lecture but we had to leave during the Q&A. Hugh went to a documentary movie on Tahiti and her Islands and I went to a vegetable carving demo. In 20 minutes the expert had carved a penguin, a rabbit, an aquarium with fish and a flower basket. He was incredible and used simple tools and veggies and fruits. The displays at cocktails and in all 3 dining rooms are just amazing.

Reading and napping took up a small part of the late afternoon. We showered and had cocktails’ with friends in the piano bar and then went to the boutique for champagne and a pearl show. I won nothing but purchased a Gauguin pareo for me. We had dinner with Priscilla from our Antarctic trip and some friends of hers. It was an interesting group of diverse people. We truly enjoyed catching up with Priscilla. It was movie night and we went back to our cabin and read before falling asleep.

We woke up early and arrived up top in time to see our ship sail into the harbor at Bora Bora. We entered through the single (Ava nui) passage through the barrier reef. Bora Bora is the eroded cone of an extinct volcano. It was cloudy and windy this early but promised to be sunny mid morning. We saw the spectacular mountain named Otemanu. The ancient Polynesians called Bora Bora Porpora meaning 1st born. It had 40,000 people before the Europeans came-now population is 8,000.

We breakfasted up top and the plans for people without tours were twofold-go into town per tender or go the Motu (private beach). We chose to go to town as we were 4 wheeling and snorkeling in the afternoon. Shops and craft areas crowded the waterfront and after looking but not buying we ventured on. We walked as far as we could before it became a busy street with only houses. We made pictures and at lunchtime headed back to the ship. We had lunch and sat by the pool listening to our IPOD’s until time for our 1:15 land safari and snorkeling adventure.

1:15 meet in the Grand Salon and then off to the tenders... On the pier we boarded our Land Rovers with open backs and a metal cage to hold on to. Our driver is Jay and he speaks very good English. He put on a seat belt and told us to hang on, how ironic is that. Away we went. We were on the main road for a short distance and then the 4 wheeling began. The path is rutted and pretty straight up. There are places that the six of us doubt we can go but go with ease. The vegetation is lush and we saw bougainvillea, gardenias (one flower behind left ear means you are available, one behind right ears means you are taken, one behind both ears means follow me). It is mango season and the trees are heavy with fruit. Jay said that in a month it would be avocado season but those fruits will fall to the ground because no one likes them. The ladies on the trip give him a recipe for guacamole-he promised to try it. We stopped at several vistas and made lots of pictures. Jay was quite the good driver and we went flying over the mountains not allowing another jeep to get in front of us. We stopped for pictures on a mountaintop with 2 American cannons left over from WWII. We thought we were bouncing along very well but found out later that one of the guys from Texas hurt his back. Other than that there were no casualties.

The 4 wheeling ended when we arrived at a lovely resort and donned our equipment for snorkeling. We went on a boat with an outrigger and a motor, very Polynesian. The water was calm and the scuba boats had already arrived at the same spot (must be the best place). This area was patch reefs with sand in between-each was its on ecosystem-8-20 feet deep. As we snorkeled we saw Moorish idols, emperor angels, spotted and banded butterfly fish in pairs, parrot fist, cornet and trumpet fish, urchins, and living corals that were purple and giant clams with purple or blue mantels that looked like lips. The star of the day was the largest Moray eel (10 feet at least) that any of us had ever seen. His head was as big as ours and he was with a 2nd eel nearly as large. As we swam over, he came out of his hole and started toward us-we backed off quickly. He then found another hole and disappeared. After our snorkel they took us back to the ship.

Back on the ship we showered and went up top for tea at the very last minute. They served us but we soon realized they were set up for the honeymooners get together. We finished quickly and went out to poolside with our cameras. We read and sunned a while and then Hugh went to nap. I checked my emails and read.

We dressed for dinner and went to the piano bar to catch up on everyone’s adventures. We had a lovely dinner, no show tonight, and we were back in our cabin ready for bed before 11. Outdoor activities especially water ones seem to tire us a lot!

We were up early and ready for a great breakfast. Having someone wait on me early in the morning is just my style, really I like it!

8:15 today is our Black Pearl Farm and snorkeling adventure in Taha’A. No tenders today as our motorized outrigger picked us up from the ship. Twenty of us embarked on a water trip to the black pearl farm (15 minutes) with beautiful scenery the whole way. As we arrived we saw a sea of buoys that marked where the lines were for growing the oysters. We docked at the farm and about half of the people listened to the guide tell about the process of implanting ( most grafters are Chinese) and how they determine the size of bead to use according to the size of pearl they want to harvest. The beads are made from Mississippi River shale. The other half of the people (men and women) went immediately to the tables where we could shop; beautiful things to look at but too pricey for me to be tempted. Hugh and I watched flying fish around the dock and made pictures. This stop was longer than we needed but others could have used more time.

It was a long ride around the Motu with clear shallow water that as it got deeper turned a beautiful blue. We arrived at the Coral Garden for snorkeling. It was located near an exclusive resort with huts out over the water that rented for $1000 a day. We saw our first stingray while we were still in the boat and got excellent pictures because the water was so clear. We climbed out of the boat, stood up, put on our fins, and swam off. The water was 4-8 feet deep and there was reef after reef, each dining table size with just enough room to swim between. We saw deep purple sea urchins, trigger fish, damsel fish by the dozens, emperor angels, Moorish idols, but the neatest thing we saw were 2 bright orange anemones but no clown fish. Hugh thought this was as good a reef as he had ever seen either snorkeling or diving including the Great Barrier Reef. We went back to the boat after over 1 ½ hours and they served fresh coconut (excellent), papaya, and pineapple. Delicious!!

Our next stop was the Motu Mahana for our barbeque. This is a private Motu owned by RSSC with pavilions, bathrooms, lots of thatched roofed picnic tables and a beautiful beach. We docked and there was a floating bar waiting for us. The water was shallow and we saw thousands of black sea cucumbers, many with their tentacles extended. We dined on Burgers, dogs, salads, and desserts. Drinks were served in coconut shells and were huge, we settle on diet coke in a can!

After lunch we shopped; local mammas had tables set up selling trinkets and souvenirs but there were displays from jewelers with very expensive black pearl jewelry also. We looked a lot but bought little, some vanilla, and a shell necklace. We decided to take a 2 man kayak out into the lagoon over a shallow reef-we never dragged bottom but it looked very close. The sun was very hot and after 45 minutes we headed back to shore. We walked around the Motu and waded some to cool off. We watch the stewards from the ship pack up and we were amazed at how efficient they were, even forming a human chain to pass things to the supply boat.

We got a tender back to the ship. We were very hot and salty and needed a shower badly. We dressed for the sail away party and went to the top deck. They had wonderful appetizers and great Polynesian cocktails. The Les Gauguin’s serenaded us and we sailed under beautiful skies. We made a quick trip to the cabin to change into our Polynesian clothes for dinner and then joined our group for drinks. We all went as a group to dinner but they did not have a table for us. Ivan, who has taken care of us all trip set up a table for us on the stern and we had our own wait staff and the evening was perfectly wonderful. The lobster was great too.

At show time we adjourned to the salon for the farewell show with Michael Shapiro and the Les Gauguin’s. Great show, great day. This was Hugh’s favorite day so far!!!

We were up early again this morning, we are in Moorea and Hugh is going diving (a shark dive that I decided against). He is not totally excited because it was supposed to be a wall dive which he likes more. We had breakfast with our friend Bill from Oklahoma and enjoyed sharing experiences. Hugh left for his dive at 8:15 and after packing I left for the island with some friends. I wanted to make pictures and they were just looking around. The tender ride was short and the locals had booths set to attract tourist. We walked around the dock area, shopped and enjoyed talking with the locals. There were children playing in the water and even an adorable 8 mos old that laughed and interacted with us. One of my friends bought and bought but at the end of the shopping she said “I don’t know why I buy all this stuff. It looks good here but not in Michigan.”

At lunchtime we went back to the ship and when I got to the cabin Hugh was back from his dive. He was so excited to tell me all about his dive. Here are the facts: 1. Dove with Dominique at shark alley along finger reefs 20-50 feet in depth for about 65 minutes.
2. Used rental equipment, a shorty 6mm wet suit and 10 pounds of weight. Water was 78 degrees. Dove from zodiacs and used the side stride entry which was new to Hugh. The water was clear and they followed the dive master rather than use the buddy system.
3. Boat was circled by black tip reef sharks as they were entering the water.
4. Immediately saw many lemon sharks.
5. A Remora immediately fell for Hugh’s leg and tried to attach himself throughout the dive causing everyone to laugh.
6. Every time they found a crown-of-thorns sea star they turned him upside down and let the pelagic fish come and eat the soft underside. These stars destroy coral.
7. Hugh was most excited about seeing clear-fin and spotted lion fish and a rare leaf fish. Hugh showered and we headed to La Veranda for lunch. We ate light and even had dessert. After lunch we got a tender to the island and explored. Camera in hand we walked the main street stopping at water’s edge in the shade to cool off. The island is large but the main road goes around the island because of the peaks in the center. The stores and shops are spread along this area with pareo and pearl shops in most abundance. We took some great photos of flowers and trees. We stopped for water and met several of our shipmates also making the trek. We spent our afternoon exploring and took one of the last tenders back to the ship. We had something to drink, washed our hands and faces, grabbed our cameras, and back up top for the captains sail away party. They served exotic grilled appetizers and Polynesian drinks. PJ’s band played and everyone was in a festive mood but behind the smiles you could see that we hated for our cruise to end. Captain Tony Mirkovic spoke and introduced all the department heads and then the Les Gauguin’s performed for their final time. As we sailed away the sunset was the most glorious I had ever seen. People jockeyed for space to snap pictures or take video. The air was cool and the wind was blowing as the sun sank behind the island. It was magnificent.

We showered and dressed for dinner and Ivan found us a lovely table for 2 with an ocean view. We had a quiet dinner and then went to the farewell show. The show was performed by French Polynesia’s premier dance troop “O Tahiti E”. It was a great show and they posed for pictures after the performance. Both Jim and Hugh had to get in the line.

We are now docked in Papeete and our trip is drawing to a close. We took a quick walk on the waterfront. We enjoyed the bustle of the locals at the park close by and all the food vendors which set up each evening. Back on board we finished packing and put our suitcases out. Boo Hoo!

This morning we got up at 7 and did last minute backpack stuffing. After a delicious breakfast we took off for the Papeete Market. We have all morning to explore the market place and the whole of down town. The market area is huge; 2 stories of booths filled with Tahitian junk. The neat part of the market was the farmers market. The veggies were diverse and gorgeous. Fish were plentiful, fresh, and being gutted and filleted on premises. This was definitely where the locals shop and it was busy on a Saturday morning. After the market we walked through the city enjoying the parks and even taking time to walk through a tri-level shopping mall. Papeete is much more a city than anything else we have seen on our trip. On our way back to the ship we walked along the waterfront. There is an older ocean tug docked here. It had been converted to a very fancy yacht. There are 4 very sleek speed boats on her decks and the funny thing about the yacht is her name, Arctic (particularly funny since she is registered in the Bahamas’). Back on board ship we have a lunch buffet and wait until time for us to disembark. Our cabin is clean and we left a tip for our favorite restaurant guru, Ivan. At 12:45 we left the ship for the last time, identified our luggage, and boarded the bus for our city tour and visit to the cultural center. We had a good tour guide and he explained about duty and how expensive everything was in Tahiti; a pickup truck being $75,000. We saw the modern airport for the first time in the daylight. We arrived at the cultural center and although it was nicely done it was rather boring as this was a peaceful culture without any written language. Then on to the ancient cultural and administration center of the pre-European civilization. The grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed walking around and having our guide explain about the trees and fruits we saw growing. Then it was back to the Radisson for our afternoon and we had a lovely poolside suite. We donned bathing suits and swam, walked on the beach, and read before going in to shower. We dressed for the trip home and joined the line to identify our luggage and board the buses for the airport. This was a long and tedious procedure but we arrived at the airport in time to get in an even longer line. Check in took forever and Hugh had just enough time to grab a snack before we went through security and boarded the plane. On the plane we took off on time and as soon as possible Hugh and I put in our earphones and listened to the end of our Jonathon Kellerman mystery on our IPods. The flight was uneventful but long. We arrived back in LAX to find a very warm and sunny day. We claimed our luggage and made it to the terminal for our domestic flight back to Charlotte. Again we were in line for a long time and it was hot. On US Air we missed the hospitality of Tahiti Nui Airlines. This was a cattle call!! This flight seemed longer than the overnight one but we eventually made it back to Charlotte, tired but glad we made the trip! /susan