Location: Moorea, Tahiti   6/27/2001

I snagged a cup of coffee and a croissant (yummy) for the price of a major feast.  The high price for food is what I call "The Tahitian Diet Plan".  I used the CFP that my Aunt and Uncle gave me and plotted my next move. 

Le Truck runs into Papeete and costs less than a dollar.  I hopped off near the tourist center on the waterfront.  I watched a crew start building the stands for a holiday (autonomie interne) which celebrates local rule.  I noticed a Banks Line freighter docked across the bay.  I believe my Father and his wife Joy have travelled with Banks.

I wandered around Papeete, changed money, answered email, snacked and watched people.  I boarded the ferry for Moorea in early afternoon.  The local bus departed before I could find it, so I shared a taxi with a couple.  I arrived dazed and tired.  This no doubt explains the hallucinations:  The beach was populated with tanned, topless beauties of all ages and genders.  They are kind enough to chat with the frog prince.

23JUN01  I learned from the local travelers the intricacies of purchasing food and spirits.  Bread is cheap and tasty.  Even ramen tastes good. Vegged out on the beach.  The Londoners I've met would describe the day as "brilliant".

24JUN01  Can't remember what I did but it was "brilliant".  Met several nice and highly entertaining people.  Becky and Raz from London.  Ursulla from Bremen.  I drank a glass of wine and watched Ursulla eat.  I sampled a bite or two of her sauteed reef shark.  I hope I don't taste as good to sharks as they taste to me.

25JUN01  Becky is an English community theater actress with an everpresent smile and a love for humankind.  She travels, works, then travels again.  She's been on the road for almost a year.  Raz has been traveling for 8 months.  Both are bound for South Americq via Easter Island.  It turns out that many guests at Camping Chez Nelson are following the same route.  When asked how to she financed her travels, Becky said she used her credit card to the hilt and plans to reach an accomodation with her bank on return.  Or as she colorfully puts it, "You can't take knickers off a bare ass".  Raz is more conservative but constantly adds humor and insight to the conversation.  Ursulla is a psychologist and speaks excellent English.  Her son is in his last year of high school.  She brought a folding bicycle and used it to travel 30km to the camp.

25JUN01  Decided to take a trek.  Raz, Oliver, and I planned to hitch hike to the trailhead.  Oliver assured us that it was quick and easy to get a ride.  It took so long that he concluded that his former success may have been due more to his beautiful bikini clad hitching partner.  Eventually a dinkum Kiwi named Craig picked us up.  He was visiting Tahiti to take a break after an intense project.  He like our plan so much, he joined us on the trek and for a beer at the Hotel Hibiscus to celebrate a great trek and a spectacular sunset.  Oliver is an "international man of mystery".  He has travelled extensively, has dual US and German citizenship and is capable of delivering an endless stream of amusing anecdotes.  The trek was very hot, very sweaty, steep, and lots of fun.  The trail took us past Moorean homes in the hills.  We met dogs and chickens and fellow trekkers from Chez Nelson.  After the trek, we took quick spin around the island.  After a world class sundown, I had shark for dinner while Ursulla ordered Marlin in a cream sauce.  Oliver and a handpicked crew of reprobates attempted to join Craig at Club Med for dinner by way of the more informal beach entrance.  A dedicated guard ended their mission. 

26JUN01  Becky, Ursulla, and I split the costs on a tour package:  a four hour car rental followed by a 4L box of the finest vintage from France.  The wine and the crowd that gathered turned a good bye party for several into a high octane wine fueled discussion.  67.38% of the world's problems were solved.  Unfortunately, the minutes of the meeting were mislaid.

27JUN01  This morning Ursulla and I booked a tour.  No others signed up so our tour guide and boat operator Eva, a beautiful young lady from France could concentrate on only two people.  First we anchored off shore outside the reef.  Almost immediately several stingrays appeared.  Because they have been fed, they were very friendly.  Their skin is unbelievably soft with a consistency between velvet and rubber.  Then we moved to another reef location and shared the water with black tipped reef sharks.  What a beautiful animal!  Next, we anchored near a motu (small offshore island).  After walking up the beach we snorkeled our way along a gorgeous reef full of marine life back to the boat.  At the dock I took pictures of Eva for my website.  She said her parents had not seen her since she had her "new body".

Life in the Camp is very nice.  I've met travelers from all over.  The stories are great.  The atmosphere in the common kitchen is very warm.  Already I've made friends and, sadly, already they must travel on.  I'm enjoying myself so much that it is difficult to plan onward travel.  But, my feet are beginning to heat up.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Location: Moorea, Tahiti   Date: 7/2/2001

28JUN01  Can't remember what I did.  I think I just hung out at the beach, washed clothes, etc.

29JUN01 Made a grand plan.  Travel to Papeete to see the local celebration of autonomie interne (autonomy day).  Never made it to Papeete but had a wonderful day hitchiking (l'autostop).  Rides with local French Mooreans in vehicles ranging from an airconditioned Mercedes to a car that required a bungee cord to keep the passenger door shut.  Finished the day by riding the local bus back to Chez Nelson.

30 Clare of Devon and Karlie of Guernsey herded me onto the bus and onto the ferry.  We visited the market and while they shopped, I took an unguided tour of Papeete.  I watched canoe races, lunched on poisson cru (raw fish, coconut, pineapple, onion, tomato, etc.), toured possible hotels, searched for reading glasses, bought a small pack, and watched people.  I caught up with the two lovely English girls and rode the ferry and bus back to Chez Nelson.

01JUL Spent a few hours working on the website at Chez Serge.  Check my photo pages for a pictue of Serge and his beautiful friend Maere.  Had a fun-filled evening:  While sitting at the picnic table I met John (a dedicated surfer from California) and his friend Toa Coliano (lives in Haapiti near pk37).  Toa showed us how to climb a palm tree.  While we were sharing a few bottles of Hinano beer, three American girls showed up and introduced us to their friend Ron Rico.  After a few glasses of rum fortified with healthy local fruit juice, Toa proposed marrige to Caitlin.  Later, I contributed a few triangles of Laughing Cow cheese and enjoyed a gourmet rice dish prepared by Maria.  The three had just finished their junior year abroad in New Zealand and will soon return to school in Vermont after a brief time in Bend, Oregon.  Whitney, Maria, and Caitlin and perhaps Siobhan (Dublin) and I have reserved a table for dinner at ther Fare Moina Tare restaurant for tomorrow night.  

I also met Mark from California who sailed his trimaran "Little Wing" solo " three thousand miles to Tahiti.  His father Hugh and Thu met him here.

02JUL This morning I chatted with two couples from France.  They've been here for a week and this is the first time I took time to get to know them.  Fred is from Papeete; Christelle from Marseille, Heidi and Pierre from the French Alps.  John, a Frenchman from Annecy, with a portfolio similar to mine, taught me a new word: deconneur. I'm curious to find the dictionary definition.

I ate an enhanced ramen type meal for lunch while talking to Miwa of Osaka.  Her goal this week is to fit into a new bikini.  But, she loves large bowls of rice or noodles.  Either way she is a lovely person with a good command of English.  She is touring Australia and has added some interesting ozzieisms to her standard American accent.

I haved discovered a new hobby:  taking pictures of happy people.  I wonder how many thousand I can collect.

Tomorrow, I go to Papeete, stay the night and catch the dawn flight on Thursday to Rarotonga.