Day 59 - Papeete - One Last Time... ** Sniff Sniff **

Sigh, sadly I am coming to the realization that my South Pacific escapades are dwindling to a close. Unfortunately I woke up to a still very plugged nose & splitting headache, but I'm NOT complaining! :o) I think a little fever was mixed in there throughout the night, but thankfully I was well enough to wander around Papeete for a bit. Jaco had plenty of work to do, so I ventured out to visit the health food shop again & also to pick up some oil I'd found the cruise before.

La Vie Pacifique is the health food shop we visited the previous Papeete. The first time we met the husband & also bumped into the Accommodation Supervisor who has taken great strides to improve his health. This time I met the wife & 2 of their daughters. They were very helpful & extremely welcoming. Their one daughter, Jenny, has just started a company called Tamatea & she makes these amazing creations with silk fabric & shells. She will also combine pearls to make them extra special. When I first looked at them I thought, 'Hmm, nice, but not for me.' Then Jenny showed me how you actually wear them & they are AWESOME!!! The shell gets placed on the side of your forehead & then you tie the silk strands in a knot at the base of your head. They look beautiful! She had so many colours & I have honestly never seen anything like it in all my travels! Kudos to this creative young gal - what an entrepreneur! I've posted a photo of the family - they later toured the ship & had dinner in the dining room with Antonio, the Accommodations Manager. I should have taken a photo then, as they had some of Jenny's creations on, but I wasn't thinking too clearly! Next time!

I wandered around Papeete looking for suitable dress for NYE, but didn't find anything. The affordable dresses would have made me look like a call girl & the nice dresses ran about $400. Believe me, when I say it's expensive, IT'S EXPENSIVE!!!! Needless to say, I didn't find anything to wear! :o( I've packed on the Prednisone Pounds, so I suppose it's best I didn't find anything... I might have to be like the Island Mama's & wear a pareo! :o)

I ventured back to the pharmacy to pick up some more of the Monoi - oil - scented with Tiare - Gardenia. It's such a lovely smell that I've not encountered anywhere else. I love it & the oil has been kind to my skin since the burn. (I'm still peeling, btw, 13 days later!)

Other than that, I picked up a few postcards to fill my sea days with & then it was back to the ship. I crashed early & didn't sign up for a dive in Moorea. :o( These sinuses are throwing me for a loop! Yeesh!

One week until Christmas & I wish you a merry one!

Love & hugs,
Maria & Jaco
xxxx

Tracey, the Senior Nurse, from the UK - note the Santa in the foreground. Tracey created a lovely Christmas Grotto in the Medical Centre. It's very festive!

Jenny, her sister, parents & a few creations on the side... They are a beautiful family!