Day Forty Eight & Forty Nine - Tahiti!!!!!

Greetings from sunny & warm Papeete!
I apologize for not blogging last night, but it looks like things might be a bit sporadic... That is, unless I can convince them to give me my 'Elite' status, which includes a few hundred internet minutes! :o)

Yesterday was just another beautiful day in paradise! I woke up early to the bright sunlight shining into the room, but having no clue what time it was, I was hoping I hadn't slept in through breakfast. Jaco had organized breakfast for me & seeing as it would most likely be the most expensive breakfast I would ever eat, I really didn't want to miss it! ($35) I hadn't changed my watch, my computer battery was dead & the TV didn't have an information channel, so I eventually searched through the hotel books & found the number for the front desk. It was 0815. I laid in bed for a bit longer & then got up & left for breakfast. Seeing as I had arrived in the dark, I had no idea just how beautiful it was here! Oh my goodness! I sat eating my breakfast looking out at the ocean, admiring the tranquility & simplicity of life on an island.



After breakfast & a nap, I wandered around the hotel grounds, taking photos of the pretty flowers & beautiful scenery. I loved the Frangipani or Plumeria flowers, Hibiscus, Tiare or Gardenia, & a few other species I've never seen before! The pool was divine! I haven't been in a public pool for many, many years. I have this germ-phobia & I avoid them at all costs. This one was just too tempting. The blue tiled bottom called my name & the warm, rock tiles surrounding the pool created an amazing 'rimless' effect. The water was so warm! It was as warm as any bath I'd had! Wow! I chatted with a fun group of ol' gals who had just finished an epic sailing trip from LA. They were on a small ship of about $300 & apparently the guests consumed 15,000 bottles of wine! I guess it was a good cruise!

 I also sat on one of the loungers, on the beach & wrote a few letters. I haven't written a letter in a very long time & seeing as they supplied us with a little bit of paper & envelopes in the room, I decided to put it to use. I also wrote a few cards for Jaco - I've had them for almost a year now & never sat down & wrote them out. I laid in the shade for the most part, leaving my legs sticking out to catch a little sun. I knew my time was coming to an end in the sun & I think it should have been 15 minutes sooner, as today my entire backside is letting me know I was a little too long! As my friend, Joanna, says, 'The white bits are the best bits!' Aye chihuahua! My bum is even burned! But luckily I took along my coconut oil & it's doing the trick nicely. Yes, I have sunscreen with me. Yes, I will use it next time!

 It was so beautiful sitting there. I must try to describe it for you... The sun glistened on the water, ocean waves lazily lapped onto the white sandy beach, & 15-20 sailboats bobbed in the water, waiting for their Captains to come & fill their sails with warm Polynesian winds. Little grass huts jutted out onto the blue-green ocean, protected by a coral reef, keeping the water calm, but causing a furious white ring of crashing, mad waves. The island of Moorea sat in the distance, her mountainsides covered in lush, tropical vegetation & her mountainous peaks surrounded by white puffy clouds. On my right was a small Frangipani tree, fragrant blossoms tucked in amongst the shiny, green leaves. I plucked one from the ground that had fallen & placed it behind my ear to keep the scent close by. What a perfect day!



I ventured back to the room, thinking it would be prime time to get ready to go to the ship. I was really nervous to see Jaco again. And crazy enough, I feel like I've missed him more in the past 2 days than I did for the past 2.5 months! Maybe because I was so close & yet we still couldn't be together. In any case, I put extra effort into my make-up, hair & what to wear. I even painted my toe nails! I think it's been about 3 years since I've done that! :o) I packed up all my belongings, cleaned up the room as best I could & headed down to the desk at 1800. The shuttle came & picked me up at 1830 & took me to the pier.



The ship wasn't due to arrive until 2000, but after 1830, the cost of transportation about doubles. Jaco had organized a transfer for me via the crew shuttle, so it was only $20 for a 5-10 minute ride. Normally it would have been about $50! I practiced a little Francais with the driver. She was very patient with my terrible French accent! Bless her heart!



She dropped me off with the security personnel who were waiting patiently for the ship to come in. Shortly after she dropped me off, 'la pluie' - rain! - came. Wow! What a downpour! It was a nice warm rain & left things smelling fresh. I wandered over to the nearby market, where they were selling local foods prepared in makeshift trailers. I inquired as to what might not have the forbidden Hoxsey items, but I decided it would be a. too expensive & b. too risky with the language barrier. So I bought a 1.5 L of water. For $5. Yes, $5. Highway robbery. Wowser!



The ship would be docking right next to the USS O'Kane, an American Navy ship. There were plenty of the crew enjoying a night off. Some of them stood under the shelter with me while it rained & I got to visiting with one of the gals. Her name was Lauren & she had just graduated from Nuclear Warhead something or other. Oh my. I can't remember what the official title is, but after Nuclear Warhead I was shocked! Okay! Not the kind of gal you want to tick off!!! She was headed to Hawaii for Christmas, after a 3 month stint in Japan, Guam & French Polynesia. Her next deployment was to the Gulf for 7 months. Bless her heart & what a career! Fascinating the people you meet!



The ship was slowly coming into sight - Yay! I watched & waited & watched & waited. The security personnel told me the ship would arrive about 1900, the passengers would come off about 2000 & I would be allowed on at 2100. Still plenty of waiting, but there was no turning back now! I wondered where Jaco was. Was he working in his office? At the gym? Having dinner? I scanned & scanned the railings for a handsome young man in uniform, but didn't see him. I could spot a few of the waiters in uniform, when suddenly I saw these arms waving madly. There he was! He was in his scrubs! No wonder I didn't recognize him!



The joining Cruise Director, Sammy, pulled up in the same shuttle I had taken & we had a nice chat. She is recently engaged & her fiance proposed with an amazing family heirloom ring. Exciting times for her! She is definitely Cruise Staff material. Very animated & a ridiculously entertaining sense of humour! She left to hop on the ship & I waited a little bit longer. Next thing I knew, I looked up, Jaco was gone from the balcony & when I looked over towards the security personnel, there he was, walking towards me! Oh, I'd forgotten how handsome he is! A wonderful reunion & we were on our way onto the ship.



It is a very small ship, with plenty of character. I have yet to explore it, but I have plenty of time! I'm sitting in the office typing this on the laptop with the hope that I can upload it & post soon! I spent the morning unpacking & settling in. I did only a little bit of 'tidying' in the room. Jaco was prepared for my arrival, bless his heart! As much as it is painful to be apart for as long as we are, it sure makes the times we have together extra special. I am so incredibly blessed to have found someone as wonderful as he is. He is incredibly kind, patient, thoughtful & always so calm... not too mention I didn't have to do my own shot this morning! Whoo hoo!



I am extremely excited to explore French Polynesia... Stay tuned & bear with me while I work out the kinks on the blog posts. I may have to switch to an a.m. post instead! Love, hugs & tropical heat... I love my life!

 Maria

xxxxx

Sunlight in the room waking me up!

Tiare flower

Lil' Tiki Man keeping watch

My New Favourite Pool

Some funky kind of flower!

View from the balcony

Hotel entrance

Just another sunset in Paradise!

USS O'Kane