Chapter 26: Layover Day in Paradise

Tahiti Again

Due to the vagaries of international flight scheduling, I have one entire day in Tahiti free to do as I wish. But the "do as you wish" parts of French Polynesia are not in Papeete on the island of Tahiti. Rather they surround it as Papeete and the island of Tahiti are not the gem of this region. I am at the Intercontinental Hotel, as far south from the airport as last week's Hilton was to the north. Some suggested that I take the ferry over to Moorea and I considered it and then rejected it as requiring too much effort. Instead I shall enjoy the pool and a good book, "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie."

The Intercontinental is lavish with a sort of aquarium filled with native fish and turtles while the island of Moorea looms across the way. The Intercontinental offers up two television channels in English: the BBC and CNN International. Everything else is in French or Japanese. They do offer a wildly overprice breakfast buffet ($75) which offers marginal food but a nice view. I spent the day reading, relaxing and yearning to be back in B's arms.

If you would like to have fun in this part of the world, one way to accomplish that would be to contact my friends at Vacationstogo.com and ask them about an 11 or 13-night SilverSea cruise from Tahiti that stops in Aitutaki departing in either January, February or March of 2025. Oddly, I got a promotional email from them about it. Talk about interesting timing. This is the February 6, 2025 itinerary. The 11 night options don't include Aitutaki however .If you do stop at Aitutaki, I'll arrange an introduction to Onu and Tui.

I think these might be the most inviting itineraries I have ever seen. Participants will be visiting some of the most beautiful island waters on this planet. Most everyone has heard of Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti--and now readers of this blog know all about Aitutaki and even a bit about Rarotonga. But what about Fakarava, Tuamotu Islands? Or Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands? Rangiroa in the Society Islands is at least slightly familiar. Something tells me that one of these would be the cruise to end all cruises if one is interested in warm weather aboard an all-inclusive, six-star, 400-passenger, all-adult ship, breathtakingly beautiful waters and no pressure to visit any cathedrals, diamond stores or ancient ruins...or even leave the mother ship at all.

I have booked a taxi for 5:15 in the morning to deliver me to the airport two hours ahead of my international Air France flight back to Los Angeles.