DAY 1
BOISE (Idaho, USA)
Saturday February 10th, 2007
TODAYS MILEAGE – 4793 miles or 7714 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 4793 miles or 7714 kilometres
Headed home to Australia.
Ever had one of those days when you wonder why you woke up that morning? Not that I got much sleep on the plane over to Tahiti.
I get into L.A. to find the scheduled Air New Zealand Boeing 777 aircraft, for flight NZ23, had succumbed to mechanical problems. We were assured that the plane change would allow the airline to keep the non-stop flight on time. Considering the advertised journey of 9½ hours from Los Angeles (California, USA) to Faaà International Airport located just outside Papéete - the capitol of Tahiti in the French Polynesian islands chain, is all across water, then I would hope that they airline would maintain the non-stop status.
I was offered a seat on the Air France flight that was leaving around the same time, but decided to stay with my original itinerary solely due to the fact that I don't speak a word of French. For the record, we were bundled into a Boeing 767-300 and in the process I lost my Exit row seat. Oh well, such is life. The aircraft looked to be so old that I could have sworn that I saw the Wright brothers hand cranking the engines to get them fired up.
We get into Papéete just after 6AM only to be greeted by a single Customs & Immigrations officer for all the non-European Union (EU) passengers. The good citizens of the EU had 4 Customs & Immigrations officers and virtually no waiting. I was 6th in line and it took just over an hour to get my passport stamped.
I figured that an hour and fifteen minutes would be ample time for the baggage handlers to unload three cases containing all my immediate clothing requirements, even allowing for "Tahiti time". The curse of the United Airlines "baggage boofheads" has struck again, for the 7th time in 9 overseas flights, they have lost a suitcase of mine. As with the previous 6 times, it appears as if the case did not make it on the plane in L.A.
Of more concern to me was the fact that one of the two suitcases that made it to Papéete - was left half open. I tried to bring this to the attention of one of the Customs & Immigrations officers at the baggage carousel, but he just fobbed me off to the airline's baggage office. I pressed the officer a little harder with the concern that I have no idea if someone had added anything to my luggage, namely drugs. He was adamant that it was an issue for the baggage office. As I was now the only person in the baggage carousel area, I completely removed all my clothing from my two remaining suitcases, as there was no way I'd want to end up as the lead character in the 21st centuries version of Midnight Express - South Pacific.
Thankfully I didn't find anything illegal in my luggage, but I did find evidence that something had been in my bag. I left Boise having washed all my clothing and had placed a white Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt on top of the the case. This t-shirt was now discoloured and crumpled from where something had been sitting on it.
By now I had been on Tahitian soil for the best part of 3½ hours and still hadn't cleared Customs. Not to worry though, there was not a sole in the International Arrivals area as there were no more flights for the day. I simply rolled out of there with most of my worldly possessions with no official inspections or anything.
As is the norm with every country that I have visited over the past 10 years, I do not carry any travelers cheques or local currency as I simply use either my ATM or credit cards. I tried the first ATM I came to at the airport and it refused my cards. I walk next door to the currency exchange and same thing, they do not accept the cards. They suggest trying the bank 50 meters down past the Arrivals area. I trundle on down there, try my cards and nothing but the same message "Your bank has asked us to kindly return your card - Please contact them at your convenience".
Having only $37.00 in U.S. currency ($47.15 AUD) in my wallet, in a country that does not readily accept U.S. dollars, is not the best of feelings. Time for some action. I found out that the airport cafeteria will only accept U.S. currency for a phone card. $19.80 ($25.23 AUD) later I have a phone card with 40 "units" on it. I'm not sure what a "unit" is worth, but it used one "unit" for a local call, so it seems high to me. I called my 3 banks (rapidly depleting my "units"), one in Australia and two in the US and they all said there was nothing wrong with the cards. They didn't even see where I had tried to access to them. I did garner from the Australian bank that a lot of South Pacific islands will not verify cards used in ATM's over the weekend and simply refuse them until the next business day. They say it cuts down on fraud.
My original plan was to stay the first three nights on the island of Móorea and the final four nights on the main island of Tahiti. I had received confirmation from my Pensione (Bed & Breakfast) in Papéete but nothing from Móorea. Due to the "lack of local cash" crisis that was threatening to escalate out of control, even if I could have got a hold of the place on Móorea, I wouldn't be able to get there.
Faaà International Airport is serviced only by taxis who only take local currency or tour buses. None of the hotels have a shuttle service, even when sticking it to you for $300.00 USD ($382.32 AUD) a night. I could get a hotel, but no way to get there. At this point in time I seriously thought about just shit–canning the whole Tahiti thing and getting back on a tin crow. Only trouble is that the next flight to Auckland (New Zealand) is on Monday, coincidently when the banks open.
Luckily for me, there was a travel agent at the airport, so with their help I was able to book 3 nights at the downtown Hotel Tiare Tahiti which ran me 42,852 XPF ($625.53 AUS or $490.86 USD). From there it was over to Tahiti Rent–A–Car and hired a "Class D" vehicle for 57,000 XPF ($832.06 AUS or $652.92 USD). In Australia or the US, a "Class D" vehicle is the standard 4 door, 5 passenger, 6 cylinder Holden Commodore/Ford Falcon or Ford Taurus sized vehicle. I got a Peugeot 107 in which I could only fit my small backpack and camera bag into the boot (trunk), while one suitcase took up the entire back seat and the second took up the front passengers seat.
How big – you say??? I wound both windows down and spread my arms out of the windows, near on up to my elbows. Me ol' China (as in China plate – mate) Eli and his bride Melissa, who are both skinny Minnie's and have to run around in the shower to get wet, would be rubbing shoulders and complaining it is cramped in this vehicle.
By now it's 5 hours after landing and I'm just getting out of the airport. It can only get better from here right?
Due to the fact that (a) the proposed free parking at the hotel was metered street parking and (b) I was still in my severely deficient local cash crisis, I had to drive around the hotel for 90 minutes until I could snaffle one of the very limited free parking spaces at the adjacent Post Office. The alternative was to park a kilometre or so down the road at the boat ramp, which also doubles as the homeless hangout. Not wanting to come back to my vehicle being Tahiti's newest oceanside "Homeless Hotel", I opted for the earlier option.
I get checked into the hotel and decided there and then I will not be driving the rest of the day, rather I'll just wonder around checking out the downtown and wharf areas with one eye on trying to allieve my current asset rich/cash poverty crisis. I tried the ATM's next door and it was the same story as the airport. The hotel receptionist informed me that the Bank of Tahiti is the only bank open and to try them. I walked past their ATM's and on into the branch only to run head on into the arrogant French attitude that I first experienced in Paris back in the Summer 1993.
I explained my situation to the teller and word for word, here is his reply "What do you want me to do? It's not my fault you did not get any currency before entering the country. Come back Monday and you could ask for a Credit Card advance". I asked if they could do one there and then. He said "they haven't done them for a month, or was that a year or he wasn't sure". Upon leaving the bank, totally dejected, one of the locals mentions that he does a Credit Card advances all the time with the same teller.
After hearing this, if it wasn't for the fact that I was in a foreign country, I was seriously contemplating jumping the counter and kicking the living suitcase out of this descendant of a rifle dropper, which would have went some way toward easing the dramas of the previous 6 hours.
This same local told me to try the "Commercial" ATM on the side of bank near the alley. Low and behold, it took one of my US ATM/credit cards (but not the other one or the Aussie credit/ATM card) and I promptly withdrew 30,000 French Polynesian Francs (XPF) ($437.93 AUS or $343.64 USD). This went a long way toward lifting the huge burden I was carrying - let the good times roll.
Tomorrow I'll hit the road to see what's out there.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Fitzy
Just in case you are interested, I've broken down the flight times and distances in getting over there:
∗ BOISE (Idaho, USA) to LOS ANGELES ~ International Airport (California, USA)
676 miles or 1088 kilometres
• Flight Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
4112 miles or 6618 kilometres
• Flight Time: 9 hour 27 minutes
∗ PAPÉETE ~ Faa'a International Airport (Tahiti, PYF) to PAPÉETE ~ Hotel Tiare (Tahiti, PYF)
5 miles or 8 kilometres
• Drive Time: 13 minutes