DAY 3
MÓOREA & TAHITI (PYF)
Monday February 12th, 2007
TODAYS MILEAGE – 84 miles or 135 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 4968 miles or 7995 kilometres
Time for some island hopping!!!
Today I was up at sparrows fart in order to get the first ferry over to the adjacent island of Móorea. All it took to get myself and "The Pug" across the water was 7,100 XPF ($103.64 AUS or $81.32 USD) for the journey that lasted a bit over an hour.
In stark contrast to Tahiti, island of Móorea has the beautiful beaches, the swaying palms, crystal clear waters in various shades of vibrant aqua and turquoise. As the locals say "Móorea is for the players and Tahiti is for the stayers".
I arrived at 7AM and with the island barely shaking the slumber from the night before, I decided to do the "NASCAR tour" - revved up "The Pug" until the valves bounced, dropped the clutch, turned right and kept going. Near the resort area of Tema'e Beach, I crested a hill and saw traffic backed up for miles (caused by a truck running off the road), so I flipped a quick u-ee and was on the frog & toad again.
I stopped off at a roadside food stand and asked for a traditional breakfast. I was served an 8 inch long French Baguette filled with what he said was chicken which had the consistency of what comes OUT of the chicken. Accompanying this, was a short black coffee that would have kicked started the coronary unit at the hospital. A big hit of caffeine, from a cup of Joe that is so thick you could stand your spoon up in it, must be the breakfast of champions around the globe to get you going. I've had similar in Egypt, Greece, France, Mexico and now the South Pacific.
Just outside PapetÅ'ai I picked up a fella who was hitch hiking. Andreus is a local and needed a ride to work as his boss forgot to pick him up. He's a carpenter over at the University of California - Berkeley campus about 15 kilometres away in Pao Pao over at Cooks Bay.
We got chatting about sports, surfing and the island and he was concerned that the resorts a trying to keep surfers off the waves. Apparently the resorts consider the surf breaks to be their sole property and the use is for their well heeled clientele. If you want to check out a dolphin, eyeball the reef sharks or even walk the beach, then the resorts hit you in the hip pocket. I simple refuse to play that game as I believe nature is for all of us to experience, share and more importantly it's up to us to look after for future generations.
The island is only 60 kilometres in circumference and the paved roads deteriorate the further you travel from the resort/ferry terminal/airport area. I got back to the ferry in time to catch the lunchtime ferry back to Quai d´ Honneur in Papéete.
I had to go past the offices of Air New Zealand on the way back to my hotel, so I decided to check on my lost baggage. They said I had to go out to the airport and check with their contracted baggage handlers. No worries as I had to return "The Pug" anyways. I'm not sure why I should be inconvenienced by Rent–A–Joke servicing schedule, but they called last night and said the vehicle was booked in for a service the following afternoon and that I needed to return it to the airport.
The airline had located my wayward bag in Auckland (New Zealand) and they were going to ship it back to me here in Papéete on tomorrow mornings L.A. flight. Rather than them risk losing it again, I asked them on–ship it to Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) with the hope of it being there for collection when I arrive on Saturday. With Untied (United) Airlines having misplaced/lost/damaged my luggage on 6 previous occasions, while at the airport I had Air New Zealand sling me 12,000 XPF ($175.17 AUS or $137.45 USD) for my troubles, all be it with some gentle prodding from myself.
The saying "be careful for what you wish for" holds especially true with "The Pug". Rent–A–Joke swapped me out of a 5 door into a 3 door Hyundai Gaetz – in affect they've downsized me. My protestations were met with "it's all we have".
Armed with my South Korean weapon of ass destruction (the seat is like a park bench – splinters and all), I left the airport and ran head on into Tahitian peak hour traffic. Nothing to do but simply sit and wait to move a couple of inches at a time. No Dramas – I've got nowhere to be for the next 4 days!!! ;-)
I firmly believe that you've got to take the positives from any negative. What's the positive of being stuck in traffic you ask. A Tahitian in the car next to me pulls out a long neck (750 ml bottle) of Hinano (the local beer) and necks it there and then in the middle of traffic. Half jokingly, I said have you got a spare one mate? He reaches down, pulls out another ice cold beer from what must have been an esky (cooler) on the front passengers floor, opens it and then passes it out of the open window to me. Mercí mon ami!!! I knew I loved the locals for a reason!!!
Dinner was again spent down at the waterfront La Roulottes and tonight it was the turn of Chez Mamy. A simply prawn chow mien would slack my hunger. Although filling, hearty and tasty, it did take over 40 minutes to get my tucker – which is about 35 minutes t0o long for "Cholera Cart" cuisine.
Tomorrow I check out of this hotel and head to a Pensioné aka Bed & Breakfast.
Later taters.
Fitzy