Post

Saturday April 26, 2008

At this moment we are in the Continental Airlines President club in Hawaii waiting another 30 minutes for the 5 PM Hawaii Airlines flight to Papeete, Tahiti. We should arrive there around 10 or 11 PM tonight. We are staying in the Meridian Hotel near the anchorage where Bella Donna will arrive either late tomorrow night or first light Monday morning. John and Deborah can't clear customs and immigration until Monday morning. Remember nothing is open in Tahiti on Sunday. In fact all the stores close at noon on Saturday. We can not board Bella Donna until it is cleared by customs and immigration. John and Deborah can not touch foot on land unless they are proceeding to clear themselves. Thus we are kept separate until officialdom says it is OK.

 

It was hard to leave Kona this morning as the weather is so pleasant there. The variable winds were blowing the vog over us and north. As we landed in Honolulu the sky looked exactly like Los Angeles does on a hot summer day. The sun turns all the gases from Kialuea to what looks exactly like what the hot summer sun does to the exhaust gases in Los Angeles. The atmosphere in the airport was gloomy. Beyond the haze there were not many people in the terminal and many of the shops were closed. I guess Saturday afternoons are slow here. Add to that the fact that all the Aloha Airlines space was completely deserted. With less than 6 people in the President's Club we are getting a lot of attention from the drink steward; this is not exactly what I needed after having an after salad drink about 12:30 AM this morning.

 

Well it is almost time to board our flight. Wish us luck. I will write more as the trip unfolds.   

 

God Bless Bella Donna.