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Sunday April 27, 2008

Sunday mourning at the Le Meridien Hotel, very French. We arrived about 10:30 PM, Tahiti is in the same time zone as Hawaii. We traveled over 5 hours from spring to fall. The feeling of Tahiti is like Hawaii in October, hot and humid. The pretty young Tahitian girls in long traditional dress are handing out the small familiar white flowers to put behind your left ear if you are married and behind your right ear if you are available.

 

I was first to leave customs and immigration. Don and I both answered the immigration questions the same, "we are returning to Hawaii by sail". The authorities confiscated Don's passport because he had no return airline reservation. French Polynesia loves to hold a several thousand dollar bond to cover sending you home. They want you to come enjoy, spend money and then depart; you may not stay. The bond serves as an insurance policy the money is available to send you back to where you came from. I guess I was just lucky tonight; I still have my passport. We will have to post bond for Don on Monday.

 

As I exited the sliding glass doors leading into the crowd of people waiting for arriving passengers, I automatically scanned the crowd as I always do this time knowing that I would not see Captain John's familiar face. Bella Donna is not to arrive until late Sunday or early Monday; we are on our own. Towards the back of the crowd a slim and tired looking smile connects with me; yes, it is John. This just isn't right, how can this be? John says he had good conditions and decided to burn a little more fuel and be here to meet us. He still hasn't had a good night's sleep in ever so long but was determined this would not be the first time he would not be here to greet us. Bella Donna is on the Q flag, not cleared, so we can not board her until the official offices open on Monday morning to clear her in.

 

We drop John off at the Marina Taina dock and continue on to Le Meridien; which is several miles, too far to walk, past the dock. Le Meridien is a five star hotel resort bordering on the lagoon that surrounds Tahiti. About midnight we finally find our room that was very hot and humid; we were definitely glowing. Five star means there must be air conditioning. We open the patio door into the relatively cooler night air while we search for the climate controls. Shortly after the air conditioning is turned on the room is cool enough to shut the door.

 

The room is hard, simple and stoic. In the USA based just on the room this is a slight cut above a Motel 6. The TV channels are all French except for International CNN which is in English.

 

This morning we awoke to a beautiful day. We enjoy Sunday breakfast on the covered patio overlooking a lily pad pond. People from many foreign places speak several different languages; the coffee is great.

 

After breakfast we walk to the sandy beach lagoon and swimming pool. First we pass a spot where we can see huge waves breaking over the reef that protects the island. There are many families with children sunning and playing in the protected water. I am reminded of John saying that it took several attempts to anchor Bella Donna in the swift currents created by these waves just beyond the reef in the lagoon by these. Next week we will disembark into the sea, I hope it settles. The scene is a lot like the Waikaloa Hilton in Kona Hawaii. The bar is a place where wifi internet is supposed to be provided; a place where I can finish this blog entry and send it.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.