Moorea

Yves and Mirella thought it would be fun to go over to Tahiti's nearest neighboring island, Moorea, and I completely agreed. So we -including Tama, Herehia, Haurareva, Toimata, Teremu, and Rua, decided to go over by boat -which takes about 30 minutes. The boat, or ferry, has to be one of the most modern I've ever seen.
We drove their truck onto the ferry. Yves, Tama, Teremu, and myself were touring the island by bike. Before we started we stopped at a huge grocery store which seemed to be about the size of a Wal Mart. We got food for lunch and I took time to put on sun tan lotion. Because I burn so quickly, I bought pretty strong lotion (50) which is actually for babies. lol So when I put it on I tend to look like a Geisha. I think I startled a few people in the market as I walked around.
Then we were on our way. I haven't ridden a bike in years but it's really true what they say....you have to learn how to do it all over again. Our first stop was at a memorial stone near the site of an airplane crash that happened about a year ago with Air Moorea. The passengers names were on a plaque. Tama explained that a piece of the plane had come off during the flight making it impossible to fly the plane. I always wonder what a pilot is thinking when they talk about a deadly crash.
Next we stopped at a beach and went swimming. This is a place where the water is incredibly clear. We'd come here with Lauren a few years back and she actually took some pictures under water that came out great. This is my favorite place to swim in Tahiti so I was very happy to be there. For lunch we had sandwiches with corned beef & onions & beans with some squirts of lemon. It was incredibly tasty.
Then we were off again. The ladies (and baby) stayed with the truck while we rode the bikes. It made me feel like a kid again to be riding those bikes. Later on it started to rain and at times it really rained hard. But I didn't mind because it cooled us off. At one point we stopped and a man started asking me for directions. He spoke English but with an accent I didn't recognize. He was from the Czech Republic. He was a bank manager and when he found out I was from L.A. he mentioned that he has some friends who live there. But then he made a comment about the world having to pay for all of America's economic problems. I thought it was a cheap shot considering all the good my country has done as well. But I thought it would be in bad taste to start a war with the Czech Republic right there in Moorea so I let it slide.
As the day progressed, the bike ride became more and more challenging. The toughest part was having to sit on that bike seat. I really think Laz-y Boy should put out a bike seat. But the beauty of the island keeps you going. Eventually we got to the Jamet's vacation cottage and it was such a welcome sight. A man who watches over several properties around it welcomed us. I noticed some additions to the cottage from the last time and told this man that the last time I'd been there was 11 years ago. He got a kick out of that and came up to talk to me -and I then realized that he was drunk. He would just kind of weave toward you as he talked and he would drift back and forth from French to Tahitian making it impossible for me to understand him. But from the motions of his hands, he seemed to be talking about a flower that was blooming. Or maybe it was an eel coming out of a cove. Or maybe it was about how the world has to pay for America's economic problems.