Day Four Hundred and Forty-Two

The Water Never Tasted SO Good!

It's really something special to be able to sit down at a restaurant in America and order water. For free. No 1.5 liter water bottle. No 8 dollar charge. No tiny glass. Before our trip to French Polynesia, I never knew what it was like to be without drinking water on tap. I've never been abroad, never served on a mission, never even left the continent. It's something Adam and I aim to change during our lives together (both traveling and serving on a mission) and this was quite the first step! We're still stuck on island time and missing our bungalow more than ever...BUT definitely enjoying the drinking water we missed out on for a week. Oh, and Adam's tummy is agreeing with him much better now that he's back. He lost probably 3 pounds while honeymooning. 

We landed in LA at 9:00 AM Sunday morning after an 8 hour flight from Tahiti. Tired and weary, we made our way through US customs, found our luggage, and retrieved our clean clothes! They felt so good to put on. After a few minutes in the bathroom, Adam and I both emerged feeling refreshed...teeth brushed, deodorant applied, face washed. Our 5 hour layover was much less than ideal, but when 2 o'clock came around, we were more ready than ever to sit on another 4 hour flight back home. Air Tahiti Nui: you were kind to us. Thank you for delivering us safely to Moorea and home again.

Day Four Hundred and Forty-One

The Sticky Return to America

For a little bit of twisted evil to end our trip in Moorea, I woke up yesterday morning with another set of swollen eyes. Why this is happening to me, I can’t quite say. But once we’re in Jupiter again, I’m making an appointment with an allergy doctor. This stuff is no fun. The ER doctor gave me some extra medicine before we left the hospital, so I popped two of those pills and Adam retrieved for me from the fridge two small bottle shots of Absolute Vodka. For icing purposes, of course! I found the first time, that these little chilled wonders are perfect size for eyeball icing. So, I lay there for a solid 20 minutes before needing to get up for breakfast and packing. Adam was there the whole time for me, tending to my puffy state. He's the best. Even when I look the worst.

At 11 AM, the hotel orders check-out. Huge bummer. We had to leave and we had to pay. Haha! When the bill came, we were pleasantly surprised though. With two free nights of dinner, 8 complimentary breakfasts, and $70 in free drink credits, we walked away feeling good about our food expenditures! Hooray. But still, super saddened that we indeed, had spent our last night in Moorea.

And then came the sitting game. Our bus wasn’t scheduled to pick us up from the hotel until 3:30…and with only fans and a small breeze to move the warm air in the lobby, Adam and I were sticky, sweaty, and stinky. During that four hour period, we read, ate lunch, and carved our names into some Moorean plant.

Conley ‘12

The bus dropped us off at the ferry, and once again, we rode the giant ship back across the ocean to Tahiti. When we got off this time, the transit station was buzzing with an overflow of tourists and locals trying to get back to Moorea. 

Our flight to LAX was scheduled to leave at 10:50 PM. We arrived at the airport at 6 PM – still massively sweaty – with nothing to do but wait once again. So, we bought a little slushie, plugged in our portable speaker, and watched Harry Potter run across our screen for 3 hours. That, my friends, is the best way to kill a little time! (We finished the entire HP series during our honeymoon. An accomplishment that we’re quite proud of!) Around 9:45 PM, Adam and I decided to get a head start on check-in and immigration. We're getting sick of running late at airports. But why I tricked myself into thinking that the plane departed at ELEVEN 50 and not TEN 50, I may never know. So, we wandered up to the counter, and the ticketers were alarmed. They told us we needed to rush immediately and that we were late! Late? “But our flight leaves at 11:50,” I explained. Apparently, I was gravely mistaken, and if not for our attempt to be early to immigration, we would probably be stuck in Tahiti forever. (I swear, when it comes to traveling, Adam and I can never catch a break! Grrrr.)

In our haste, we forgot to remove our change of clothes from our luggage before checking them in and running for immigration. When we finally passed through security and could see that we hadn’t missed the plane after all, I started to tear up. We’d have to spend the next 8 hours on a plane in the same sweaty and smelly clothes we’d worn the entire day…and that just got to me for some reason. I hate, hate smelling like anything other than wonderful. And the feeling of sticky anything grosses me out. But, we had no choice but to accept the mistake we’d made and wear the overused clothing. This explains Adam’s face…because he was just as bummed out as me. (His feet were sooooooo smelly!!!) Thankfully, the plane was quite chilled and the blankets they offered covered up our yucky stench. Ha! Farewell Moorea! What a beautiful, much needed, and completely blessed week of newlywed life!

Day Four Hundred and Forty

The Unforgiving Rays

After a week in sunny Moorea, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that maybe our skin had become slightly accustomed to the intense rays. Right? So, we decided to forgo sunscreen for just 10 minutes while we played catch on the beach, and once the old arms were worn out, we hopped in the pool and submerged ourselves completely. We might have stayed like this for 20 more minutes before retiring to the shaded beach chairs. 2 hours later, we discovered the terribly terribly poor decision we’d made. The sun here doesn’t care about your skin. And in 10 minutes, it will scorch you.

So hand-in-hand, we walked our lobster skin back to the bungalow and swore to each other that we’d never do that again. Without the sun to entertain us and suffering the brutal effects that accompany burned flesh, we sat outside in the shelter of the shade and read. And read. And read. Even Adam! I finished Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling…the hubby finished an even better book: Saturday Nothing by our sweet friend Josh Martin. It’s the first book Adam has finished in quite some time…so it MUST have been tremendous (and having read it myself, I would be the first to agree)! Hey Josh, how’d you like Moorea? Cuz it certainly liked you!

With a completely drained supply of aloe vera, we needed desperately to stock up. (Lesson learned: bring TWO containers of aloe next time).  Thankfully, that little store at the top of the hill is close and the walk is shaded by a decent amount of shrubbery. So, we donned our caps, our long sleeves, and walking shoes and headed for the green goo. This is what the inside of the little Albert Store looks like.

We’re seriously red. Whoops. But that aloe never felt so good.

Although burned and wishing to do anything else, we had an annoying obligation to pack, as it was our last night in Moorea. In the midst of the whirlwind of cleaning, this is what we turned our beautiful and peaceful bungalow into. A disaster. I again did laundry in the bathtub and rinsed the soap off in the shower. Adam strung a line for me outside to hang the clothes on…turns out the rope we brought for floating came in handy in more way than one!

Adam and I are going to miss this paradise. We had an unbelievable time and soaked in every ounce of peaceful rest we could. Our honeymoon was everything we needed to reconnect, relax, and reflet on our first year of marriage together. It was incredibly beautiful and the two of us loved learning more and more about each other in this most special setting. Even if that did include a night at a foreign hospital.

Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Nine

The Moorean Thanksgiving

For our second year in a row, Adam and I have been away from home on Thanksgiving. And it’s a tradition that we might just continue as long as we can! Quite obviously, Tahitian culture does not celebrate Thanksgiving, so the island day went on as usual: paradise-like and as gorgeous as ever.

  <insert jet ski pictures that haven't been developed yet here>

We decided that the only natural thing to do on this very special day in Moorea was: to jet ski! So, we rented a jet ski for an hour, jumping waves and touring the island unlike ever before. It was an incredible experience and one we’re so very thankful for. Giggling in my husband’s ear while dashing across the water was unforgettable. As was the Jolly Rancher blueness of the ocean.

Returning to dry land, Adam and I rinsed the salt water from our faces and made our way to the pool for a few drinks (he was feeling much better than the day before) and some relaxation. They make it quite easy here to do both at the same time. Their gigantically large infinity pool comes complete with a swim up bar!

Reading, swimming, and flirting comprised the rest of our day until dinner. Well, the flirting didn’t stop at dinner actually! Adam and I dressed up as much as we could and made our way to The Mayflower resturaunt for a very un-American Thanksgiving meal: lasagna!

It was scrumptious, but we maybe, ever-so-slightly missed the turkey dinner that most families were enjoying back home. But we did as best we could with what was on the menu, and chose a place to dine that at least sounded somewhat Thanksgiving-ish!

Our night from there got a bit messy. Usually, the tryptophan from the turkey has everyone worn out an hour after eating. Buttons come unhooked and zippers unzip. But nothing that simple happened last night. Instead, for some unknown reason, my eyes began swelling. Oh baby, so romantic. A few hours later, my mouth looked like that of an ape’s. (My poor husband!) And then, I could feel my throat constricting.  By that time, it was 2 AM and we were panicked. (There are no 24-hour pharmacies on Moorea and I didn’t even think to bring Benadryl on the trip). We called the front desk for help, but they couldn’t do much of anything – they only carry Advil. Our only option was the hospital. So, a taxi was called immediately and we rushed to the hospital…30 minutes away.  Our driver sped as fast as he could and got us there in 25 minutes. We were dropped off at the emergency entrance and admitted into room #2, where they tried their hardest to understand what was happening to me; neither the nurse nor the doctor spoke much English. From the looks of my face and the choking action Adam was making with his hands, they got the point and gave me some form of Claritin and prednisone (? I think…whatever the stuff is that reduces swelling). They put us up in another room and told us that we needed to wait there 3 hours before leaving to make sure that the swelling of my throat had subsided. Fair enough. So, we lay sardine-like on a twin hospital bed and slept as best we could from 3 AM until 6 AM when they finally released me. My throat felt (obviously) much better after the meds, as did my eyes. And though this entire disaster could have been handled quite swiftly with the pop of a Benadryl, we had to learn the hard way. Never again am I leaving to a foreign country without a small emergency medical kit, complete with: Benadryl, Tums, Pepto, (more) Aloe Vera, (more) sunscreen, and Claritin. Expensive experience is what Adam calls times like these. I’m just hoping that it’s not literally as expensive as my horrid imagination is telling me. Who knows how much 6 pills, a bottle of water, a 2 AM visit, and a 3 hour stay costs in Moorea…

But I can say: Adam and I felt very thankful for our health yesterday and the medical assistance we were given when we needed it the most. What a ride! I swear, Adam and I are never far away from epic story after epic story. Even in paradise.

Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Eight

The Day He Got Sick

Adam and I woke up to yet another beautiful day. Each morning, we have included in our meal a free breakfast buffet…and this is our view! We take full advantage of the meal and try to eat as much as possible. But this morning, Adam couldn’t eat anything more than a few pieces of fruit. He’d woken up suddenly the night before, terribly sick with some sort of stomach bug, and met the toilet before vomiting for a good 5 minutes.

Adam tried his best to battle the bug. He blew up our floaties after breakfast without problem…his strong lungs perfect for this sort of task. (We read online before coming  on our trip that many visitors wished they’d brought something to float on while in Moorea, so we heeded their advice and brought two!)

I got the pink one. And the advice was highly appreciated. We loved our floaties! We even brought rope (as suggested) to keep us from floating too far away from our bungalow. (We realize we have arms to paddle, but relaxing and drinking seemed like the better option! So, rope it was!) 

By the time mid afternoon came around – at the hotel’s infinity pool – Adam became a bit woozy. His stomach and head were painfully throbbing as knots tightened in his tummy. We packed our bags quickly and headed back to the bungalow, leaving this pretty view of the resort.

He slept a good portion of the rest of the day, not wanting or able to do anything. I was saddened by his absence, but knew he was doing his best to feel better. While he rested, I enjoyed a quiet day with the sunshine and a book. It wasn’t until dinnertime that Adam got up, dressed, and ready. We were scheduled for a complimentary honeymoon BBQ buffet/Polynesian dance show, and thought that maybe he’d be able to soothe his tummy with a little bit of food and entertainment. That wasn’t the case though. Adam couldn’t eat much of his dinner and the entertainment – although absolutely incredible – didn’t give him any relief.

Male fire dancers! They even ATE the flames!

Lady booty shakers! They can shake those skirts like nobody’s business! The show was spactacular…a real Polynesian treat. But soon after, we found ourselves tucked into bed and ready for a long night’s sleep. We aren’t sure what Adam caught, and are bummed out for it, but hopefully it’ll go away soon! (We think that maybe he accidentally ingested some of the tap water here…you’re not supposed to drink it, but we accidentally used the water on our toothbrushes a few times…)

Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Seven

The Moorean Safari

With so much to do on this island, Adam and I decided that seeing the inner part of the Moorean land ranked high on our list. So, we called a local tour guide, hopped in the back of his truck, and had an incredible time learning about the history and well-being of this paradise. Our first stop was to Omphanu Bay, one of two bays on the island. This bay is much less occupied than the other: one, because it was discovered second, and two, because it’s home to one of the nation’s only dangerous fish – the stone fish.

Turning immediately around from the bay, this is the view. Roger – our tour guide – described to us why the locals call her the “Lady Mountain.” With her head tilted completely upwards, the very top point of the mountain is her nose. Her chin is the falling peak to the left, and her hair cascades down the right side of the mountain. She’s beautiful.

Making our way into the island was no easy task. The island has only one main road and it circles its entire base. As for roads going to the center of the island: think of the worst pot-holed road you’ve ever driven on and then make it dirt instead of pavement. But the bumpy ride was well worth making our way into the heart of their country.

These grassy looking hills are numerous in Moorea. They're not grass though. They’re pineapple plantations! Because of the nutrient rich volcanic nature of the soil, pineapples thrive here. We learned yesterday, that the Mooreans neither import or export any of their pineapples: they're in no way in need of any extra supply, and they sell the majority of their crop to hotels, resorts, and resturaunts on the island. Call us niiave, but Adam and I thought all this time that pineapples grew on trees or something! Not like this!

This is how they grow! And in 10 months, anyone can harvest their own pineapple crop with the right soil, water, and light. All you have to do is cut off the top of the pineapple when you’re finished eating it, rip off a few of the leaves at the base, and plant it! In three days, roots will begin forming. And no, in Washington, they never taught me how pineapples grow. I blame them for my ignorance.

Adam and I LOVE Moorean pineapples! They’re the juiciest and ripest here! And oh, so so sweet! Every morning for breakfast, we eat half a plate of the scrumptious fruit!

We jumped back into the truck and headed up. Up and up and up. Until we found this. Belvedere Lookout. Moorea’s most beautiful view. Incredible. On the left: Omphanu Bay. On the right: Cook’s Bay.

Adam, Roger, and I on Belvedere Lookout.

Even the wild chickens love Belvedere. They were everywhere up there. Roger told us that nobody hunts them; that they’re just left alone to hang out and be free. I like that. And they really liked Adam’s roll he fed them.

Making our way back down the mountain was slightly intimidating. The roads, again, are iffy…and so was the sound of the truck. But we made it down safely and came across an ancient Moorean sacrificial temple. Before Cook discovered the island and brought with him Christian and Catholic missionaries, the natives worshipped other gods and performed numerous offerings in the form of animals and even young men.

Our Safari truck! Adam and I noticed quite quickly that nobody on the island drives anything larger than this sized truck. That was until, of course, we saw the only full sized truck on Moorea: a silver Raptor. We laughed.

Roger didn’t accept credit card payment, so he dropped us off at a local bank to withdraw some cash. This is what they call 10,000 Francs. Roughly $110.

The bank, just like majority of local life, is centered around Cook’s Bay, which is directly behind us in this photo. When he discovered this island, Cook landed here and the rest is history.

Not far from Cook’s Bay is Moorea’s only fruit juice factory. This is how they deliver the goods…in small truck beds filled with the fruit.

Jus De Fruits De Moorea. Here, they sell and distribute the most wonderful tasting pineapple juices, along with many other drinks and cocktails. Adam and I purchased a few souviners from this shop and were served multiple small shots of local juices and liquors.

Finally, Roger took us up yet another steep incline to the lush and gorgeous Tropical Garden. Here, we were served various tastes of local marmalade, dried whole bananas, and lots of pineapple. Did I mention how good the pineapple is?!

Yet another stunning and captivating view from the top of Moorea. I don’t think I ever want to leave this place.

Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Six

The Dolphin Lovers

Yesterday, we were really cuddly. I like cuddly. (Especially in Moorea). Adam is getting bigger and bigger by the day, which is totally acceptable to me…the bigger the cuddler, the better! We woke up to another stunning view off the deck of our bungalow and soaked up some precious moments together.  I don’t think I could ever get sick of this picture.

Directly behind us is the Intercontinental Dolphin Rehabilitation Center. Three slippery dolphins call the center their home, and they love it here. Not only do they get tons of attention from their trainers and caregivers, they also get a boatload from the island visitors. In small groups of 4 or 6, those who want the opportunity to swim with dolphins can…of course at a ridiculous price. 

Thankfully, our travel agent surprise-included it in our package when she booked us and we got to swim with them!!! It was incredible. Twice, both of us got an underwater “ride” from the dolphins, as well as multiple hugs, pats, and rubs from the beautiful mammals! They flipped in the air, underwater, and on the surface, swam 20 MPH, and splashed us flirtatiously. I even got to kiss one of them! And he kissed me back! It was a truly unforgettable experience and one that we’re forever grateful for. 

We made our way to the resort beach and found a cozy little cabana (if that’s even what you’d call this) to admire God’s impeccable and unmatched paintbrush.  The colors here are nothing short of absolutely stunning and surreal. What a peaceful way to enjoy time together!

The water here has a clarity to it that I’ve never before seen. We’ve been here 3 days and we’re still in awe of this wonder. Regardless of where you look, the blue is so clear that you can see all the way to the ocean floor. And that means too, that everywhere you look, fishies are on the move. Bright, colorful, beautiful fish. Not long after we sat down here, the fish started swimming all around us!

Back at the bungalow, Adam and I had a back flip contest - naturally. And naturally, because I'm the blog writer: I won. But he surprised me - well, he's always surprising me. But this time, I learned that my sweet husband can actually do quite the back flip! STUD!

Contest aside, I had some wife stuff to attend to after the fun: laundry, of course! Adam decided to only bring a very limited supply of clothing, so, equipped with my small packet of Tide, I scrubbed his dirty clothes clean while sitting in the bathtub. Good wife!

With the laundry finished, our next task was to find a local grocery store and stock up on some more-reasonably priced items. A can of Coke in our bungalow fridge costs $7. Fat chance. So, we started walking. At the very top of our hill, just outside the resort, a small orange store rests neatly at the foot of a huge mountain. (Speaking of huge…can you believe how big Adam is getting!!!)!! Here, we spent maybe 15 bucks and got a 6-pack of Coke and two liters of juice. A much better deal if you’d ask me! We kept walking and again came across another small store, 5 minutes away. We liked the other one better though.

Adam and I in our hats and Under Armor after the grocery store walk!

Finally, we enjoyed another gorgeous sunset – this time from the dock overlooking our resort on one side, and this view on the other. Then it was dinner (Adam has eaten the same hamburger meal every day since arriving here…he can’t get enough of them!) followed by a Harry Potter movie (we’re watching the entire series during our stay here!)! Such a beautiful day! Oh, Moorea. We're feeling blessed.