Day 19: Island Hopping

Landing at 3:45am in Tahiti left the beauty of the islands to remain a mystery until the morning; meanwhile, I was quickly introduced to the "friendliness" of the Tahitians when the taxi driver asked me three questions: Do you speak French? Are you married? Can I come sleep in your hotel with you? Um, no. No. And hell no?! Ok, maybe I didn't curse the driver but I just pretended not to understand his last question. I wonder how many times that actually works for him. Never mind, I don't want to know.

I quietly walked upstairs for a reunion with my travel buddy and her friend. After a quick chat, we went back to sleep before catching the 8am ferry to Moorea.

On the ferry, we met a couple pearl farmers who were on their way to work. Quickly making friends, they offered to take us to our hotel, which was fortunate because it would have otherwise been an hour long cab ride to the Intercontinental! We piled into their tiny vehicle like clowns, crammed with all our luggage in the back seat, and meandered along the winding road. The coastal views were unbelievable with crystal clear blue waters on one side and lush green mountains on the other. I definitely wasn't in America anymore!

After checking into our over-water bungalow, I mean, paradise on earth, we spent the afternoon sunbathing on our lanai and exploring our new home. At night, we kept the sliding door open to hear the water and fish peacefully splashing outside to lull as to sleep.

Although home felt so far away, I was happy to be here in this heavenly eden.