April 18, 2012 - Departure Day!

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In the morning we rent a car for the day. We set out for a circumnavigation of Tahiiti Nui, the main part of the island, with a detour to Tahiti Iti, the small part of the island connected by an isthmus. Along the way we stop at a beautiful park with grottos, ferns, and lots of tropical plants. There’s another place with a fresh water swimming hole where the spring just bubbles up constantly. The water here is refreshingly cool and just across the road from the beach. On Tahiti Iti, we stop at a waterfront restaurant right on the beach for a hamburger lunch, then go swimming to cool off afterwards. The view is great. Further along, we stop and hike to an area with three tall waterfalls. It is the very picture of paradise, but while I wouldn’t have missed it, the reality is that it was very hot and humid and there were tons of mosquitos and other biting things. It is bad enough putting on suntan lotion when you are sweaty, but adding mosquito repellent to it makes for a noxious gooey mixture (and later you go to bed like that!). But the view is not to be missed.

Conclusion: Tahiti is a nice island, but for the real Tahitian experience you must go to Mo’orea.

After getting back to the boat, we fix dinner. I intentionally wait until one hour before leaving for the airport to take my shower. I want to be as dry and fresh as possible before getting on a plane for 8-1/2 hours. It seem unreal that in 24 hours, I will be in a cool place wearing multiple layers of shirts and sleeping in a bed with blankets. What a difference a few dozen degrees of latitude make.

I would love to be continuing on so I could see the rest of the South Pacific, but I have other plans in the immediate future. Since I have attempted to portray the reality of my experiences and not a romanticized version, I will confess that the departure was not tearful. After 80 days on board Sea Falke, it is a relief to be getting away from being confined in a small space with people I didn’t previously know. We have shared many wonderful experiences and successfully handled multiple long passages, but will any of us really stay in touch? Time will tell. Would I do anything different if I had it to do over again. . .not one thing!



Here is my top five list of best things about returning to land:

5. Cooking without the counter and stove moving.

4. Sleeping in a bed that isn’t moving and where no lee cloth is needed.

3. Unlimited fresh water showers. . .while standing up.

2. Not getting up in the middle of the night to stand watch (in the rain, sometimes!)

And the number one best thing about being on land. . .

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1. A STATIONARY TOILET!!!

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