Day 2 photos, Santa Monica

Because of the essentially non-existent Internet coverage in Moorea, posting to the blog was virtually impossible, and photos could not be uploaded. We are now in Papeete, Tahiti, and it is Good Friday, so most everything is closed, including the Gauguin museum that we had set our hearts on visiting. So we are condemned to lolling about on a magnificent beach at the Sofitel in Papeete, with a direct view of Moorea.

Here is a catch-up on our travels since Monday, March 17:

Day 2, Monday, March 17
Monday in Santa Monica dawned with brilliant sun and cool temperatures. A perfect day for a run on the beach. But first some errands to round out our preparations for Papua New Guinea, including a stop at Barnes & Noble for one of Pat Barker’s novels (Regeneration), on a favorite subject of mine, WWI. There is a short bio of Barker in last week’s New Yorker; very impressive person who prevailed against considerable odds as an out-of-wedlock child of a British WREN. Then off to the beach for a glorious run down to Venice (the next town south of Santa Monica) and back, a workout at the Loew’s health club, and re-packing for the next stop in Tahiti/Moorea. Dinner at sunset at Loew's was simply beautiful! (Sorry for the duplicate photos of Loew's at sunset but I am having a little difficulty navigating the blog to delete unwanted photos.)
We are not thrilled by the prospect of a midnight flight from LAX to Papeete but that is the flight schedule for Air Tahiti Nui. The equipment was an Airbus, and although the seats did not recline 180 degrees, they were a decent compromise, at least for business class passengers. And I made sure that sleeping would be enhanced by the addition of a Thermarest sleeping pad.
After our South African trip two years ago, I promised myself that I would never again travel on a long flight without a Thermarest pad. The campers among you are familiar with Thermarest, but for those who are not, these pads make all the difference when sleeping on the ground, as we discovered on our kayaking trip on the Sea of Cortes in Baja California. So we purchased the smallest Thermarest sleeping pad for this trip, and I also purchased a Thermarest seat cushion for a pillow etc.
I was so groggy by the time that the plane took off at 12:30 am, that I dozed off without using my Thermarest. Two hours later, I was in sufficient distress that I unrolled the Thermarest pads (they roll up into an incredibly small space inside a small stuff sack), and then fell fast asleep – it was truly like sleeping on air. Which brings me to Day 3.
Day 3, Tuesday, March 18
Papeete, the name invokes Paul Gaugin and the romance of the South Pacific. There are a remarkable number of Tahitians who bear the unmistakable look of French parentage, and of course we are literally bombarded with Tahitians insisting on presenting us with the native flower, tiare Tahiti, which goes behind the left ear, unless the wearer is “looking.” Of course, honeymooners are presented with garlands of such flowers. The ground folks at Papeete were not the most accommodating in steering us to the Air Moorea terminal, nor were the folks at the Air Moorea counter. As we found out when we landed in Moorea, one of our bags failed to accompany us, and although it finally showed up in the afternoon, it was not a good start for the day. We are at the Sofitel in Moorea, a chain that we know well from our visits to St. Barthelemy, and it is a class act here as well. We are in a thatched roof bungalow on stilts in fairly shallow water, and there are stairs that lead down to the water so that we can snorkel around the bungalow. Please be assured that we are not roughing it -- the bungalow is very spacious, air-conditioned, and has a private deck and stairs leading down to the crystal-clear water in which the number and variety of vividly colored fish is endlessly fascinating. After a bit of snorkeling, we adjourned for happy hour and are just finishing our first pina coladas of the late afternoon. It is a moment like this that contrasts so strongly with my last round-the-world voyage on the USS Healy (DD672). As you may know, no alcohol other than medicinal is allowed on U.S. Navy ships, unlike the Australian Navy, where there is a more civilized tradition. Dinner was a bit of a disappointment, because the restaurant was billed as gourmand, but the Polynesian dancing girls were a pleasant distraction.
Day 4, Wednesday, March 19
Another day in Paradise! At about 7:45 a.m. I went for my morning run, with a rising sun rapidly raising the air temperature. After breakfast, we rented a car for a sightseeing drive around the island. The Polynesian at the Avis franchise, Atal, confided that he detests the French; he clearly enjoyed our company when he found out that we are Americans. So Americans have at least a few friends outside of the U.S.

Moorea is heart-shaped, and there is a single 36-mile circumferential road around the island. There are two prominent bays, Opunohu and Cook's (yes, that James Cook), and there is an overlook -- Belvedere -- which provides spectacular views of both bays. On the way up to the Belvedere, we stopped at the remains of an ancient temple, where towering Tahitian chestnut trees grow in the stone-covered courtyards. There are no real villages on Moorea, just small collections of shops selling the usual tourist trinkets and refreshments. We met a group of Moorean children who were happy to pose for us, except for one. Please note the blond hair of one of the girls! In all, the trip around the island was less than three hours.

After touring the island, we returned to the Sofitel for lunch, more snorkeling around our thatched hut, and happy hour with the customary pina coladas.

Day 5, Thursday, March 20

Today is Joyce's Birthday, and we celebrated with a last swim and a last snorkel around our bungalow. Off to the airport for the ten-minute flight to Papeete, and then to our hotel in Tahiti. We had expected to visit the Gaugin museum on Friday, but it is closed for Good Friday, so today and tomorrow we will just hang out at the hotel, which has its own private beach and a magnificent view of Moorea. Dinner was phenomenal, and by the time we returned to our room, we were more than ready to succumb to the sweet pleasures of Morpheus.

Photos for Days 3-5 will be posted in a separate post.