LA to Papeete to Auckland

It was a very lazy day in LA as we waited for our 4:30 flight to Papeete, Tahiti. It of course was running late inbound from Paris so we got out at about 5:30. Some of the folks on the 8-1/2 hour flight to Tahiti had also been on the flight from Paris so they were much worse off than we were.

Air Tahiti Nui was a very pleasant surprise with very comfortable cabins, pretty Polynesian type attendants and spectacular food. When we landed in Papeete we unloaded out on the tarmac and as we walked into the terminal they handed us a tiare (Tahitian Gardenia) and there was a little island combo playing welcoming music. Since we were sitting in the pointy end of the plane we had priority luggage tags which were first off the plane (a little different than LA) and we breezed through customs within ten minutes of walking into the terminal. Our host (Beni) was not there when we walked out but showed up within a couple minutes and checked us into his in-town guest house.

This was one of the lodging decisions we had discussed several times, torn between one of the beach resorts or the significantly less expensive urban guest house. It was really a pleasant property on the side of a hill near the town center and a small apartment type room. Beni, a youngish Swiss transplant couldn’t have been more pleasant. That being said, Papeete is very much third world with chickens crowing twenty hours a day and no air conditioning or window screens.

After getting to our room around 12:30 AM we were up at 5:00 with the chickens—literally—and finally wandered into town around 8:00. It was really sort of fun knocking around with the fishermen and crafters in the huge market and checking out the little shops. It reminded both of us of Mexico twenty years ago. For 130 Polynesian francs we caught "le truck" (the local public transportation) to the Sofitel on the beach, and looking like typical fat American tourists, strolled directly through to their beach, pulled up a recliner and took a little nap followed by lunch and a beer.

After le-trucking back to our place it was a little nap and then another walk into town for dinner at the Roulottes. These are portable kitchens that set up in the middle of town, haul out tables and chairs and become restaurants from 6-12 every night. It would best be described as an adventure and we tried the "poisson cru" which is a raw fish dish marinated in coconut milk and citrus and then tossed with onions and cucumbers. It was very tasty but could have used a little jalapeno. A band cranked up and the whole thing was pretty festive.
Back to our place for an early to bed with a 3:15 AM wake-up so we could throw rocks at the chicken and off to the airport at 5:00. Tahiti was an interesting experience with an island that looks like Bali Hai from South Pacific and a population that feels like Tijuana. The outer islands are still more pristine and perhaps relaxing but the whole thing felt a little odd to us.
It’s off to Auckand right now and the beginning of our real trip!

Today's Headline: "Welcome 2008" New Zealand Herald dated January 1, 2008 - only paper on the rack at the Papeete airport.