...the rest of it!

well, we kinda let time get away from us and i don't think you could blame us for not putting the blog at the top of our priorities during the vacation of a lifetime. but here's what happened during the last few days of our trip:

on our first full day on bora bora, we ferried to the main island, walked around a bit, and then rented bikes and rode around for a while. it was so beautiful. the island itself looks so amazing, these crazy steep volcanic cliffs covered in lush green. the bike ride was fun, and jeff made friends with a stray dog, who chased us for several minutes before we lost him on a downhill. i submit that he was just being friendly. we ALSO witnessed several dogs SWIMMING IN THE LAGOON. just swimming. hilarious.

we then lunched at a small cafe (service = fail but food was tasty), and bought some groceries before heading back to the hotel. we swam a little, it's hard not to when the water is literally outside your back door. it felt fantastic. dinner was at the fancy hotel restaurant, and included fancy pina coladas/margaritas. delish.

full day 2 on bora bora began with your typical boat tour and swimming with sharks. you know, like you do. we snorkeled around with a crew of reef sharks and lots of amazing fish, then the boat took us to another amazing spot with crazy coral gardens and about a zillion different fish, and THEN to a third spot where jeff got to feed, pet, and yes, even KISS a bunch of sting rays. i sat in the boat due to the cold, and got to see the wonder of it all. jeff is truly the don juan of rays. the boat tour then took us all around the island, pointed out a bunch of cool stuff and other resorts that aren't quite as cool as ours, and ended on a private island. SUCH a cool tour.

the rest of the day was spent mostly talking about how awesome the tour was, and kicking it in our awesome room, where we picnicked for dinner.

our last full day of the trip was lovely and relaxing and perfect. we hung out and watched a movie in the morning, fed the fish that live below our bungalow, hung out in the sun a bit, and then headed up the hill for our hot stone massage, which was SO GOOD. we were in heaven. jeff's first massage ever, and he enjoyed it very much, and their spa is at the top of this hill with such an amazing view. after that we were ready to just chill for the afternoon, and then had a nice dinner at the fancy restaurant again, which was once again fantastic, even with the hurricane-force winds that started blowing while we were eating.

we woke on our last day, somewhat heartbroken that we had to leave, but were still able to squeeze in a great breakfast, a trip to the main island, souvenir shopping, a short walk, and a nice lunch before we were whisked off to the airport. it was a nice end to our amazing time on bora bora.

the trip home was not that cool, standing in lines, plane to tahiti, sitting in airport, more standing in lines, plane to lax, not much sleeping, more standing in lines, etc. but my parents picked us up, and we got to relive the trip as we told them all about it on the way home, and it feels good to be back home even though i think a part of us will always wish we were back in paradise. but the good news is, we're married now and we get to go lots of places and see lots of things and experience lots of experiences, together. which was really the reason why this was such an amazing trip.

Two Lists

Things we've learned about the French from Tahiti:

1. Their light switches are backwards
2. They eat fancy cheeses at every meal
3. Fashion is always first
4. Waiters/waitresses take forever
5. "Les Entrees" are actually appetizers
6. Their women always look angry
7. They are generally assholes

Things we've learned about Tahitians from Tahiti:

1. They are always friendly
2. Their songs sound a lot like Christmas carols
3. Men seldom wear shirts
4. Waiters/waitresses take forever
   
5. Most of them know 6-7 languages
6. Their women always look happy
7. They are generally awesome
   

moorea to bora bora

disclaimer: this post is being typed on a french keyboard, so typos may abound.

our final day in moorea was awesome, just chilling mostly. we breakfasted as usual with a massive buffet, then headed out to snorkel. it was glorious, ive never seen so many different kinds of fish and coral. the water is incredibly clear, no sea weed or crap littering it up, and it was the perfect temperature. the only problem occurred as we were exiting for lunch, i stupidly took off my mask and therefore did not see the giant piece of coral to avoid it, ending up with a decent sized wound on my shin. jeff was a great nurse though, especially considering that the 5 star resort we were staying at has NO BANDAIDS. none.
after lunch jeff went back out, and i continued reading, which i have been doing a lot of, probably too much, but this stupid hunger games series is addictive.
we had dinner at the resorts fancy restaurant, which was great. jeff got me to try raw fish, which im still not a fan of, but hey, i tried it. overall a fantastic final day in moorea.
the next morning we got up, packed, ate our last breakfast, and got on the shuttle to the airport. it was kinda sad, we loved our resort and really didnt know if bora bora could beat it. how wrong we were.
after a somewhat shaky flight, we landed in bora bora, and were greeted by rain. serious rain. but even through the rain you could see the beauty of the area, along with the HUGE boat from our hotel that had come to pick us up from the airport. this thing could carry probably our whole plane full of people, but it was just the two of us that it carried back to the hilton. which is unbelievable. even in pouring rain its the most beautiful resort ive ever seen, in real life or on tv, totally out of control. our overwater bungalow is OFF THE CHARTS, its absolutely beautiful, huge, and includes an upper deck to sit on, a lower deck to dive off of, a giant bathtub, a giant shower, a bidet (which neither of us has gotten the nerve to try yet), two tvs and FOUR little windows to the water below, including one next to the bathtub in case you want to pretend you are bathing with the fish. unbelievable.
we werent up for swimming while it was still raining, so we watched a movie, and then relaxed until dinner time.
in moorea, we got breakfasts included in our package, but here we get both breakfasts and dinners, since the resort is on a motu, a small island off the main island of bora bora. when we got to dinner they informed us that we get an appetizer, entree and a dessert, each. so needless to say, we were stuffed by the end of it. really good food, beautiful sand-bottomed restaurant, wonderful company. it was a great start to bora bora, and we cant wait to see whats next.

Honeymoon 2

September 30, 2011

For our second day on Moorea we arranged a 4x4 excursion. Shortly after breakfast our driver and guide Eloy picked us up at our hotel. We then proceeded to pick up couples from other resorts. Two couples were from Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) and the other was from New York, having also been married just the previous Saturday. They too are bound for Bora Bora and may come up again in another post!

Our first stop was this beautiful Garden in Cook’s Bay. We took in the sights of the Bay and also of the flowers and vanilla plants. Without delay we were off to our next stop, Magic Mountain. To no coincidence does this share the name of an amusement park. We took off up this impossibly narrow and steep path. We serpentined back and forth, climbing impossibly higher. The bumpy ride was eerily familar to the Indiana Jones ride we had taken not a week ago. Finally we crested, got out and hiked to a panoramic 360 degree view of Cook’s Bay, Oponopu Bay and the endless pacific. We stared into the distance in awe of the view (and our survival up). After the Kodak moment we made the harrowing journey back down the path.

Our next destination was deep into the Oponupu Valley, into the heart of the island. Here the jungle began to thinken into that familiar Panama-esque thickness. Finally we made it to Bellvedere, a point to look from the most inward point of the island back towards the sea. The sight here was also amazing. We stood with our backs against the giant volcanic monoliths formed millions of years ago. Their impossible forms were the backdrop of this picturesque scene leading out to the tourquoise lagoons. Again the beauty of this place took hold of our imaginations.

Further down the road we stopped to see some archeological sites. Now becoming even more like Indiana Jones. We explored the rock foundations of former temples, thousands of years old. Our short hike concluded at a foundation which was made of round rocks. Not just rounded, closer to spherical. This was the site where weddings were performed and we thought it very appropriate for the occasion.

No tour of a tropical paradise would be complete without a Journey to a pineapple plantation. We awed at the vastness of the fields and delighted in the taste of fresh pineapple. It was a delicious treat. We trialed through a copper dust trail back into cook’s bay. We eventually dropped off the rest of our travellers and made our way back to the Sofitel. It was quite an adventure.

Again the afternoon consisted of a swim in the bath tub warm water, smuggled tequilla drinks and a whole lot of sitting around, reading. Eventually we were picked up by a shuttle from our restaurant and were taken back to Cook’s Bay for dinner at Te Honu Iti. This tiny restaurant was entirely staffed by one poor guy, taking every order, bringing out every plate and bussing every table. The water front patio we sat on was the stage for the after dinner show as masses of stingrays swam about. They came waiting for their nightly feeding of meat scraps. The same waiter/host/busser even did the stingray feeding duty and the fish went nuts. After some delicious crepes set on fire by Grand Marnier, we were back on our shuttle headed back to the hotel.

The perfect mix of exploration and relaxation. Again, things on the island are perfect.

Honeymoon 1

September 29, 2011

As I write this, we are sitting on the patio of our lagoon-side bungalow watching the sunrise over the turquoise waters of the Island of Moorea. However, our journey began what seems like a very long time ago.

We rose early to meet our good friends Casey and Jia. Our destination: the happiest place on earth. We hit the road and made it there in no time. We met up with Joe Birdsong and hit the park not long after it had opened. We started with Space Mountain. The Mouse-cast outlook for this day at Disneyland was Ghost town. We waited 10 minutes to ride Space Mountain! This was the pace for the rest of the day. We covered the whole park and California Adventure going on whatever ride we wished with no more than a wait of maybe 30 minutes. We had a blast! Our last trip was on Space Mountain and we escaped before the main street parade ended, allowing us to get out of Disneyland with ease and on our way to LAX.

After an exchange of hugs and keys, Em and I set off to the terminal. The next 10 hours were a mix of waiting standing up, waiting through a body scanner, waiting in a terminal, waiting in a line and finally waiting in our seats. Our brilliant idea was to be so tired and exhausted from a day at Disneyland that we would pass out through the whole graveyard shift of flight. This was not the case.

Through hours of light naps and rude awakenings, our plane made its final descent 5,000 miles from home on the tiny speck of an island called Tahiti just before dawn. We went straight from there through customs, out to the terminal, got all of our travel info, went back into the terminal and waited for our small plane to Moorea. The tiny 2 engine plane would take us on the bewilderingly short 8 minute plane ride to Moorea. I don’t think the pilot even put the landing gear up. We were then transported to the Sofitel. It was still only about 8am.

The staff was very welcoming and polite (and even knew English for us) in explaining that our room still wouldn’t be ready for another 6 hours. We tried our best to pass the time, but we were still so worn out from travelling, the lack of sleep and the lack of a shower to wash off the sunscreen of our faces from Disneyland. Luckily the absolute beauty and tranquility of the island calmed our souls. Finally after what seemed like another pan-pacific flight, our room was ready. We showered, we napped and then we got ready for dinner. We had dinner on a small pier that went over the water. Finally our vacation had begun and we ate to our heart’s content. Each answer to the waitress’ questions received with a confusing yet endearing “That’s okay.”

The next day we got right down to business. After a hearty breakfast we picked up our rental bikes. We set out on two missions: One to explore the island and Two to get some groceries. The water is not safe to drink from the tap and the 600 CFP adds up after a while. We biked out along the road which circumnavigates the island and took in the local scene. Eventually we reached Cook’s Bay. Here the majesty of the island takes form. Giant monoliths jet impossibly high from the island. They are dressed with green trees and palms as whispy clouds huddle around and between them. On three sides of the bay these giant mountains offer a stark contrast to the absurdly beautiful blue waters of the bay. It is like a goddamn postcard here.

We ventured as far as we could and then went back to this little bar of a restaurant called Allo’s Pizza. So far as Pizza goes, this was legit. He had a full on wood fired oven and hand made our pizza right in front of us. Being in this tropical paradise, we opted for the seafood pizza. Very very tasty. Transporting the leftovers in the basket of the bike proved tricky but we were on our way. Half the way back from cooks bay we stopped at the Supermarche in Maharapa. We loaded up on waters of course and then cheese and bread and fruit juice mixers (For the reposado Patron Tequila we smuggled in). Our backs now overloaded, we got back on our bikes and hoofed it the last 5 or so Kilometers. Our butts were battered and sore just like [insert inappropriate joke here]. We got back to our bungalow and as quick as we could jumped into the water right in front of our porch. This was probably the most refreshing swim in recent memory. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening making up new tequila drinks, reading our books, eating our snacks for dinner and finally going to bed. It was our first full day on the island and we really lived the hell out of it.

Now we are at now, where the sun is now totally risen and it’s almost time for breakfast. The beauty of this island is unimaginable and the best part is we get to spend it together as a newly married couple. Things could not be better.

Pacific Northwest Adventure: The Final Day

It was difficult to say goodbye to our beloved 5-star hotel, but we managed to check out, grab some tea and breakfast, and hit the road, bound for Seattle. The drive was easy enough. I can’t tell you the gratification of coming across the border and being able to get non-roaming 3g service. What a relief. We got to Seattle and stopped at the Columbia Tower/Bank of America building. We took three separate elevators to climb 73 stories to the observation floor to get a breathtaking view of the whole Seattle/Puget sound area. For only 5 bucks, it was quite a deal and considerably higher than the space needle.

After that we dropped off the car and I managed to get a hotel concierge to hold our bags for us. We went back to Pike Market. Strange that it now seemed familiar. We took in the sights and smells one last time. We grabbed lunch at the Pike Brewery (Great Double Ale, BTW) and then picked up some Seattle Coffee (which I am currently smelling in the plane from my carry-on bag! Yum!). To treat ourselves, we indulged in a candy-apple with chocolate and toffee on it. Finally, it was time to go. We got to the link rail and headed to the airport, made our flight, and just watched Mt. Rainier pass below us. The Pacific Northwest adventure is now coming to a close.

The beauty of the places we have been is hard to beat. The majesty of the forests and the intrigue of the sea delighted our fascination for nature. The cities which hosted us where world class. We got to experience the flavor of these metropolitan areas, not only in the amazing dining but in their parks, art, streets and people. This alone made our trip unforgettable, but it will be the milestone we reached that will always stick out. Through all of our trips and through all of our adventures, there could be no greater of a travel companion than Emily. We share many things including our love for travel and nature. This, with an infinite number of other reasons, was why I knew that Emily was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I know that this trip was just the beginning of many more journeys we will share together in our lives.

For both of us, this will be a trip that we will remember forever.

Day...Before the last day

We woke luxuriously in our 5-star hotel king size bed, contemplating whether to order caviar or boiled goose from room service. Well, the first part is true. Unfortunately our luxurious, all accommodating hotel felt it unnecessary to provide free internet to its guests. I think our 2.5 star hotel in El Paso had free wifi. WTF. We had breakfast at a coffee house across the street that did have the precious internet. After, we headed out to the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. This place was amazing. If you ever get to Vancouver, check this place out. It is acre after acre of beautiful ponds, lawns and gardens. They even had a really cool hedge maze. We were really blown away by this place. We spent two hours walking around looking at all the neat plants, trees, ferns... I can only imagine what someone who knew something about plants would say. I got to get my mom up here. Highly Recommended.

After the gardens we went out to a place called Granville Island. Not really an island, but a sort of dock area under a bridge which has a bunch of neat shops/artists/restaurants. It is kind of like Seaport Village, back in San Diego. Lots of neat artists and things to see. We took in the sights, grabbed some lunch and then headed back to our hotel room. For a nap. Lots of walking.

When we woke up, we headed down towards Gastown, a neat historical kind of area, not unlike the Gaslamp in S.D. We took a picture in front of the steam powered clock, Gassy Jack (The Founder of Gastown) and then found a nice restaurant for pizza and beer. After we decided to hop into a local brew pub for some more beer. We sampled their collection merrily. On our way home we passed Canada Place, a sort of central Hub for the Olympics, you saw it, it had all those big white sails on it.

Vancouver really is a world-class city. It has amazing sights, great vibe and is pretty darned cool. Despite having to pay for that world-class-ness, we really enjoyed Vancouver.