Yesterday was a traveling day: we bid farewell to Christchurch and flew back to Auckland before catching our flight to Papeete, Tahiti. The flight wasn’t too bad, around five hours, but our late arrival made for some tired folks rolling into the hotel. Our shuttle from the hotel to the airport left at 9:40 this morning, so it was a very short night.

We got in so late last night that it was pitch black, so it wasn’t until this morning that we got our first views of Tahiti. The first thing we did when our wake-up call sounded was open the curtains and look out. It was a cloudy morning, so the sea didn’t have quite the sparkle I expected, but it still looked pretty great!

After breakfast, we did a quick tour around the resort. Tim put his feet in the water several times and even enjoyed a “Mr. Fish” like experience at one of the lagoons.

 

It’s definitely humid here! I told Tim I felt like Monica in the episode of Friends where they went on a tropical vacation and her hair poofed to three times its normal size. I don’t think I’ll opt for cornrows as she did; I’ll just embrace the tropical frizz. 😉

Open seating on the flight to Bora Bora meant we could choose a seat that might give us the best views as we came into Bora Bora. I’ve been receiving emails from one of the Bora tour operators, and one of those clued me in that one side of the plane may offer better views than the other, so we were prepared. We boarded the plane from the back, so we sat on the left-hand side and were rewarded with great views.

I cannot overstate my excitement about Bora Bora. In middle school, I used to say I was going to move here one day. As an adult, a few days may be the closest I get, but I’ll take it. This has been at the top of my bucket list since I knew what a bucket list was. And now I’m here!
Upon arrival, we were directed to our taxi boat for a thirty minute ride to the Intercontinental Le Moana Hotel. The clouds increased, and there was a little rain as we made our way. At one point, I drew Tim’s attention to one resort ahead and commented how beautiful it looked. Imagine my delight when we pulled into that very resort!

We were greeted with a refreshing tropical drink and a tour of the property, and then the wonderfully long walk down the pier to our bungalow.

I was coming out of my skin with excitement the closer we got to the end of the pier! She stopped us at Bungalow 30, and ushered us in where champagne waited on ice. Seriously. I could not have dreamed of anything better. After a tour of our bungalow, we enjoyed the champagne on the deck and toasted to this absolute dream come true.

The winds picked up and a real storm blew in. We headed inside for a mid-afternoon nap. Hearing the lapping waves below us and feeling the slight rock of the bungalow on its stilts put us right to sleep.

After a quick nap, we went to the bar for a late lunch and drinks. Tim had his vacation essential margarita while I tried a Bora Bora–a delicious cocktail the color of the water that tasted every bit of the delight Bora Bora is.

While near the concierge, Tim scheduled diving for the day after tomorrow to make up for the missed opportunity in New Zealand. The water feels great here, so Tim won’t freeze like he would have had he gone in New Zealand.

Back to our bungalow after lunch, with the skies still cloudy and our bellies full, we decided to sit on the deck and read for a while–at least until happy hour!

 

I thought I would be upset if it was rainy or cloudy while we were here, and maybe I’ll say differently if we don’t get any sun the whole time, but it’s been nice not feeling like we have to do SOMETHING. This trip has been so busy, that it’s nice to just take time out and be still. I texted my dear friend today that I felt like I had finally entered vacation mode… too bad vacation’s almost over!