10 Aout 13, 19h31 Faa’a, Tahiti Nui

Well, we are sitting in the airport. We have been here for a couple of hours, but that is to be expected. We turned in our rental car around 5:30pm local time, and our flight doesn’t leave until 23:59. So, we have some time to spare. We took it slowly today, getting up around 9am and having coffee on our balcony. After the festivities and loud music at our hotel last night, I needed a lot more sleep than that, but it was still more than we get most nights at home, so I will take it. We drove around the island a bit and went to Point Venus beach and saw the lighthouse as well. It was wonderful. There was outrigger canoe sailboat reggata going on, and the boats were coming in as we walked up. Some of the sailors were dresses in their native costumes, and some were not natives. The canoes were great, and the black sand burned my feet where it had been in the sun. In the shade, the sand was probably 30 degrees or more cooler than it was in the sun, and it felt great on my feet. My toes were colored black from the d and when I walked away, and it was a great feeling once again. I guess it would take a while to get used to the black sand, but it has to be one of the coolest things ever to this inlander.

We bought a turtle and tiki at the local shop, and then we venture downtown to eat and find a few gifts in the open air Marche. The smell of fruit, vegetables, and fish was omnipresent, and the locals were very excited to show off their wares to these travelers.

We then decided to drive around a bit, and we ended our day at the boardwalk near the Marina and historical markers. The Marina was full of boats from far (San Francisco) and near. The sunset and trees, along with the boats and the stored kayaks made for a perfect set of photos. The entire area was full of locals, kids running and playing soccer, watchful but not overly so parents, and a few people walking about from the cruise ship that was in port. 

I have been amazed at the laid back lifestyle that these people have exhibited. I have been thrilled to see that there is a place on earth where kids can be kids and parents can be watchful but not totally controlling,allowing their kids to play but pulling than back as necessary for safety or learning. I saw a kid the first day we were here who was running toward a busy street. The mother grabbed him by the hair, as that was the only thing she could reach. I cheered her silently, for catching him and for making sure he was safe, even if it hurt his pride. In the States, God forbid if someone did that!  She would have been turned in to SCAN or whatever mongrelized version of SCAN you have in your community. Those are simply full of people, in humble opinion, who either never had kids, hate men or anything with penis, and do misunderstand humans. We take care of our young. Sometimes that means a spanking and sometimes it means raising one’s voice. If you are a parent who has done neither, I do have to wonder what type of child you have raised. I am sure the SCAN police will love you. I would love to live somewhere where people are not so quick to judge, where there is no assuming that there is more to every story and that kids do not always tell the truth. Anyone who believes they do is a fool.

We leave here tonight refreshed and ready for whatever lies ahead. We leave something behind, moving ahead where we left off at a point a couple of years ago. Happier, no doubt, and less worried than when we came.

Thank you to the wonderful people of Tahiti. We have traveled a lot, and these people have to be some of the nicest we have ever encountered.