Tahiti Week 2
Tahiti Week 2 has felt fast. I wish for it to feel slow. I aspire to be bored, but have been reminded this week that when you are doing something you love time moves very fast.
This week we did more of what we love. Morning (~7am-9am) walks on the beach and playtime at the pool in front of our apartment. We also took the kayak out on Matavai Bay a few times in (unsuccessful) search of dolphins. Afternoons (~3pm-5pm) are usually more of the same. We head back to the pool or beach for some playtime and join the local kids for swimming lessons several times a week. There is usually a grocery store drop-in to pick up a packet of 5 freshly made crepes for 295 francs (~US$2.95) and two or three of those 50 franc (~US$0.50) baguettes. The crepes are devoured in the car while warm and are gone before we complete the five minute drive back home :) We continue to use the middle of the day to head out on adventures and explore the island!
Our activities this week included:
“Tahiti by Boat” tour where we saw spinner dolphins, a humpback whale, and snorkeled with amazing fish over a small plane crash (apparently everyone survived) and ship wreck.
Assembly of French Polynesia (Parliament House) We wandered around these beautiful grounds one day while we were in town. A clear highlight for me! The girls really enjoyed the ducks and pictures of fish on the walls😉
National Museum of Tahiti Currently under renovation, and only signed in French, but really interesting artifacts from all the Polynesian islands.
Surf lessons at Papeno’o Beach, Scarlett and I did one lesson together and then she joined the kids class later in the week. We both learned the waves here are much more challenging than what we had in Costa Rica!
Tahitian Dance Show on Friday night. We also did the Marquesan Dance show again on Thursday night. Two late nights definitely wasn’t ideal, but the shows are a lot of fun!
In other news, baby Hazel’s first two teeth appeared this week. And Nora, apparently benefiting from swim lessons in French, is now voluntarily putting her head underwater in the pool. A major, and hard-fought achievement! If we can replicate that in the ocean the snorkeling we are all doing will be a lot more fun and have many fewer tears involved.
It is hard to believe it has been two weeks since we arrived on this beautiful island. The best news is that we have two more weeks to go!
Below are some pictures and a video from this past week.
