Laughing about being dumb.

So last night as I am getting ready to head to the airport I receive a call from the front desk of the hotel saying my flights been cancelled until further notice, and my stay and meals are all going to be comped by Air New Zealand. I was so tired I was just like sure, ok, whatever, turned on the Big Lebowski and went to bed and slept like a baby. Its probably for the better that I didn't fly out at the time cause I for sure would have fallen asleep in the airport and missed my flight I think. So I wake up in the morning and order a huge room service, it's free I thought, lets swing for the hills. I had 4 pancakes, 4 chocolate croissants, a full pitcher of hot chocolate, a massive orange juice and a freakin mountain of bacon. It was amazing, but so filling I felt I needed to take a hot bath and go back to bed after. Which was amazing. By the time I came back to life after my food coma, I started figuring out what was going on with my flight, and with the travel insurance policy I bought that backed me on delayed and cancelled flights. Took forever, and ended up booking more flights and changing a few more around, which I am very stoked on because I will be in Indo for 25 days now instead of the original 10 days, but I am only going to be in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam for about 20... but it all works out just peachy. I'm stoked on it. Anywho, I spend the day doing that, and relaxing, and watching CNN (I was watching professional billiards in French for the majority of the morning, but it just got way too boring and I had no idea what was happening). If all goes according to plan, my flight to NZ leave tomorrow at 530pm, so I am sweet. So tonight, where the story gets funny, I decide hey, Air NZ is paying for my meals, I am going to go big tonight. So I get a prime spot at this buffet the hotel is having, don't even bother checking the price for the meal, I just hop right into it. The gnarliest buffet ever. First plate was ribs, chicken with an insane lemon sauce, parrot fish with a succulent vanilla sauce, white rice and bread. Second plate was seared ahi, Poisson Cru (not as good as James' and Chris' but I ate a ton anyway) and some veggies. And the 3rd plate was me try to over dose on dessert. I was so full from the dinner plates that the dessert plate was a little challenge. But I managed. These little chocolate mousse/cake things were insane. If I wasn't so hurt from all the other foods I would have just wrecked that dessert tray and pushed little kids away to get more. And on top of this I had a few drinks, figured I would live it up on Air NZ's tab. Oh yes, and while I am enjoying this unbelievable dinner there is the same Tahitian dance show that was going on when I arrived here about 2 weeks ago! I got to watch all of it this time, and I found where they hide the hot Tahitian women at. I don't know how long I watched with my mouth open, but I had to catch myself and try to play it off. I am sure i didn't do too well, but who cares. They weren't too bad to look at. But yes, back to the story, so the shows over, I feel good and sick at the same time from eating so much, I walk back to my room and see some envelopes on my door. I open them up and one is the flight itinerary for tomorrow, awesome, I have a flight to New Zealand now. The second, not such a good one. Its a couple coupons for dinners at the restaurants in the hotel, meals only. And not the places I ate at. I racked up about $300 in food/drink for the day, and only ate twice. I was pretty much speachless and started laughing when I looked through them. I should have known the air lines were not that stupid to let people choose where they ate in a big hotel, and then trust them not to blow hundreds on drinks and charge the airlines for it... But oh well. I didn't get them till 930pm anyway... None the less, it was a pretty funny moment a full realization of how slow I am. Hopefully the insurance claim goes through then I will be good. If not who cares, I can afford to splurge a little. Totally worth it. I had an awesome day, but I will for sure use the food vouchers tomorrow and hopefully be en route to NZ!

oh yes, and here is a link to an online photo album I made of my French Polynesia pictures!

Enjoy!

Last day in Tahiti

Well it has been an amazing time in French Polynesia. Possibly one of the more expensive places I have ever been but it is so worth it. This place is so beautiful and the people are so nice and awesome. Smiles and "bonjours" everywhere you go. Last night I went out and had a nice little early dinner, had some fruity drink, did some laundry in the bathtub and got to relax in a big nice bed. Total opposite from the fisherman's shack on Ninamu, but not in a bad way. I do miss that funny little bed, with the funky mattress and the bussing of the mosquitos attacking me all night. I would do it again in a second. Awesome place. But yup, it did feel pretty darn fantastic to take a hot shower and watch some french tv. I was watching the Australian Open all night in French, no idea what they were saying, but it kept me entertained. I was also trying to figure out how to make an online photo album to share with everyone, there are too many to post on the blog so I will have to figure out a way to share my pictures with you all. Once I do I will post a link to the album or something. I will deal with it soon enough. While I was going through my pictures from Ninamu I realized I had about 50 pictures of the kitties... which is kind of disturbing because I feel like one of those old ladies who is obsessed with cats. I had a few of the dogs too, but a strange amount of cat pictures, and a couple videos, which I keep watching because they crack me up. But oh well. I miss the little guys, I feel like its hard to capture the rambunctiousness of kitties on still photos, and thats why I took the 5 or so videos... Oh well. I must say though, I really have had a very nice 36 hours or so in Tahiti, doing the hotel thing for a little bit. Being a tourist and all. I got to walk around the market area a little bit today as well, which was funny. I got lost walking into the supermarket, kept trying to walk through the exits because there was like 4 and only one entrance which was not in view for me. I dont know french, and apparently don't understand wordless signs very well either. I really need to get my act together before heading to Asia.. could be bad, could get lost for days trying to get into a market, and get lost for another week when I get make it into the markets. But once in the market I kind of just wandered around the meat department licking my chops thinkin about bbq. After that I made my way to the important parts of the store and found my chocolate bars and the beer/wine section. I walked around the shopping center a little bit after shopping for the crucial elements, carrying my beers and chocolate bar around like a weirdo. Some of the stores around there where very french, little cafes with people smoking cigarettes outside, a "future video" store, which was a DVD rental place that only had movies in French I think, and some other classic shops which I really wanted to go into but refrained because I probably would have wasted too much money on funny things, and i really wanted that chocolate bar. Overall it was storming pretty much all day, actually the first day since I have been in French Polynesia that it was stormy all day. Got some heavy down pour, while I was having lunch outside actually, but it was quite refreshing. Got some more clothes washed. I really did enjoy having this big bed at my disposal all day, it took me a long time to crawl out this morning after getting an amazing nights sleep, and i kept crawling into it throughout the day while in my room just to get comfortable while having man soda. It was also pretty nice to have the internet again, even though it was pretty awesome not having it for 2 weeks. I got to return emails and let everyone know I am still alive. Also got to book some more places to stay and get a couple more plane tickets. Lonely Planet is a pretty solid site for finding places to stay. But anyway I need to go start packin stuff back up before my flight to NZ tonite. I already had a nice little dinner at this little pizza/burger/traditional Tahitian/ food place. For anyone thats never had traditional Tahitian, Poisson Cru is literally amazing. Its basically raw ahi, carrots, cucumber, onions, and a few herbs mixed with fresh coconut cream and lemon/lime juice. Kind of like a hawaiian poke, but sooo much creamier and amazing. James and Chris made an unreal one on Ninamu. Seriously good dish. I recommend it. But yup, time to cruise. I am being picked up in a little bit by a new friend of mine Popo, a 300lb Tahitian woman, who I am pretty sure has a crush on me. She has been driving me to and from the airport each time I am on Tahiti. She gives me all the gossip and news and I have no idea what she is talking about, I just smile and nod and it seems to work. I am pretty excited for New Zealand, I will be sure to take tons of pics, and learn to make an internet photo album to show them to you all, as well as the Ninamu ones... I promise. Also supposedly there is a swell heading to NZ when I get there, so thats always fun hearing you're going to possibly get some waves when you arrive in a new place! But yup, I shall make a new post soon for all you lovely folks whenever I come across some internet again in New Zealand! Goodbye!

An amazing start

Well I am back On Tahiti after an amazing 2 weeks on Ninamu. No phones, no internet, just life as simple as it gets. And I loved every second of it. Even the hours I would wake up in the middle of the night itching the skin off my body cause of the 100+ mosquito bites (no exaggeration), or the burning of the sheets touching my skin because I was horribly sunburned (I swear I wore sunscreen Mom, it just washed off really fast..), it was still such a great time an experience. Being able to help out on the island really made time fly by, but the 4 hour surf sessions with Owen Wright, Dean Brady and Matty Wilkinson really blew by even faster. Originally I was just kind of supposed to help prepare the island for guests since they are due to open in February, but Chris, one of the coolest guys I have ever met who lives on the island and has been working on it for the past 2 years, informed us that Rip Curl was flying out some photographers and some surfers for a couple days to snag a swell that was coming through. So my role as helper turned into resort staff. Anyways turns out, the Rip Curl guys, Owen, Dean and Matt, as well their photographers, Ted and Johnny, were some of the nicest and fun people I have ever met. So cool, not demanding at all, and I completely fell off the wagon of doing my duties around the resort and just played with them the whole time. I was supposed to help with the boat stuff, and do whatever, but that all went out the window. I just ended up surfing with them for hours and talk to them about traveling and funny stuff. Awesome guys and so funny to hang around, as well as insane surfers. Actually the first day we all surfed together on the Left at 'the pass,' they were taking off so deep and getting 5+ second barrels and boosting enormous airs, so needless to say I tried to step up my game and ended up doing a late take off to seat drop on the reef. Ripped my trunks, ripped my feet up pretty nice, but nothing too bad. I was just glad I didn't damage any of my vitals... The very first day of surf, I was by myself at the left at the pass and scored. Head high, reeling right along the edge of dry reef, barreling, and not another soul out. The 85 degree water wasn't too bad either. After the first day there was always somebody else out.. it was brutal. Getting a world class wave with 1 or 2 other guys out, having a share?? I was spoiled after my first day. Pretty much every day we surfed, which was most every day, we had perfect waves. I can't remember any day it was not perfect. But enough about the waves, the island itself was an experience. I had never seen a coconut crab before. That was interesting. One of the gnarliest creatures I have come across. Some of the ones we caught were as big as a human head and their claws are so powerful they can cut through a coconut and would have no problem taking off a finger or two. But they were tasty. So sweet and delicious. Served up with some garlic butter or a garlic cream sauce, succulent to say the least. To catch these buggers we would have to go out in the daytime and break coconuts in half with an axe (that was my job, it was awesome) and then nail them to trees. Then once it was dark out, after dinner or whatever we would go out with flashlights and catch them eating the coconuts, grab them, tape their claws shut and together and then eat them the next night for dinner. We also did a little diving, Chris would spear fish and catch some tasty little reef fish for us for dinner. We would deep fry them or bake them usually. But I was amazing by the number of sharks. The first day I got there when we were loading up the boat I saw 3 sharks in like knee high water, just little guys about 3-4 feet, but the ones that were checking us out when we were diving were a little bigger. James, the chef, was with us and told me they get plenty to eat because the abundance of sea life around there. I was comforted in believing this and got a little frisky and started chasing them and trying to take pictures as close to them as i could. They were really curious and at times I times I thought I was on the menu, but nothing happened and it was a funny time. On the island there were also 3 dogs and 2 kittens, needless to say I spent a lot of my 'work time' playing with the doggies or the kitties. The kittens were so funny, they would fully battle eachother and fly all around the main room. and attack you if you weren't paying enough attention to them. I nearly got my nipple pierced by a tiny claw. The long haired white one was The Dude and the little tiger striped grey one was Donny, from the Big Lebowski, which was Chris' favorite movie. The kitties were so loving and cute but the dogs were my little buddies. The puppy of the 3, Astro, was my main buddy. He was 7 months, and would take swims with my and try to drown me. And if I was sitting on the shore he would have to have a paw on my and give me kisses when ever I looked his way. His mom and dad, Ginger and Chopper where also funny dogs. They loved to swim and have you throw corral for them in the water. They would just swim all over whining for you to throw more. Astro actually started sleeping outside my little room, I would have to look outside before i jumped down so I didn't land on the little guy. It was sad leaving him, he looked almost confused as to why I was leaving. But hopefully I will get back there and get to play again soon! I know there is so much I am forgetting to say, its hard to sum up such an amazing 2 weeks in such a small space. But being able to share an island with 3 amazing, diverse, cultured people was truly a blessing. Chris the legend and boss, and James and Stein the cooks, were so fun to hang around and we always had a laugh. We all loved the same movies, and had a very strong affection for Nutella, which we never seemed to have enough of.. probably because of me. Anyway, I am going to walk down the street now and find some food and head to bed early. Snuggle up in a nice cozy hotel bed after sleeping on the worlds weirdest mystery mattress in the fishermans' little room. I love you all, goodnight.

The eagle has landed.

I just got into my hotel for the night on Tahiti, the "Le Meridien," and I am so fired up. Its about 90 something degrees outside and it feels so good. All these people from Nebraska and North Dakota where in front of my going through customs and they had full pants, turtle necks and sweaters goin. They were dropping layers like crazy and by the time we all reached the customs window the lady in front of me was practically in her delicates, and I did not appreciate that. The security ordeal at LAX was insane, a full hour and change getting through all the lines. But it was so worth it, Tahiti is a dream. Especially when you walk into the tiny terminal deal and there's three massive Tahitian guys playing Tahitian music. Epic, to say the least. I'm super excited to head to Tikihau tomorrow and to the other island who's name I cannot remember right now.. But anywho I am stoked to be here, the flight couldn't have gone any better and right now outside there is a full ceremony thing going on so I am going to make my way to the bar and have a nice man soda and watch some radical cultural shenanigans! Shaka.