Sunday was the final day on the Tui Tai. A couple of nice dives in the morning and then onto a beach for a BBQ lunch and some volleyball. I even tried the stand up paddle boards, and although I didn’t fall off, they are harder than they look. We had a final very calm […]

The Tui Tai is not strictly speaking a “Dive Boat” but rather an “Adventure Boat”. Besides the diving which is two or three times a day, they have kayaks on board, mountain bicycles, and hiking as well. My ship mates are either young and energetic, or middle aged but marathoners and long distance bicyclists. I […]

Sunday I hopped a tiny plane to Savusavu and had a wonderful day and night at the Daku Resort before being picked up for my week live-aboard on the Tui Tai. Perhaps 16 guests, a bit of an older and more traveled crowd than before, very interesting conversation into the evening. In a fairly amazing […]

This morning I packed up and chatted with Poe. I went ahead and went up to the lobby and out of the room a bit early, 12:45 instead of 13:45 and Serge came over and we talked for a while about travels and family and such. Alberts transport pick up was right on time, despite […]

Monday had a couple of good dives, not the stuff of legend, but fun and comfortable. After an early pick-up and gearing up at the dive shop we went on out just past the reef to a spot called “The Shark’s Dining Room.” Visibility was good, and there were plenty of Blacktips and some Lemon […]

Today is again a Sunday of rest. I did finish the PADI Advanced Open Water eLearning program and printed out the medical form and certificate. At breakfast it was clear that while the Hilton Bora Bora Nui is a honeymoon destination, the Pearl Moorea is a family destination. Probably 60% families, 30% honeymooners and then […]

And Rule # 3: don’t drink so much Tahitian rum and coke. Didn’t feel all that and a bag of chips this morning at 06:00. But soldier on we must. I had a small breakfast, and couldn’t even finish the eggs or bacon. On the way to the dive shop I chatted with the Indian […]

During my last dinner in Rangiroa, two things struck me: out of the fifty or so people in the room, I am the only american and even the only native english speaker and second: I like that. Ma francais est un peu plus meillor. Resting tonight and tomorrow off to Bora Bora. Looking for Manta […]

I had a nice smooth flight to Rangiroa and into my hotel, the Maitai Rangiroa. I have full board, all meals included and the kitchen here is superb. all the meals have been plentiful and wonderfully prepared. I have had fish, lamb shank, chicken and steak. I had only one reef dive yesterday, but it […]

I’m slowing it down a bit now. Saturday night I eased into Rarotonga and the hotel transport was nowhere to be seen. I checked in with the Air Rarotonga office to see if my vouchers were there. They weren’t. When I got to Rarotonga last Monday they had for no apparent reason sent my vouchers […]

It was a wonderful ride to the airport at Atiu in the back of Roger’s pickup, the cool breeze in our faces and the scent of jasmine. Until about a 1/2 km from the airport when the rains came. Good thing I don’t melt! We watched the plane roar into a landing and when they […]

I am sitting on the back porch of Paradise. My private villa/bungalow on the island of Atiu enjoying coffee and the sunrise. The flight from L.A. to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands was smooth and comfortable, business class is certainly nice on the long haul flights. We got in around 6 AM and I lolled […]

Catching up on the rambling for those who really don’t care. Amazing how fast the the three weeks in Orlando passed. I loved visiting the peeps at work and realizing I’m not working. I tidied up some loose ends, got some Florida sun on my pasty white body in preparation, and got the tickets for […]

From Quito to Lima and overnight at the Fancy Hotel. From the Galapagos tour it was just Poe and I with one other family. It was great being five of us instead of a tour of 18. We got to know the guides, Lucero and Alvin well. Fortunately we had Rick, Mary Beth and Preston […]