French Polynesia

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Matt and I were to set off for Argentina. This is a place Matt loves. He did serve his mission there a million years ago. And he has wanted to go back ever since we went 12 years ago.  But, though I loved our trip there, I  have not had a desire to go back.

Matt and I kept discussing and discussing where to go on our next vacation. He kept trying different ways to convince me that Argentina was the place to go. But as sexy and persuasive as he is he was not able to convince me.

So, back in July or August we decided to flip a coin. Whoever won got to pick our next vacation destination.  That's fair, right? I've decided this is a good way to do things when conversations are going in circles and nobody can agree! The rule was that whoever lost could not complain. Ivy was our coin tosser and Matt ended up winning. OK, I liked the coin toss idea until I lost.

But, I kept up my end of the bargain and I did not complain. Matt went to work planning our vacation. For months he updated me on where we were going, what we were going to be doing and how excited he was. And I did not complain. Not even once!

So when we left for the airport on that Saturday after Thanksgiving I was ready and getting more excited to go to Argentina. Little did I know that once we got to the airport I would get the surprise of a life time.

My sweet hubby handed me an envelope with my name on it. Inside he had written the best love letter. I was in tears. Bawling like a baby in the middle of the airport! It took a bit before my eyes were clear enough to get to the part that explained that we were not going to Argentina after all. Instead we were going on a dream vacation to the island of Moorea in French Polynesia. 

I can't believe he pulled it off. He totally shocked me.

And I am touched because he thought of nothing but making me happy as he planned this trip. He put me first. 

My husband is one selfless man. 

My heart smiles just thinking about how lucky I am to have married my very best friend.  I know he wanted to go back to visit all those people he still loves in Argentina. He would have loved to sink his teeth into a big fried piece of Milanesa. I know he has longed to return ever since we left 12 years ago. And he sacrificed it all for me.

I love him.

  After about 11 hours of flying we finally arrived in Tahiti. It was late and we only stayed in Tahiti for the night. In the morning we took a 30 minute ferry ride from Tahiti to Moorea. 

The first thing that struck me was how green and mountainous it was. So.Gorgeous.

  Matt had arranged for us to stay in an over water bungalow. This has been a dream of mine for years!

 It was even more fantastic than I could have imagined. Breakfast on our back deck.

 The snorkeling and scuba diving were amazing. The water was crystal clear. 

 We saw TONS of sharks and rays.  We went about 100 ft. down to see the huge Lemon sharks. Wow! I love these amazing creatures.

  The corals were breathtaking and some of the best we've ever seen. Never before have we seen so many beautiful clams and sea cucumbers. They were everywhere.

 We met some great people.

This local guy taught us everything we ever wanted to know about how to survive off of coconuts. 

 Car rentals were outrageously expensive on the island, so we only rented for one day.

  We went out to this motu (a small island located off of the main island...there are 5 of these around Moorea) for the day. Wilford (pictured below) has lived on this small motu for 18 years and considers all of the sharks and rays that live out there his family. You can literally walk the entire island in about 10 minutes. Crazy! He has built everything on his motu by hand. He was an amazing guy and so interesting to talk to.

And if he lived in Portland he would be a total hippy.

 Wilford's pet crab.

 Wild chickens roamed the island.

 A local woman we met who was out in nature finding ferns and flowers so she could make bouquets and sell them. She was a lovely person.

 Belvedere: the highest point you can get to on the island by car. 

 A village located by the pineapple fields. The air here smelled of nothing but perfectly ripe pineapple. It was heavenly. And look at that beautiful rainbow. 

 Pineapple field. 

 We saw this often around the island. Fish for sale. 

 Tahitian fire dancers. 

 The Roulettes: a HUGE area of drive up vans with kitchens that offer dishes from Chinese to French to American. It was crazy here, but we ate some of the best crepes I have ever tasted. And it was so much fun watching for all the cross dressers that seem to frequent the island. 

 Matt saw this eel out swimming while he was snorkeling. It was about 8 ft. long. And of course my crazy husband follows it and takes a picture instead of getting the heck outta there!

  Isn't my husband amazing?

Yes, yes he is.