Last night, Dan and I left New York to spend 18 days in the South Pacific. We planned this trip last Fall, knowing that we’d want to get away from the freezing February temperatures we always seem to get, and – fortuitously – it so happened that this would turn into our “babymoon” getaway as well. The plan was to fly to Papeete, Tahiti, spend a couple of days there, embark on a 15-day cruise from Tahiti to Australia, and then fly back from Sydney to NYC. We’ll be writing these blog posts as the trip progresses, but due to spotty internet access in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we won’t be able to post them online until we get back. So…as you read this, we are back in NYC, hoping that the freezing temps are gone for good. I’ll be blogging the first half of the trip, which includes my favorite part (island-hopping) and Dan will blog the second half, which includes his favorite part (the Lord of the Rings Hobbiton set tour).
Our trip begins with lots of airplane time. We flew Qantas Airlines from JFK to Los Angeles, and then Air Tahiti from Los Angeles to Papeete. Both flights were good, but I have reconfirmed that I will never be someone who can sleep on a plane. The Qantas flight was particularly nice, since the crew was super-friendly and had the best Australian accents.
We landed in Papeete, breezed through Customs, and caught a cab to Le Meridien Hotel, where we’ll be staying the night before boarding our cruise ship tomorrow afternoon. Unbeknownst to me, Dan got us an over-water bungalow, which is completely awesome. Check it out below. He may have a hard time getting me to leave here tomorrow.
After a much-needed morning nap, we grabbed a bite to eat at the poolside bar and then claimed our spot in the sun for an afternoon of swimming and relaxation. Relaxation was definitely called for after our morning mishap. Oh, I forgot to mention that? Well, my suitcase didn’t make it to Tahiti. Dan’s bag came off the plane pretty quickly, but we stood in that tiny tropical baggage claim for a long time as each suitcase slowly made its way down the conveyor belt – and none of them were mine. Eek. I wasn’t too worried, since I figured it would just make the next flight (tomorrow), and I’d get my bag in time to board the ship. Minor inconvenience to not have my bag until then, but I’d packed a bathing suit and flip flops in my carry-on bag, and what else do you really need in Tahiti, right?
Later in the day, we found out that they don’t really seem to know where my bag is. Thankfully, my fearless father-in-law is on the case, and if anyone can track down that bag, he can. The first several stops on our cruise are all in French Polynesia, so once the bag gets to Papeete, they should be able to get it to me pretty quickly after that. Stay tuned for the next installment of Where in the World is Ann Taylor’s Suitcase? Mystery, intrigue, suspense – this trip will have it all!