Tahiti

On Thursday night we reached Tahiti. Our plane landed about twenty minutes early. The driver did not have much space in his car so we needed to go in a taxi. While we were waiting two more people arrived.  The people who were there as representatives for the people going on cruise ships were handing out leis when they found them. We had no one waiting to pick us up. We could not all fit in the car (a very small car, a four seater) because we had all our luggage with us. One of the people waiting for someone let us borrow his phone to ring the taxi driver. Once we got to the hotel called Pension de la Plage (Beach Pension) the driver of the vehicle that was meant to take us there took the two other people to their rooms. We paid the driver who drove the taxi a couple of thousand franc. The hotel is very active during the night. We tried calling out for Nana and tried looking for her because she said she would met us outside but she got too tired so she went to sleep in her room. The person who was meant to drive us there asked us what was our surname. Next he asked us if we were with our Nana so we said yes. He showed us to the rooms we were staying in. The rooms had names. Our rooms name was Maupiti and Maruu.It was about 10:30 when we arrived at Pension de la Plage. It gets light in Tahiti at six o'clock in the morning and gets dark at about six thirty in the evening.

On Friday we got up and had breakfast under a thatched roof with no walls so we could get some fresh air. The breakfast was next to the warm water pool. Once we had breakfast Karl and I went for a swim in the pool for about two hours. After the swim we got in the car and started driving. The first thing we saw was a Marae called Marae Arahurahu. The Marae had some coconut trees near it. Next we went to Marra Grotto. A Grotto is a cave with plants around it. After that we went to Bain de Vaima (a spring bubbling into a crystal clear river, very popular with locals, and with eels). One of the last things we looked at was Arahoho Blowhole. Once we got back to our hotel Karl, Papa and I went out in the lagoon and went swimming. After the lagoon we went back to the pool at our hotel and Karl and I went swimming.

On Saturday we went to Pape'ete to have a look around. Pape'ete is the capital of Tahiti and also the Capital of French Polynesia. We went to a church where the PK markers start marking the length of the island. Next we went to the Marche de Pape'ete, where you can buy ice-creams, fruit, meat, fish, materials, baskets, and lots more.  We got an ice-cream.  We saw the town hall then the ferry terminal building where the ferries leave for Mo'orea and other islands round Tahiti. We got on the ferry and went to Mo'orea. Once we got to Mo'orea we got a taxi to drive us round the island. He showed us his hotel with a beach outside it.  That beach had really white sand.  Once we got back from Mo'orea we went across the road to where they sell the best crepes in Tahiti.  I had crepe avec chocolat et banane. We dipped our feet in the pool at our hotel after we had dinner.

On Sunday morning, Karl & I did not have any breakfast because we had eaten so many easter eggs then went swimming.  After Papa, Mama & Nana had eaten their breakfast, we all went to a local church.  It was a Catholic church, and the songs were in French and Tahitian, and the priest spoke in French.  We had to leave a bit before the end so that Papa could settle the bill at the Pension.  We then went back into Pape'ete to see more.  We tried to see King Pomare V tomb, but it was fenced off.  We did the Presidential Palace, the Vaima Hospital and the Pharmacists House (an old 2-storey colonial house).  Also, we saw the Queen's house.

After that, we returned to the Pension where Karl & I swam in the pool for a while before Papa took us over the road to the lagoon.  We saw a school of fish which I chased and an eel.  Mama & Nana stayed at the Pension and swam in the pool there.  The water in the lagoon, and in the pool, was warm.

We had dinner at the creperie again, then had an early night.  At 3.30 in the morning, we got up and went to the airport.  We were the first to check in.  Our plane left at 7.35am Tahiti time, and took about 5 hours 40 mins to get back to Auckland.  We left on Monday morning and arrived on Tuesday morning, because we crossed the international date line.

Tahiti was hot and muggy.  There were lots of dogs, chickens, roosters, coconut trees, people selling food on the side of the road.  Lots of people, especially the locals, go to beaches and rivers to swim and keep cool.

For more information, go to the sites listed below:

http://plesfam.blogspot.co.nz/ 
 http://gbskarlp.blogspot.co.nz/

Lax Airport

We are sitting in a lounge at a shop at LAX Airport in LA. Any duty free requests? Well tell me quickly because we are leaving soon.

Before we came to LAX Airport we went to see the HOLLYWOOD sign. We saw an awesome view of the HOLLYWOOD sign.

In the Security Karl, Mama and I went through the security that New Zealand have. Papa went through a different machine which can see your underwear. We also had to take our jumpers and shoes off because they  check for bombs.

I like New Zealand more because America has homeless people all over the place. A man asked my dad for money for petrol but he will be in the casino the next minute.

To LA

On Wednesday we got up and drove to LA. We saw Chewing Gum alley which we could smell.

 On the way we went through Solvang, a Dainsh town.In Solvang we got out of the car and had a walk around. On our way back to the car we went in a bakery and bought some food for afternoon tea. We saw the mission in Solvang as well.

Late in the evening we played on the beach in Santa Moncia while Mama and Papa sorted out where to stay the night. We stayed in LA at the Super 8.

Half way to LA

On Tuesday morning we got up and left San Francisco in our automobile.  We drove along Highway 1, which goes along the Pacific Coast.  We tried to see New Zealand, but couldn't.

At one beach we saw all the driftwood that had been made into things like huts.

We saw elephant seals which were nearly extinct because of the oil-rich blubber, but are now increasing in numbers.

We saw Carmel Mission, which is where Junipera Serra is buried.  We didn't go inside, but looked over the fence.

As we drove along, we looked out and could see Hearst Castle, which took 30 years to build and if built today, would cost $400 million to build.

We drove through Monterey and saw Cannery Row, where sardines used to be canned in America before all the sardines disappeared.  We also saw California's first theatre.

We had dinner in Morro Bay, and could see Morro Rock, which is the last in a chain of 21 volcanoes.  Morro Bay has lots of fishing boats.  We then drove to San Luis Obispo to spend the night.

Last Day in San Francisco

On Monday we drove to the Golden Gate Bridge so we could walk over the Golden Gate Bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge is 1 and 1/4 miles (2 km) long.  Papa drove over it because he had already walked over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Papa met us at the other end with the car. After that we went to Sasalito on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. In Sasalito we saw houseboats on the water. We talked to a man who owned a houseboat. The man said that everyone needs to paint their boat regularly so it looks neat.

After that we drove back across the Golden Gate Bridge and went to Mission Delores.  In the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Mission survived becasuse the walls were 4 foot think adobe walls, but the church next to it was badly damaged.

Then we had dinner at Scoma's, a restaurant on a wharf by Fisherman's Wharf.  I really liked the clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls which we had for dinner.  For dessert, we went to the famous chocolate factory, Ghirardelli's and I had a chocolate ice-cream.

We had a late night because we then went shoe shopping and didn't the shop till it closed at 9pm!

We wanted to watch the lunar eclipse, but there was too much fog and cloud.