TAHITI

It has been hard for me to want to write this post about our vacation in Tahiti. It was so amazing it is hard to do it justice with pictures and words. But lots of people have been asking to hear about it and see pictures, so I will try.
The first day and a half we spent on Tahiti. I feel like we did so much there, we were running from place to place. There was so much to do and see and definitely not enough time. Jon spent most of his mission on Tahiti, so there were also lots of people that he wanted to see as well.

Jon told the guys playing music at the airport if they played his requested song, that I would dance with this Tahitian dancer girl (he of course told them in Tahitian, so I didn't know what he was doing), but I am not one to back down from a dare.
We flew overnight from LA to Tahiti, so we arrived early in the morning and ate breakfast and went out on a van tour of the island, we stopped by Teahupoo the famous wave where only the best surfers dare to surf. We stopped and met up with a lady Jon knew and she gave us the best coconut bread. We saw beautiful waterfalls, a blow hole, and a cave.

Teahupoo wave far away in the background of this picture (the wave crashes out on the reef which is quite a distance from the shore). 

 This is sweet Sister Renvoye that gave us the yummy coconut bread.

At the pool inside the cave.













It took a long time because it is a big island, but it was a quick way to get an overview of the whole island. When we got back to our hotel, we swam and snorkeled and then had dinner. Around 30 people that Jon taught the gospel to on his mission wanted to see him, so they gathered at a bishop's house and had a little family home evening. It was really a neat thing to meet so many people that Jon had blessed, baptized, and served in some way. They went around and told the story about how they were converted to the church. Many expressed gratitude to Jon for bringing them the gospel that changed their lives. The spirit was really strong. I was so glad that Beth came with us, she was my translator, and I would have been super lost without her (Jon was pretty busy talking and catching up, so it was hard for him to remember that I don't speak French or Tahitian).

The next morning we got to go to the temple and do some sealings as a family. It is a small temple, but very beautiful. Jon of course ran into more people he knew and they were so nice. They offered to take us to the big Tahitian Market so we could buy some lunch and souvenirs. We were lucky to have them with us, because they both grew up on pearl farms, so they were able to tell us if our pearls were a good deal. Jon bought me a beautiful black pearl pendant. I love it. Jon got to eat his favorite food Poisson Cru. Which is basically raw fish marinated in citrus on a bed of shredded carrots and cucumbers served with rice and coconut milk. He ate it every chance he got while we were there. I told him to enjoy it lots, because he won't be getting it anytime in the near future. We all ate a whole lot of fish while we were there though. Even me, and I don't particularly care for fish. But fish there is so fresh and cooked perfectly with such yummy sauces that it doesn't taste fishy at all.

That day we flew to Moorea. We kayaked out to a lagoon in right off our hotel and snorkeled with rays and sharks. It was amazing. We went out a couple times because it was so cool. We took bread and Jon sweet talked some fish from some hotel workers and took it out to feed the rays and sharks (everyone loved Jon because he could speak Tahitian, they are used to the tourists speaking French to them, because a lot know it or are from France, but when Jon would start to speak to them in Tahitian, they would just laugh and love it. He got a lot of mileage out of it. He was famous...the white guy that speaks Tahitian). The rays were pretty aggressive because they like being fed by the tourists. I was in the water with them and they were attacking me. I couldn't figure it out, but it was freaking me out so I was trying to swim away and then my brother in law Paul was just cracking up from the kayak. Turns out he was throwing bread on me, behind me, all around me so that they would attack me...hilarious to think about now, but it didn't seem funny in the moment.
The next day we rented 4 wheelers and took a tour of the interior of Moorea, we saw the ring of mountains (Mo'a roa, Mo'a Puka, and the pinapple plantations) from the bowl of the extinct volcano, saw the ancient temple ruins and went to the Belvedere lookout where you can see Cook and Opunohu Bays at the same time.

This is us reenacting a human sacrifice in the ancient Tahitian temple. I am sure we offended some of the natives, but I have to say this is one of my favorite pictures of my siblings and I on the trip, makes me laugh every time I look at it.

That night Jon's friend treated us to the best food I have ever had at Te Honu Iti, where he works. It was so good. The desert was to die for, the chocolate mousse...um there aren't words for it, and some amazing caramelized banana concoction. Paul said he was going to cut his tongue out because he didn't want to taste another thing after that food. Really if you go to Moorea, eat there. In Tahiti they eat like the French...long drawn out meals. So mostly all we did at night was eat too much and chat around the dinner table.



The next morning it was off to Bora, Bora.  Bora Bora was my favorite island. It is beyond beautiful. The water is so warm and turquoise in color and crystal clear. And we got to stay in one of those over water bungalows...a dream come true.

Jon's friend, his former trainer on his mission, Bishop Tehihipo and wife, Mirihau and friends were there to greet us. They took us in their boat to the Hotel Maitai (the airport in on a motu...so everyone takes a boat to the island) where we dropped our stuff and put on our snorkeling gear and then headed for the lagoon.  Unfortunately, it started raining hard and it was pretty cold when we were out of the water, but the water itself is really warm, so we got in to warm up.




The first stop was to see the tropical fish and an eel. I had never seen so many fish in one place. The eel was huge and frightening. Jon's friend Moses was touching and playing with it. Apparently the eels are his friends...I still think he is crazy though.









Jon feeding the fish, bits of raw fish from his mouth. Rather disgusting, but made for a cool picture.











Our second stop was in a shallow area to see rays and black tipped sharks isn't that a cool picture of my dad and the shark swimming right behind him?

 

The third stop was outside the reef to swim with the lemon sharks. Where Jon, Paul and Rich rode the sharks. I didn't last long in the water because the sharks were huge and circling us and it scared me. For some reason I was the only one that was super scared. My mom told me that if they were to eat anyone they would go for me because I was always screaming and making noise when I was in the water with them. I told her no they would eat the people I kept pushing in front of me when they came close. 


Unfortunately, while swimming with the sharks, Jon's wedding ring fell off. He tried to get it, but it fell through the sharks to the deep of the ocean. He didn't tell me until we were driving home from LA that it happened though. He said he thought I would be mad and it would ruin the rest of my trip. I am sad, but it is kind of fitting of all the places he could lose it, it was a significant place in our relationship. (Bora Bora was our first topic of conversation when we met and a place he promised to take me someday). After the Lemon Shark riding, they took us to a little summer house they have on a Motu. They built a bonfire to warm us up, and fed us delicious native food: possion cru of course, banana poi, bread fruit and corned beef, and delicious tropical fruit.

It was raining again on Saturday unfortunately, but Bishop Tehihipo arranged for us to have a tour around the island of Bora, Bora and it was beautiful despite the rain.  Sunday we went out to the highway to catch the bus that picks everyone up for church.  They had Jon give his testimony and then had my Dad give his (because Jon is a former Tahitian missionary and Dad is a former mission president...they were having a missionary theme). They both did great. Well actually I couldn't understand Jon's because he gave it in Tahitian, but I am sure it was wonderful.

Monday finally the sun came out and the rain and wind let up. I was so happy. We walked down the highway to snorkel at Matira Point. After that we took the kayaks to the private island and the coral gardens. We saw the most colorful crazy fish and some amazing coral.

That afternoon we did a short hike to see the World War II cannons that are still on the hill overlooking the passes to through the reef.


 Then sadly our vacation was at an end.

The Tehihipo family and Moses saw us off at the airport and gave my whole family gifts and gifts for the our kids. They are so nice! When we got back to Tahiti, more of Jon's friends were there at the airport waiting to say goodbye to us and give us more gifts. Really the Tahitian people are so giving and kind. I am not surprised Jon loves them so much. It was honestly really hard to leave. I am sure it was even harder for Jon than me. Jon's friends joked with me and told me they were keeping Jon, and that I should retrieve our kids and bring them back to live there. It would be a very different lifestyle than we are living now, that is for sure. Everyone is so laid back. I am sure Jon would welcome the change at this point in his busy life. But we had to go back to our real life. I was actually super excited to see my kids. I had never left them for that long. They did fine though and Jon's family was so great with them while we were gone. A big thank you to my parents for sharing their 40th wedding celebration with us, and for footing part of the bill, we are so happy we got to go, it was unforgettable.