Tahiti - Not quite paradise!

Me relaxing by our pool

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We arrived at Tahiti aiport at 1.30am and were greeted by three smiling polynesian men wearing flowers around their necks and playing small guitars. It was possibly the best welcome we have ever had to a country and put an instant smile on our tired faces.

Before we went to Tahiti we were told that extending stop overs would always cost us money. But we thought, what is a few pounds extra for a little slice of paradise. However a little expensive is an understatement. Everything was expensive and besides from paradise it rained half the time we were there!

Anyway moaning aside we had a nice little pension, we managed to blag our way into the near by Meridian hotel. (This was nice hotel with a large pool, landscaped garden and great sun loungers). we spent our days relaxing like honeymooners and reading good books. We had a few good nights in a nice little (albeit expenive restaurant) etc etc....However as nice as a little lying around sunbathing is, by the third day we hsa had enough and were ready to leave.

Our small palm tree beach

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We got to the airport at one in the afternoon to find all of the international check in desks were closed. I had checked our tickets the night before and it definately said the flight was on the 8th Jan at one o´clock. I went to ask at domestic departures and the man looked at me as though I were mad. I checked the newspaper in the local shop and it was the 8th. I rechecked the tickets and as I noticed the flight had left at one am - a wave of sickness flooded over me and my stomach hit the ground.

I will pass over the next hour and the conversation or lack of it between Pod and I. Needless to say it is at moments like this that you can see how marriages break up!

Fortunately we could rebook a flight to Easter Island on the 11th and our hotel had a spare room for the following two nights. I tried to stay optimistic and Pod tried not to weep at the fact that we were stuck in a place that was already crippling us financially. We spent the next few days taking long walks eating baguette and cheese and cursing the day I ever decided a stop over in Tahiti would be like paradise!