HELLO SOUTH AMERICA! (almost)

But first a handful of things I've been up to....

BORA BORA (airport code: BOB)

-Flew into Bora Bora from Mo'orea and it really was as spectacular as everyone says. The various colors of blue were remarkable and the reef area is so large, it's just like one huge swimming pool.

-Took a 2-hour guided (by "Rasta") jet ski tour, followed by a short time on some ATV's. Thanks, Michael, for the advice on this....was terrific. BTW, when did ACTUAL jet ski's that you stood up on disappear to be overtaken by the Wave Runner? I used to love riding them in Coloardo with Em, Arch and....Suzie even (I believe) once.

-Dined at Bora Bora institution "Bloody Mary's". Relatively tasty and cute. Thanks for the help, Alyssa.

-Went on an island 4x4 expedition where I learned that there are no cemetaries on the island, but instead folks bury loved ones in their front yards.

-Hopped in a mini-submarine that went about 100 feet down to check out the tropical fish and tiny sharks up close

RAROTONGA

-Finished a 1,435 page book (Noble House) and picked up two more (Sense and Sensibility & Born Standing Up)

-Stayed at just my sixth hostel ("Backpackers") of the trip and attempted to avoid the gigantic roaches and deal with no air conditioning. One of the other guests (Brie) there currently attends Colorado State University and lives in Littleton, Colorado....where I used to live!

-Was struck by how many folks I met who were staying on this tiny, quiet island for weeks at a time. The more I thought about it though, it was kinda reasonable....it's relatively cheap, very green and beautiful, manageable, quiet and english is the first language.

-Took the vaunted "Cross-Island Trek" from the north end of the island to the south end. Was fortunate to find two college Kiwi girls on the bus to do the hike with me, because I would have struggled alone. One of the girls was quite an able trekker, while the other....well....she brought a purse along.

-Took another island 4x4 tour where a New Zealand Maori woman told me about her trip to Provo ("Spain?"), Utah and the "amazing" visit to the Osmond Museum. Surely this can't really exist, right?


Later tonight...or really tomorrow (12:30am), I hop a plane to Chile for the night. We stop for an hour on Easter Island. That's right...Thanksgiving on Easter Island.

Happy Turkey Day, everyone.

Go Cats! 4-0 now!