Chris and Alla's Excellent Adventure (2024): 40a. Alla Does Another Crazy Turn-Around in the Marquessas Islands, Chris Has Another Day in Paradise (11/7/2024)

It's hard to believe that the trip is really winding down. Of course there have been days when I missed home, missed the dog, missed the simplicity of my low-key life in NC. But today I am not ready to go back. There are too many things left to do and see, mountains to climb, reefs to explore, and moments to spend in quiet contemplation while Mom is deleting emails and complaining about new from the US on her iPhone.

This is the last day of the trip and, symbollically, we are both using the time to achieve our individual personal goals. I dropped Mom off at the airport at the butt-crack of dawn again for her Marquessas Islands turn-around trip. After a four-hour flight, she will land at the Nuka Hiva airport at 10 am and then turn around for another four-hour flight at 2:45 pm. Meanwhile, I will hike.

Hiking has been on my list for weeks, but I have had to balance scheduling, access, and safety issues. There were lovely hiking trails I read about in Papua New Guinea, but it was not recommended to leave the hotel compound because of intertribal and other local violence. I made it to the entry of the Norfolk Island botanical gardens and picked up a map detailing all the things to be seen on their extensive trails. Unfortunately, I arrived by foot and had to leave by foot shortly after arriving so that we wouldn't miss the pick-up for the evening ghost tour.

For that reason, I had been really looking forward to climbing up one of the ridges that I saw on the map in Papeete for a panoramic view of the coast. I started with a rare room-service delivery on the balcony and was joined by a cheeky local bird offering to help me out with my scrambled eggs.

Red-vented bulbul joining me for room service on the balcony

Once in the car, it took me a few tries to find the right road to the trailhead I saw on the map. Driving up to the trailhead was an experience in itself because of the steep incline of the road and the extent of retaining walls and foundation reinforcement to keep the infrastructure in place. My initial thought was, who would want to make the effort to get up and down this hill everyday for work or errands? And then I realized that when you live on a volcanic cone with just a small ring of flat land along the coast, you don't really have many options.

Houses perched along the hillside

First rest, first look down onto the airport

2,788 feet above sea level

Hardest climb of the day

I passed one young couple as I started on the trail and looking at their footwear, it was clear to me that they hadn't gone far. They definitely would not have cleared the roped part of the trail, which involved a dirt / mud cliff face in which you had to climb up with the aid of a rope. The ascent was almost two hours, after which I spent time looking over the ocean and reflecting on the geography, geology, and impact of the two on culture and destiny. The descent was another 45 minutes. Then I had to make a decision how to honor the end of our trip together and Mom's successful achievement of her goals.

A job well down

I hiked to the yellow circle, Plateau Vaitavere

I had been thinking that I wanted to return to the market, as a gift including a Tahitian pearl would be the perfect keepsake from the trip. Thinking that Mom's flight was returning between 5 and 6 pm, the immediate hours after the hike were rushed. I had to get back to town, park, and find the market before it officially locked it's doors at five. When I did, not many people were still open, but I was able to find one jewelry merchant who offered to stay and work with me. I ended up having two necklaces made one with two black pearls for Mom and one with one black pearl for me. In my mind, her double pearl represented her mastery of travel and setting and acheiving goals. I didn't have time for anything else, so I hopped in the car and rushed back to the airport, only to realize that she wasn't coming in until after seven.

I loitered in the parking lot of the airport for a while, but eventually I decided to return to the hotel (~15 minute drive) where I showered, updated the T.C.C. sign, and collected the flower necklace and crown to use again. I love the face that she made as she was wheeled out of the arrivals gate and saw me there again with my makeshift "certificate of completion."

The highlight of the day, and one of the highlights of the trip, was spending our last night poolside at the resort. We started with cocktails in one area and I surprised Mom with her gift, pulling my matching necklace from under the neckline of my dress. She got teary and her voice cracked with emotional as she reminded me that she couldn't have done it without me. I know this upwellling of emotion in her, as it seems to bubble forth more frequently these days, and is strangely heart-warming and unconfortable at the same time. After a brief photo shoot, we enjoyed a very delicious dinner in the outdoor terrace restaurant and retired early to pack for our final series of flights.