Morning one! Relaxation time! Nothing to do! No where to go! (literally) No email. No dogs to walk. Although I had an iPad we didn’t connect via WIFI. I had decided to completely unplug from the internet altogether. Probably the first time I’d been able to do that since the internet got mobile. It felt like brain freedom.

We leave our Hut 39 and head to breakfast — greeted along the way by the friendly staff. Ia Orana! Ia Orana! Although I couldn’t pronounce it nearly correctly– I mumbled through. Of course, the wife said it spot on immediately. Ia Orana! (mine was like, ‘Yolandada!’)

As we walked down the dock, I saw some crabs skittering about. I named two of them. Marty and Lenny. We also saw schools of fish doing their things. A sting ray or two. All very coolio. Right under our feet!

We head to the restaurant which was outside on a deck and the first thing I notice is there are small cans of Off! bug spray for the taking. Mosquito killers. I ignored it but within moments after sitting down we realized why they were there. Our legs were getting all sorts of bitten up. We sprayed down. That took care of that — but it was a concern.

But whatever. Breakfast was good and afterwards we headed to the pool (we were the only people there) to relax in the sun. Swim around. Feel like honeymooners. I brought my Captain Cook book. Amazing. The wife brought her book. We lathered up with sunscreen. Jumped in and out of the pool. I snoozed around in a hammock by the water. Got a beer at noon. For a couple hours, it was sunny and perfect. Place was dead empty… but it was fine.

Then a sun shower came and we headed back to the hut. Pretty much a downpour. Romantical though! Back at the hut, we napped. Did stuff. In the afternoon, I jumped off the dock and snorkeled around. I looked at the small reefs around the pylons of the huts. I made friends with the fish. Introduced them to the wife later in the afternoon when we both went snorkeling.

Also, I spoke to the staff and did some overdue travel homework. I found out where we were on the planet. I found out that if something cost “1000” it meant $12.

The rain turned on an off all day but it wasn’t so bad. We had our hut. It was our honeymoon. Everything was going to be fine. The growing concern was really only one place that served dinner (the other ‘restaurant’ you had to ‘make a reservation’) which was weird because it was dark and empty. Chairs up. No thanks.

We headed to the dinner place. Sprayed ourselves with Off! and I checked out the menu. Entrees were starting at like 3500. Cocktails starting at 1200. Beringer wine? 6000. And this was the only restaurant that was open.

I braced for impact — because by the end of the week, we were going to get slammed with a bill that was going to make my head spin. I prayed for the food to be at least… semi-delicious…?

(to be continued)

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