Tuesday night was a mad rush – work, exchange money, buy necessities, clean, deforst fridge, pack, deliver the plants to the neighbours, pack, burn CDs, pack, clean the floors, pack, dye hair, pack…pack…pack…how much can one not take in a backpack?
Closing to 4.30am – “Pup, I am really sleepy…just for awhile…”
All too soon, the sky was still dark…
"Anjelik? Anjelik? C´mon, wake up…”
“Oh gosh…not again?” thoughts falling out of the sky!
“You´ve got half an hour, ok? 5 minutes? Ok…ok…Just FIVE!”
And for the second time in 4 days, we were up and out before 6am. Only this time, 2 humungous backpacks (& 2 small ones) travelled on our backs and chest, one much closer to the ground than the other.
“Anjelik? Anjelik? Hahaha…I can´t see you!” (very funny!)
An hour on the bus and we, along with our backpacks, arrived at Sydney International Airport. We managed all the official procedures to get our bums on the Tahiti Nui aeroplane with little fuss, unlike our last voyage.*
*NOTE: On our last trip to Borneo via Brunei, the airline refused Ivana from boarding the plane without a visa. After much pleading,on our part and exercise of power on theirs, we were finally allowed to board presuming that Brunei immigration will grant a visa upon arrival. We delayed the plane by an hour and were rushed through like VIPs or villains (pending on perspective) through security and customs. Clearly, we didn’t get many friendly looks from other passengers.
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7 hours later, we landed in Tahiti and were greeted with sweet smelling frangipanis, the amusing tunes that juimped off the ukulele strings and gentle warmth.
“BIOSECURITE!” the loud red sign warned
“Erm…think we better get rid of the Japanese mayo!” (the one that we cannot live without)
“PLOP” Out it went into the trash, and we scooted off to familiarise ourselves with the Arrivals Hall that would be our home for the night.
“Oh? Did I not mention that we will be sleeping in the airport?”
It was 9pm…
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“Ok here. This corner looks good”
A little space crammed up against a wall next to the souvenir shop was the only available bit of “private space” we could find. So it was there; on the hard floor, that we created a luggage storage area, a dining area (where we scoffed down a 1.5 feet baguette), a living room (where we sat and watched live “Hello, Goodbye” play out before our eyes, and a bedroom (made up of our 14 dollar sleeping bag and 2 Tahiti Nui pillows and blankets).
2.30am - Goodnight…skinny dark “gypsy” with bright blue Tahiti Nui eye-mask twisted, turned and finally stopped
3.30am - “What the?” Eyes on a bold head suddenly opened to an approaching yellow mop – the intruder, which retreated and their approached again slightly greyed, and then disappeared to intrude another corner
4.30am - Cock crows in the distant…all is quiet…comfortable…just gotta reposition this rib against the floor
5.30am - “Hmmm? Mmmmmmm…5 minutes…”
6.30am –the yellow mop again! It´s time to wake up…
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