Day 14 · Rangiroa, Tuamotu Islands · 20 April 2007
Packing seven people out of three cabins should be an Olympic event.
There should be medals.
Possibly counselling.
Our final stop with the Aranui was Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Islands. We were leaving the ship one day early, which meant disembarking with all our luggage.
At first, we were told we had to be off by 8:30 AM, with bags ready by 8:00.
This did not inspire joy.
Getting a good night’s sleep while packing for seven people in three cabins is not a travel plan. It is a cry for help.
A Better Plan
We quietly asked another staff member whether other arrangements were possible.
They were.
Vai, one of the guides, was happy to arrange a 10:30 AM departure for us.
This changed everything.
Silvie, another guide, was not impressed with the alternate plan, but she allowed it. Sometimes travel victory is not dramatic. Sometimes it is two extra hours and a closed suitcase.
One Last Barge
Because the last regular barge had already gone ashore, the crew floated one again just for us and our luggage.
We said goodbye to the crew members who would not be onshore, then headed to Rangiroa.
Once ashore, we had a place to store our bags while we swam in the lagoon and joined the beach picnic. The food came from the ship, and the usual staff were there serving, though buffet-style paper plates gave everyone a slightly more relaxed pace.
It was strange seeing the ship community transplanted onto the beach.
The voyage was ending, but not quite all at once.
Goodbye Takes Longer With Children
When our pension arrived to pick us up, I was almost sure they would leave without us.
It took at least 15 minutes to gather the children and say goodbye to everyone. This is normal. Saying goodbye with five children is like trying to herd emotional chickens.
Our hostess Vai asked another vehicle that had just arrived whether some of our family could ride with them.
“He’s my uncle,” she said, as if that solved everything.
In Polynesia, it often does.
There was no way seven of us, all our luggage, and the driver were fitting into one five-passenger vehicle, so the uncle solution saved us.
Off to the Next Adventure
We waved goodbye to friends from the Aranui and drove away into Rangiroa.
We were sad to leave the ship. The Aranui had carried us through the Marquesas, fed us endlessly, introduced us to remote villages, and somehow made our large family feel welcomed rather than merely tolerated.
But we were also excited.
The Marquesas chapter was ending.
The Tuamotus were beginning.
And somewhere in our luggage were T-shirts, stones, drawings, journals, souvenirs, and one pair of shoes that flashed red and green whenever a four-year-old walked.
A perfect ending, really.
