Magic Tablecloth in Tahiti

Tahiti
Sunday, August 28 again

Last night we flew in late, passing the dateline and did not get to our bungalow on the beach till after 11:00 PM. Woke up this second Sunday morning to look out the open doors at the ocean with it’s white ring of protective coral reef. I feel we have truly arrived in the South Pacific. Waves crash on the reef not far off shore, while insects and birds make their morning noises. Only the occasional wave makes some splashes as it reaches the sandy beach below our bungalow. It is peaceful and calm. When I get up for a better look at the sea I see a bump under the tablecloth on the porch. I look under the cloth and it is a fresh baked baguette. Lovely breakfast with ice water from the refilled wine bottle in the small refrigerator. There is no internet so we are forced to enjoy the calm. ;)
Around 1100 we decide to take a nap and when I wake up and go out again to admire our pleasant surroundings I see a Pomelo on that same tablecloth. It must be magic. We look around the property and find the share kitchen. There are two women that are sleeping in the dorm. One from Denmark, and one from France. The Dane is permanently traveling. She and Chick enjoyed talking about a life of travel. He traveled the world for forty one months in the 1970s. Aside from the two women we have the place to ourselves and we enjoy the quiet. The corner of the yard that leads down to the beach is full of various things that have found a home in the yard. Our host, Ralph

Stanford, is an ex surfing champion of France and French Polynesia. There are lots of surf boards around the property. Some of them are autographed and dated. I guess they are the boards used in championships. In the evening we watch three geckos hunting at our porch lights. A very large one and a smaller one share one light while middle sized one hunts the other light. We see the small one try a shield shaped beetle and spit it out. We didn't see any successful hunts. Do they only eat mosquitoes? We spend two nights here then launch on a ferry to Moorea. Moorea is the island you can see from our porch in Tahiti. We will return to Tahiti after our visit to Moorea, and for a total of five visits. We will bounce back in Tahiti each time because that is where the airline hub is.