Let’s see, where was I… Oh yes! The Manihi Airport! Day 2 of our travels.
So we land, and all we see is a small almost-hut. It’s a shady spot with some thatching over it and a couple of benches. So, to recap, hut, mini-runway strip next to ocean, and a fire truck that says Aerodrome. Oh, and the baggage cart — which is a tractor with a small trailer behind it.
There are also hotel peeps waiting with golf carts. Thing is, they expected us a couple of weeks ago (uh-oh). But, they’ll take us to the hotel so we can get this all worked out. We both get lei’d and we’re on our way.
When we arrive, we are seated at the bar next to the pool and given fruit juices with an amazingly artistic garnish consisting of palm leaves, flowers, pineapples and cherries. The hotel staff seem confused about us being here, but “That is not your problem to worry about.” They seem confused about how long we are staying, but I guess that’s not our problem either. We enjoy our drinks, and then we are taken to our overwater bungalow, #49, the one on the end (yay!).
It’s smooth sailing from here. Noel delivers our bags and tells us he will be dancing and singing tonight at the restaurant. We wouldn’t miss that for the world! (There’s no where else to eat 🙂 )
We noticed throughout the trip that most of the employees seemed to have multiple jobs. For example, Noel delivered bags, danced, played the ukulele in the band, and cleaned the pool (in a wetsuit!). The woman who worked in the spa giving massages, wraps and facials also worked the cash register at the store.
The dinner show was fantastic. Dancing ladies, dancing men, dancing kids. The kids were precious, watching the other dancers intently to figure out what they should be doing. Not much is cheap on this island, but like California, the wine is extremely inexpensive.
