Blue Planet Journey

Okay, you've chosen a place to live, at least for a year or two. Maybe it was the location, or the proximity to school or work, or you've got some history in the area. Perhaps other family members live nearby, or the area is close to your favorite recreational areas. More practically, maybe the price was right, period. In any case, you've planted roots. One you’ve settled in, you realize that you’ve inherited neighbors. They may be people you knew in advance, or total strangers. You may share certain cultural attributes, or your neighbors may be very different from you in all kinds of ways. I once heard a talk from a person living in the wilderness of British Columbia. His nearest neighbor was 40 miles away, and that was about right for him. Some people may have, as neighbors, a Simpson-esque family. Sure, the Simpsons are a fictional family, living in the city of Springfield. The TV series debuted in 1989. One of the many uniquenesses of the family, and th...

Caroline in  Papeete , French Polynesia, at sunset.  The island of Moorea is on the horizon. Tahiti !  This island in French Polynesia is the epicenter of many South Sea fantasies.  We docked in the captial city of Papeete, and decided to try for a different adventure.  We thought we were going to hike to the Fautaua Waterfall, supposedly the 28th highest waterfall in the world. We never got there.  Or, if we did, we walked right past it without noticing. First things first.  We read that hikers needed to obtain a permit to travel to the waterfall.  Okay, our first adventure was locating city hall, which wasn't too difficult.  Finding the proper office to get a permit was a bit trickier, in that we spoke and read no French.  Caroline ducked inside an office labeled something like "Bureau des élections" which we knew wasn't the right office, but we were hoping we would get pointed in the right direction.  A kind man took...