Keep On Truckin

I spent most of today just doing logistical stuff: getting my ransom ticket refunded and getting my tickets to Rarotonga and beyond, moving to the hostel, and taking care of some stuff online.

Yes, that took most of the day.

I assumed that I would be leaving French Polynesia on Friday, but I found there was a flight leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. I had a decision to make: leave now (Tuesday) or leave later (Friday).

I really haven’t seen much of French Polynesia. I haven’t even seen much of Tahiti. I was here last week in route from Hawaii to Easter Island, and today. Part of me really wanted to go to some of the other islands, but another part of me, the logical part of me, figured it wasn’t really worth it.

French Polynesia is flat out expensive. There is no getting around that. Its expensive to sleep, eat, and move. On Rarotonga, I can get a room for about $20 a night, or 2.5x less than what I’m paying for a night in my current hostel. That $20 gets me a place on the beach, while here I’m on the outskirts of town.

What would I do in French Polynesia this week? I’d probably move to Moorea and try to visit Bora Bora. That’s about it. I wouldn’t dive. I wouldn’t eat out much. I’ve set some budget limits for myself. I knew before I started that the Pacific was probably going to be the most expensive leg of my trip, which is why I’m doing it first. I’ve been over budget so far, but not by a lot and I hope to make up for it in other countries (Cambodia, Thailand, etc). This is ridiculous however.

The fact is, I can spend X amount of money and Y amount of time on a beach here taking photos of stuff, or I can do it some place else and get 1.5-3x as much for the same amount of money.

Staying here wont bankrupt me. That’s not the issue. I have a lot of time, but my time isn’t infinite. Would I rather spend a week here, or use that week in Australia or China? Easy choice.

So, tomorrow I’ll be in the Cook Islands, speaking English, drinking relatively cheap beer and, hopefully, hitting on Kiwi girls on vacation.