So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

Well we've almost come to the end of our holiday. I can hardly believe it. And you know, even after 6 and a half weeks away I still wish we could stay here just a little longer. We have had such a fabulous time with Jenine and Richard, we have been laughing for 3 days straight. It has been the perfect end to our holiday.
So now it's time to say 'goodbye' to cummingsandgoings and I have to say a big thank you to you all for sharing our adventures with us. It was a major part of our day to come in, log on and read your comments and emails. It made is feel connected and somehow not quite so far away.
We now have a plane to catch and just one last bottle or so of bubbles to consume in the air. We can't wait to see you all. So I guess it's all round to ours to see the photos!
Love
Fiona and Robert xx

Chilling out in California!

Well we've almost come to the end of our holiday but we're going out on a high staying with Richard and Jenine here in Carlsbad.We were greeted at the local airport by Richard wearing this sign! It was a welcome sight at the end of a very long day. We had a stop-over in Tahiti which afforded us views of the airport lounge but at least we were greeted back on board the plane with Veuve Cliquot - it would have been rude to refuse even at 2.30am! I have to say that Immigration in LA was very swift even though I had dreaded it, but the woman there was VERY scary!
I think we may have to move to California - we haven't seen Jenine for 9 years and both she and Richard look younger than ever. I want some of that!

Pic catch up

These are (hopefully!) photos of the views from our room in Pacific Resort Aitutaki.
And one taken on our Lagoon Cruise. Beautiful or what?

Sad news

Just before we leave our lovely cool room with a view for a long day ahead we have sad news to report. Gordon Gecko has met a very sad end. We heard a strange noise in the air-conditioning unit and saw a tail wriggling frantically. Realising it was Gordon (or one of his mates) we shut the thing down only for Gordon's tail to be spat out - still wriggling - minus head and body. I am very very sad.
The Island Evening did indeed involve attractive women in not so much grass skirts as grass belts and some very impressive hip wiggling and shaking. I spent the entire evening in a state of controlled panic in case there was 'audience participation' something I dread. And indeed there was. But it was Robert who was asked to participate and not me. He declined. Thank God as everyone else who did get up made complete tits of themselves!

It's a hard life!

Today is the first day in 5 weeks that we have had a full day of just chilling out and it has gone something like this: leisurely breakfast followed by a relax on the deck, a stroll along the beach for 25 minutes which rendered us exhausted and sweating unattractively, retreat to air-conditioned room to cool down, chill on deck, swim/snorkel, dry off then lunchtime drinks. Relax in sun on deck, swim/snorkel, swim in infinity pool, shower, relax. Now typing this on deck before 'island evening'. No idea what the latter entails but I think it may involve very attractive women dancing in grass skirts!
At the bar the barman asked where we were from, when we replied 'London' he looked askance and said 'you don't look as though you're from England, you're all tanned up!' Robert is indeed as tanned as ever whilst I am tanned up on arms and face and have my customary stripes on my back and chest a result of different tops on different days and varying amounts of high-factor suncream!
We will leave Aitutaki tomorrow with very very fond memories and head to California so a personal note to Richard and Jenine: 'THE FREELOADERS ARE ON THEIR WAY'! And I do believe we are in for a hellish ordeal at LA on the immingration front so a very large drink may be the order of the day when we hit Carlsbad! Can't wait to see you guys.

A Room with a View!

Sadly you'll just have to imagine the view for the moment, bit of a glitch with the photo!
Have been on a cruise of the lagoon today - ANOTHER boat trip! I must admit that after around 11 times on a boat this holiday I was feeling a bit boated out before we set off, but it was truly fantastic. I know I keep going on about this but the water is the most amazing range of shades from pale turquoise to almost a jade. It is so peaceful and just the most perfect place to relax. We had to weave our own plates out of palm leaves on th journey. Mine was crap, Robert had to bail me out -again! (Not literally obviously, the boat was perfectly safe!) And One-Foot Island where we ate lunch was a real desert island and very hot! We've got a stamp in our passport to prove we've been there though.
There seems to be a flourishing amount of wildlife on Aitutaki; goats on the roadside, hens running around the hotel and even falling asleep under the table on our deck, and the funniest big crabs around. One bit of wildlife decided to share our bedroom last night - Gordon Gecko was tip-tapping under the beams against the rattan ceiling. Not a problem. Until it croaked from a point right behind us at which point I flew out of bed shouting 'OhmyGodOhmyGod!' and it took ages before I could get back to sleep. Mind you it probably shocked the poor gecko quite a bit too!I didn't even know they could make a noise.

Groundhog Day!

We flew to Rarotonga yesterday and arrived the day before we set off, how cool is that?!! So now instead of being 13 hours ahead of London we're 10 hours behind you - it takes some getting your head around doesn't it? But please God I don't end up waking up where I was this morning. It said it was a 'boutique' hotel but was actually more like a Youth Hostel - nightmare! Especially at 10pm + when everything was closed. At least there was fizz in the fridge and even though we had drunk more than enough on the plane we opened that to drown our sorrows.
BUT if I wake up everyday where I am now...I will be a happy girl. They say that Aitutaki is the best place in the world and you think yeah yeah that's tourist talk but actually flying in and you see the lagoon all around the island and then arrive here it really is paradise.
I was hoping to post a photo but am having to use the computer at the hotel - hopefully tomorrow. We have swum in the lagoon and Robert has snorkelled and seen lots of fish including an electric blue starfish. I am a wimp and don't like anything over my face (!) but even I can see everything if I wear my goggles and breathe in!
It's worth checking out the Pacific Resort Aitutaki on Google just to see the lagoon