Here’s where I’m typing this post. It’s a picture of my back yard for this week, as I have rented a house for my family on the tropical island of Moorea. I enjoy making observations about new places, so this is going to be one of those types of posts.
Dogs Galore
During the rare times that I travel, I miss my dogs, especially little Duke. Moorea has a ton of dogs, which helps to some degree. They are all mongrels, they are all street-smart (because they have to be), and as far as I can tell, plenty of them are feral and have to fend for themselves.
It’s actually kind of charming watching the dogs in action, because they are naturally social creatures and they learn how to seduce people into giving them food. Almost every time we’ve eaten, whether picnic style or at a restaurant, a few dogs amble up – – smiling as broadly as a used car salesman – – and garner whatever food they can. Of course, we’re soft touches, so they’ve definitely come to the right family.
In point of fact, besides the dogs, another class of animal which has found paradise here is the chicken. Roosters, hens, and baby chicks are all over the place. There’s plenty of food, plenty of shelter, and it’s really sweet to see the chicken families living and thriving in the wild. I feel far closer to the natural world out here, and it’s seriously amazing to me how this many dogs can live next to all the humanity (and their cars) and seem to survive it all. The dogs here are like PhDs in worldliness compared to the mollycoddled crybabies which I’ve had an active part in creating.
Never-Changing Weather
The weather here never seems to change throughout the year. The high? 79. The low? 68. Repeat! It’s boring, but it makes planning easy. The other cool thing is that, as if by magic, the rainy and stormy weather that they DO have comes in the middle of the night.
Morose Youth
The kids around here seem surprisingly glum. As glorious a place as this is, I guess the feeling is much like any child has growing up in what is basically a small town: “I’m never gonna get out of this place.” It’s a weird irony that there are dour faces in the midst of all the cheerful tourists. Their parents seem to have a better attitude, but I guess that’s just a part of growing up.
Ordinary Places, Striking Panoramas
Relatedly, it’s hard to get used to the fact that almost everywhere you turn, there’s a postcard image right in front of you. This was most obvious to me when I walked out of the very ordinary, very plain grocery store to get a few basics, and the moment I walked outside there was, as always, the most spectacular verdant mountain scenery. I guess the natives got accustomed to it ages ago, but it truly is striking.
Effort vs. Ease
It’s true, some forms of pleasure are a lot of work. Hiking is a good example. Getting to the top of Magic Mountain is a long and fairly strenuous slog. It’s rewarding when you finally get to the top. Seeing lazy-ass tourists being driven up the road to the exact same destination is uninspiring, I must say. Unsurprisingly, I’m fairly sanctimonious when it comes to putting forth the appropriate effort.
Cruise Ships
Sink ’em all.
Anyway, I don’t idle particularly well, but it’s good to have an avocation which is so portable. It’s also good to be close to so many dogs, so much nature, and such a dark, star-spangled sky. It’ll all be back to normal in a week, but I’ll try to make the most of it while I can.
