On our last few days in ora Bora, we went about getting checked out of the country. We'd hired and agent to handle all the check in and check out procedures before we even left Mexico. It made all the difference in the world as she got us all checked in and filed all the necessary paperwork for us. When we were about to leave Papeete, she took our paperwork and passports and got us all set for the final checkout. She asked us to email her and let her know what islands we were visiting so she could let the proper authorities know. She requested that we give her 10 days notice before we were actually leaving Bora Bora. No problem. We email her at each of our stops along the way. She had given us the necessary papers showing us checked out with just the exit port not filled in in case we left from somewhere other than Bora Bora. All we had to do in Bora Bora was show up at the Gendarmaries(police) and hand over the papers she gave us. Then they would do the final stamps on our passports and we were set to leave. I stopped in last Thursday to get their hours and what documents we needed to bring. The woman behind the counter told us that we would have to fill in the exact same paperwork again as what we had filled in was only to get us out of Papeete. Say what? I emailed our agent and she told us to just take in the pink form she had given us and our passports and that was all we needed to do. As we were planning on heading out on Monday, the Gendarmes told us to come back on Sunday at 0900. we showed up right on time and they took our nice pink copy of the form Cindy had given us as well as our passports and started making copies and stamping them. Then they asked us as to exactly when we were leaving. we'd changed our mind to Tuesday. OOPS!! You can only checkout 24 hours before you leave. OK, fine, we could come back on Monday and finish the checkout procedure.

When we returned on Monday, we got the same woman we got last week. She wanted all the papers filled out all over again even though the officers didn't need it the day before. This was HER way of doing it. I tired to discuss(insert argue here)it with her but there was no budging her. Tracy grabbed my arm and took the forms and sat down and filled them out. I was violating one of the primary rules of cruisers---never argue with the police or immigration people. With the same form filled out all over again, she stamped our paperwork and told us we had to go the post office, buy a stamp and mail it to immigration in Papeete. We did as directed and off it went. In a later email to our agent she said not to worry that Immigration would have two copies of our exit papers. At least that job was done and we were finally out of French Polynesia.

Next, on to the banks to get what we had left in francs changed over to New Zealand or US dollars. The first back had a sign on the door--"we only exchange money for our clients". The second bank only had $10.00 New Zealand(not enough). At the third and last bank, I ran into Avril off Dream Away. She had been smarter(cruising much longer than us)and placed an order with the back for New Zealand dollars on Thursday of the previous week. She was there to pick up her dollars with lots of French Francs in her hand. Surprise!!!---the bank now refused to do the exchange!!! Seeing this, I just left. I ran into her later and she said it took her over an hour and lots of talking before they would do the exchange. No real reason was given as to why they had changed their minds since they had the New Zealand dollars in the bank. Since they were about to close for their two hour lunch break and she wasn't leaving until she got her money, they finally gave in and got them for her. I don't understand what their reasoning was as they would make money on the exchange. We took what monies we had left and bought lots of things we didn't really need but were sure we would use later in the voyage(chips, cookies and cokes, etc)and I finally walked out of the store with only 8 francs in my pocket--about 10 cents. Not bad and we have lots of good snacks to eat and entertain with later in the voyage.

So there you have it--Bureaucracies and Banking at it's finest.