9/11 – A South Pacific Perspective On That Fateful Day

There aren’t many dates that everyone remembers exactly where they were or what they were doing. But September 11, 2001? That’s one of those days. This year marks the 24th anniversary of that tragic event, and like everyone else, I have my own memories.

No stress, no worries. Well, actually…

On 9/11, I was as far away from the chaos of the world as you can possibly get – on Tetiaroa, Marlon Brando’s private island in French Polynesia. This was already my fifth stay at what I considered the most beautiful place on earth.

That morning, I was standing on the terrace of my bungalow, soaking up the incredible lagoon views. Suddenly, the manager came running with a newspaper toward me, clearly agitated – and my bungalow definitely wasn’t on his usual route to the office. He told me what was happening in New York. It was already noon there.

Unthinkable News on a Perfect Morning

The manager described how passenger planes had crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, bringing both skyscrapers down and possibly killing up to 50,000 people. My mind flashed back to the World Trade Center – I’d been there just two years earlier.

I was stunned. I remembered the amazing view from the observation deck of the South Tower, and staying at the Marriott Hotel, which is right between the two towers, with direct access to the South Tower. The sheer size of those buildings was still fresh in my mind.

At that moment, the news was still sketchy and confusing. The second tower had collapsed barely 90 minutes earlier.

Paradise Lost – The Mood Darkens

Suddenly, all thoughts of paradise were gone. All I could think about was how to gather more information about what was happening. There was no shop on the atoll to buy a newspaper, and even if there was, my French wasn’t good enough to understand the headlines.

Around 9 am, an Air Moorea Twin Otter (an 18-seater plane) arrived from Papeete, bringing day-trippers to the tiny Tetiaroa hotel. I headed to the landing strip – the people getting off looked lost and confused. All of them were Americans.

They’d only learned about the attacks just before boarding. I could see the shock on their faces, as well as the worry for their families back home. There were even rumors of another attack in Los Angeles – several guests were from LA.

I watched as the pilot handed the manager a newspaper. I rushed over, and he showed me the front page, which featured photos of the burning towers. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

Some of the American women started to cry right there on the runway. I went over to one of the men, whose wife was sobbing beside him. He looked completely helpless. I told him there was a phone he could use to call the US. He thanked me, called home, and found out his family was safe in Los Angeles, far from New York.

He hung up, half smiling, relieved that he could finally reassure his wife. Everyone else was just as relieved to know their families were OK. But there was no way to enjoy their day.

It Felt Like We Were on the Brink of World War III

A little later, I saw the hotel owner’s son and his girlfriend looking desperate on the beach. The family was trying to reach his father, who was on a flight from LA to New York. They were terrified he was on one of the planes that hit the towers.

It took another day before Marlon Brando himself could call the island and reassure his family. By then, at least, it was clear his plane hadn’t been involved.

Later, I watched the news with the staff. Even though I didn’t understand the French announcer, the images spoke for themselves. Those scenes were almost too much to take in.

After Nearly 8 Years Smoke-Free, I Started Smoking Again

So many thoughts ran through my mind. Was this war? Who was attacking the US – Russia? Was Europe in danger too? Hours later, it became clear this was a terrorist attack – nothing like this had ever happened before. More and more horrifying news came out about other hijacked planes and all the innocent lives lost.

Every day brought new information: who was behind the attacks, how many victims there were. Rumors spread that a plane full of CIA agents had landed in Papeete to supervise security for flights to the US. All flights from Papeete to Europe go via the US – either Honolulu or LA. For three days, there were no flights to or within the US at all.

The Rest of My South Pacific Trip – Shadowed by 9/11

For the rest of my month on Tetiaroa, 9/11 was the only topic anyone talked about. I could barely switch off from it. If I wasn’t chatting with the Americans at the hotel, I was getting updates from my family in Germany.

That September, while on Tetiaroa, I got a phone call from Moorea that would completely change my life. But that’s another story…

How did you experience September 11th, 2001?

Let me know in the comments.