Rarotonga, Cook Islands

We arrived early in the Cook Islands and the Captain gave his usual 8:30 talk from the bridge and said it was already 28C. We had calm seas and lucky for us, the tenders were able to take us to the island. 9 out of 10 times, the sea is so rough that the tenders cannot take the guests to the islands. We were very very lucky and the skies were blue with a few white fluffy clouds. The humidity was high, very high. When I opened the camera to take photos, the lens fogged up immediately. Have to have a cloth with me at all times around here to wipe the lens.

Doug and I had stayed on this island 12 years ago on our way to Australia and have great memories of our time here. We booked a Circle Island Tour in hopes that we might see our hotel and the beaches that we loved.

Our tour guide was a huge, burly dark fellow who opened his mouth and spoke this wonderful New Zealander accent. Thank God the tour bus was air conditioned. He took us inland to show us the fields and the local houses. There are only 9,000 inhabitants and many young people are leaving for there is no work. The main industry here is tourism and surprisingly they are not suffering here because of the economy. Their tourists mainly come from NZ, Australia and England. The countryside is lush and green with wild roosters and chickens and pigs roaming the land. Once in awhile you will see a goat or cow tied up and the houses are built with bricks to keep them cool. The living standards here are much higher then the French Polynesia. The homes have to have NZ standards. It is cheap to live here for the locals for the countryside provides all their food and the ocean their fish. It is a tradition for a family to send their eldest son to live with the grandparents and that is still held today. Our guide was taken to live with his grandparents in NZ and he didn’t know who is mom or dad or that he had 2 brothers till he was 10 years old. He visited his parents on the Cook Islands and would not go back to NZ with the grandparents who were very disappointed.

People here have little stress and live simply. When we were driving along the road, he would wave at everyone for he knew everyone on the island. We drove 32 KM on the road around the entire island. Shops are small and few. There are many small hotels, motels on the ocean on the south side. The reef surrounds the entire island so that the beaches are safe, shallow and free of sharks. The waters are sparkling clean and bright bright blue.

We remembered the hotel we stayed in the church we went to so Doug got off and took photos of our last stay here. It was great to see it is still here and brought back wonderful memories.

We would stop with the tour at the public beaches and they were empty. Very few people were there to bother you. The crew got off and raided many many of the beaches and came back all burnt but happy to have a rest and time off from us demanding people.

Our housekeeper caught us coming back to the ship and called out to us and we couldn’t recognize her for she wasn’t in her uniform. We had a good chuckle.

There are 2 cruise ships that usually come a month, but this week alone, there were three dropping by. I wonder how many will be able to tender into the island.

The Flame trees are gorgeous here, all in bloom and red. They call them their Christmas trees for they bloom around Christmas time. There are hibiscus hedges along the road, all kinds of bright green colored plants that we try to grow in our houses in Canada. The roadsides are lovely to drive through. This is a place we wouldn’t mind visiting again. It is quiet, peaceful, they speak English here and the beaches are some of the best we have ever seen. A couple from our ship went snorkeling and loved it. They saw many huge clams open and close and saw fish they hadn’t seen before. The parrot fish is caught here for food.

Last night we had the Fifties Sock Hop Show in the theatre. It was packed with people. The theatre was decorated like a school gymnasium and on the stage was the sock hop. The songs were great oldies that we could sing to and they did some great jiving. They even had Elvis and Connie Francis singing songs and we found it a hoot. We were all served punch and after you could stay and their was a sock hop. We loved this show. Tonight is a magician. I am going instead to the movie.

We are at sea for two days, so time to rest, go to lectures, read some books and relax. Weather is great outside. The ocean is calm and we are moving along to Suva, Fiji.