Posted by Niels & Amy on April 06, 2007

DAY 49  Cook Islands Kindness

"How far are you going?"
"Do you need a ride?"
"You two okay?"
"Help yourself to the fruit!"

Most people in the Cook Islands are so very kind. We hear the above phrases all the time. Perhaps it is the nice weather and slow pace that really brings out this kind nature in the locals we come across. It makes being here very pleasant indeed.

Often, when we are walking (our budget requires us to rely on our own two feet as our primary means of transportation and it is great for us and the earth anyway) someone will stop and offer us a ride or simply ask if we are okay and enjoying ourselves. Just the other day, a very kind man on Mangaia, insisted on giving us a lift all the way across the island back to our accommodation eventhough he was not headed anywhere near there.

Yesterday, when we arrived back to our accommodation on Rarotonga, the housekeeper brought us a bowl of fresh fruit - which was a very nice return welcome! Most local people take time for a quick chat and eagerly volunteer useful information and insight. The librarians at the Cook Islands Library are particularly chatty and informative.

Just the other day, while on a quest for hot, fresh donuts (very common here, emphasis on the dough, not very sweet, cheap source of filling food) the young ladies at the first store we stopped at insisted on us NOT buying their donuts and instead directed us to a small 'Mom and Pop shop' further up the road. Not great business instinct but much appreciated because the donuts were delicious!

We will not easily forget the kindness of the people of the Cooks and we will carry fond memories with us on our travels.

Posted by Niels & Amy on April 06, 2007

DAY 48  Hanging with the Mossies

We have just returned from the island of Mangaia, where the mosquitos outnumber people at about a million to one, or so it seems. The island receives a few flights a week and a cargo ship about once a month from Rarotonga, but still feels very isolated. It is easy to drop off the planet for a while here. Mangaia is sparsley populated and overall quite primitive compared to Rarotonga. Between the two of us, we make up more than 1% of the average annual number of foreign visitors.

The pictures included with this post provide a glimpse of the characteristic scenery of Mangaia: caves, isolated beaches, Makatea, (raised, fossilized coral reef) and dense jungle with red dirt roads winding their way through. We were fortunate enough to have another kind Cook Islander as our host. Mangaian born and well travelled, Tu made sure we were always okay and felt truly welcome. There were often fresh bananas and Paw Paw (Papaya) freely provided, and if there was not a selection lying about, a neighbor would quickly fetch some from nearby trees. On our final night, we could finally contribute something ourselves after Niels loborously husked a coconut and scraped out the tasty, white meat. (The coconuts are all over the place but the locals do not seem to eat them very often.)

Ruff, the family dog, was a great companion during our stay. He loyally followed us (often lead us) everywhere we went and slept outside our door each night. Ruff apparently takes quite a liking to the guests and has a hard time seeing them go. (characterized by his sulking as soon as he saw us with our packs) Tu sent us off with a kiss on the cheek, some chocolates for the road, and a heartfelt wish of luck and safe travels.

We will spend another week on Rarotonga until we set out for the next destination, Fiji. We are looking forward to it with much anticipation!

Posted by Niels & Amy on March 24, 2007

DAY 36  Update from Rarotonga

Another week has gone by since we have been back on Rarotonga. Nothing too eventfull to report. We are just slowing slipping into the non-touristy daily life here. We have been frequenting the Cook Islands library since Amy joined a few weeks back. The collection of books is quite random, but there is a good reference collection on the South Pacific. Niels likes to browse the flora, fauna, and picture books.

Nearly a week ago now, we finally set out to undertake Rarotonga's cross island trek. It starts out at the Avatiu Road, close to where we are staying, and makes its way across the island to end up at Papua Waterfall/Wigmores Waterfall. The 5 hour hike proved strenuous at times but the cloud forests and views were rewarding. It was a bit of a scramble at times and the trail wasn't very easy to follow but we were able to follow the river when we got really lost and eventually we made it out of the jungle.

Here are some tips for anyone reading this who may attempt this hike: Start early and don't even think about starting the trail from the South side as you will almost certainly lose the trail without the river as guidance. Wear proper shoes as there can be lots of mud and slippery conditions. Take plenty of repellent and of course, bring plenty of water.

After several failed attempts over the past few weeks, we have finally accepted that we cannot make it to the Northern group. It is simply prohibitively expensive and even if you have the time to wait for the cargo ship, you still have to pay a small fortune to make it there. The only option we had was to make a round trip past 3 of the Northern atolls, but since that only allows a day at most on each while the ship unloads, the cost of almost 1,000 NZD/pp is simply outrageous. So, our plan is to fly on Tuesday to Mangaia - an island in the Southern group that we have not been to before. We will spend 9 days there, which is probably more than long enough, then return here to Rarotonga for 8 days until we catch our flight to Fiji. We'll update when we are back from Mangaia!

Posted by Niels & Amy on March 20, 2007

DAY 28  A Lazy Day on the Lagoon

The highlight of any visit to Aitutaki is most likely a cruise on one of the most beautiful lagoons in the South Pacific. Although spendy, this is a worthy splurge!

We hopped aboard a glass bottom boat and made our way to the open sea to try to spot some turtles. Amy caught a glimpse of one just before we had to head back into the quiet waters of the lagoon as the rough seas were causing the boat to take on water.

Giant clams, that have been imported to Aitutaki from Palau, could be seen from the boat en route to a nice snorkeling spot amongst some nice coral and schools of fish. Then, while the captain prepared our lunch, we spent time on an uninhabited, small tropical island; the stuff that dreams are made of :). Much to our delight, we were treated to a small feast of fresh fish, salads, refreshing nut juice (coconut water), and a variety of local fruit: guavas, bananas, paw paw (Papaya), melon, starfruit, and passion fruit. This is the first time we have had such an abundance and variety of these fruits on this trip. It is also the first time we have tasted fresh passion fruit and guava - WOW! It was a very good day!

Posted by Niels & Amy on March 20, 2007

DAY 27  Aitutaki Interlude

Our days on Aitutaki passed as we geared back to an even slower pace, walked and bicycled our way around and took time to just sit and take in the amazing scenery. It was pleasing to see that not much has changed even since Survivor was filmed on the motus (islets) of Aitutaki's lagoon.

A wave and a smile are freely given here and always returned. Locals take time to stop and chat and make sure there isn't a question that needs answering. Life is slow and simple.