My plan for Sunday was to head out on the 32km. round-the-island bike trip, stopping to swim and snorkle where the spirit moved me. But the skies threatened and so I packed a rain poncho, which turned out to be a good idea. After an early breakfast, I pedalled about 45 minutes to the Cook Islands Christian Church I'd attended the Sunday before, the home church of my liaison here, the lovely Tai and her sister, June, the principal at Tae Oki Au school. I slipped into the washroom and changed into a long skirt, top and hat - very trad [View Full Entry]

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Elaine - another volunteer on this trip - decided to come along to Aitutaki with me and I'm glad she did. The prop plane zoomed off with us to Aitutaki in about 45 minutes and as the pilot made his descent, paradise rose from the sea. Imagine it: the endless, cobalt blue ocean and suddenly, an "island" of brilliant turquoise water, a hook-shaped island ringed with white beach and 15 small islands called motos, covered in palms. A quick tour around the island with a stop in town -choose the green store, a kind of mercantile where a woman was bbq-ing [View Full Entry]

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It’s Friday and that means sausage sizzle day at Takitumu Primary School. So my first chore after peddling to school this morning was to place a boiled hot hog and splat of ketchup on a slice of white bread, and roll it up in a square of paper. Repeat 190 times. Each student pays $1NZ for the treat and the baskets of weenies are delivered to each class. The lunch bell sounds at 10 a.m., but this being the Cook Islands, it’s drumbeats from a wooden drum played by a different kid each day. I spent most of today in the [View Full Entry]

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Kia Orana: I was on my bike (push bike the locals call it to differentiate from a scooter) and headed for the beach after school; but it started to pour, so dropped into Deli-licious for a Flat White - a yummy capuccino with a heart drawn in the foam on top. It's a New Zealand thing. And I'm enjoying the most amazing brownie. Mmmm. I ate at the Tamarind last night - amazing swordfish. Very fancy place on the ocean about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Went on my own as the others decided to eat the catered meal at [View Full Entry]

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Everybody's a critic, it seems. The sound system here at Mac's Cafe is playing Muskrat Love, and every time Toni hits a high note, the rooster in the parking lot crows. It's hilarious. I am settling into a rhythm of life here and it is glorious and so different from life in Toronto, especially cycling to work along the two-lane road (on the left side). To my right are small houses and palm trees and jagged, green-draped mountains in the middle of the island, very close since the whole thing is barely 15 km across. To the left is the sea, [View Full Entry]

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I guess Ted Rogers heard me cyber-dissing me and he whispered a word to the local god of the net. And there were photos. Off to learn to dance island-style. Life in paradise can get so darned busy. But the roosters start crowing at 4:30 and breakfast call is 6:50. Yes. 6:50. Thankfully the time difference makes it closer to a civilized hour! Linda [View Full Entry]

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Yes indeedy blog-watchers, I promised photos. What I didn't know was that Internet service here makes Ted Rogers look like Buck Rogers - it freezes as often as Stephen Harper's heart and crashes with the same frequency as Courtney Love. So let's stick to words for now and hope that one day I'll get a secure enough connection to let me send pics. Meanwhile, picture this - Copacabana is playing on the tinny sound system in Mac's Cafe as I write this to you and traffic putters along narrow 2-lane road that circles the island. The bus runs hourly - clockwise [View Full Entry]

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Whoever said "getting here was half the fun" was a lying bastard. But after 40 hours of travel I am here at last and it is truly paradise - sadly my earlier attempts to post here have been thwarted by less-than-reliable Internet service. So here are a few photos to show you what I've been up to with a promise to post tomorrow. [View Full Entry]

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