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Well Cook hmmm, arrived late, getting towards midnight, via air NZ, again no veggie meal - actually just think that is their policy! No-one to meet us at airport - we waited, jb’s mood darkened more than the midnight around us. The next and last flight was due in around 1ish, after which the bar would close! time for action, the barmaid was v. sweet & helpful, in as much as she served beer and told me how the phone worked - only via a card - that wasn’t sold at the airport - yep it’s run by NZ! Luckily someone arrived to meet a friend on the last flight in, he seemed to know his way around - used to live in England and now has ‘some sort of business here’ so hey you can help me! Which luckily he did, gave us lift to local guest house and got us a better rate! - jb still not smiling, but at least I’d secured accommodation. We were greeted by Muta, large Maori who worked through the night and obviously didn’t sleep, ok sure, I’ll meet you in the bar for a drink. At this point she told us she didn’t
drink - personally I already had10 reasons in my head why - and over drinks ticked them off one by one! jb had retired, another friend of hers turned up and I, resisting the urge to drink too much more, just chatted and learnt lots of things about the locality - hey she sure didn’t work for the tourist board! No idea what time I fell into bed but the sheets were clean, and felt like sheets - the last place we stayed at I swear the sheets were actually dust sheets, abeit washed a thousand times! The weather is still stormy and we are gonna leave early - have changed flight to Tues instead of Sat - weather doesn’t look set to change - along with Jb’s mood! am not taking him anywhere that NZ has a hand in! no no no!
Had a lovely email from daughter not only does she look so beautiful but does a job that requires so much inner strength, calm, and kindness and all with good grace! how? Am looking forward to lots more on this trip and catching up with friends, but the biggest hug is gonna happen when I see
my baby again!
‘Welcome to the Cook Islands’ said the notice at arrivals. Outside there was no welcome to Nesian Beach Cottage. The only accommodation let down so far on the journey. Sadly it’s coloured my impression, it’s not the sort of place you want to arrive without your lodgings secured, never mind B secured us a place although it would not have been our first, or second, choice.
Having crossed the International Dateline meant that we got 6th May all over again. Well, it’s rained all day, nothing much is open, the internet cafe charges £4 an hour and closes at 1pm (not open on Sunday AT ALL), sound like anywhere we’ve been before? Tomorrow being Sunday nothing is open, well maybe a couple of places, but no liquor sales -we’re smugly OK thanks to duty-free. ‘Yes, but it’s their culture’ I hear you say. No it’s not, it’s some 19th century missionary culture foisted onto simple folk to keep them from complaining about the servitude they’ve been kept in for years. ‘Bear your yoke with fortitude and you’ll reap your reward in the next life’. Yeah right, funny how the boss class is going to heaven too,
The bar at Paradise Inn
OK I relented, 1 picture from Rarotonga but somehow want THEIR reward in this life as well. So change of plan, getting the first available flight out of here, Tuesday, off to the land of the free. Well, maybe not free, but internet at least will only be the cost of a latte, although I do know a launderette where there’s a free wifi hotspot. No Rarotonga photos on this entry, I couldn’t find anything dark enough to reflect my feelings about this place.
It’s a day or so later now and my mood has lifted, just a bit, mainly down to Pam who runs the Paradise Inn where we are staying. She’s from somewhere in Michigan and she and her husband renovated this place about 4 years ago. They really wanted a place in Tahiti, but what with the expense and the French influence decided on here. They’ve made a pretty good job of it too. She’s told us some great stories, the most recent about a canadian alcoholic who’s a regular here and arrived a couple of weeks ago with a 2 month booking. Apparently his bar bill has been colossal and he’s just come here to die. Last week he had a stroke and is now in Avarua hospital. He really should have known better, Pam was a nurse back in the States, she’s not about to let anybody die
on her premises. She’s been trying to get help from the Canadian High Commision and the local police about what do do with his personal stuff and his cash ( by all accounts quite a lot ) but nobody’s interested until he dies. Another ambition thwarted. Her reward for all this investment, hard work and dedication? Just a 4 year work permit, she’s now got to go back to the States and get a manager in. Ambition thwarted again. Actually Rarotonga is probably quite nice when the sun shines and, as always, you’ve got loads of money. Sadly neither applies to us right now. The guy who let us down on the original accommodation really deserves a medal. This place is cheaper, we don’t have any commitment on length of stay and as it’s pissing down with rain we’re off to southern california where I’m told it never rains and I’ll be able to attain fame and fortune in Tinseltown, perhaps even get a little job waiting tables. Maybe even take a little side trip to Mexico, who knows. Watch this space.
How sweet of Pam to cheer jb up - lucky for him they didn’t have a waste disposal unit here - he would have been in it head first! talk about petulant child - he could teach them a thing or two! How I remain the sweet calm person I am! lordy if it wasn’t for vodka & valium, and believe me when it stops raining I will find a decent shop! but not holding out much hope for decent food or a cocktail bar. Must remind him he’s insured on this trip and there’s only so much bad behaviour a girl can take! Almost forgot to mention our last dinner (have been trying very hard to forget), it was a thai red veggie curry, tasted of absolutely nothing, but the irony was we were sitting next to a chilli plant in fruit. Still little optimists that we are we thought we would check out the indian restaurant, the menu looked good there were people waiting for dinner, takeaways were being taken away, jb thought maybe we should give it a go until I gently said what can you smell? ‘Nothing’ was his quick reply, ‘exactly’ I said, ‘let’s go’.
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