Kia orana

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Kia orana (hello) from the island of Raratonga - the largest of the Cook Islands. I landed here 24 hours ago, and am already experiencing the very different and amazing atmosphere and life style here.

You can see why they call it Paradise with the natural beauty of the vegetation (I am looking out on palm trees loaded with coconuts, double hibiscus flowers, and a wide variety of tropical fruit trees from my veranda), the climate (average temperatures are 20 - 29⁰C year round, with sufficient rain to keep everything green), the happy friendly gentle people (the population of Raratonga island is under 10,000 and all islanders belong to one of the three family clans or tribes) and the pace of life (there’s an interesting mix of so called ‘island time’ - meaning a relaxed attitude, and a more reliable approach for commercial operations - the two island busses seem to run on time). No one seems to be in a hurry, yet everything seems to work just fine.

There are two other noteworthy features here on Raratonga. Firstly, there are no poisonous insects or animals on the island or in the water. This to me is quite significant as it means I can wander at will without having to keep an eye out for snakes or nasty creepy-crawlies.

Secondly, the ocean is always there. All tourist settlements on this island are on the main road that circles the island (it’s 32km / 20 miles long). This means that unless you go walking in the mountains, you are never more than a few hundred meters away from the sea. And what makes Raratonga special is its reef. The island has a ring of reef all round its coast, about 500 - 700 meters from the beach. Inside the reef, the so-called lagoon is relatively calm so easy to swim or kayak in. However, as the Pacific Ocean meets the reef, you can see and hear from the shore, the constant and somewhat violent explosion of white water as the waves hit the reef and produce quite dramatic breakers. On the other side of the reef, there is a sudden drop, so this forces the waves to break. We know that two thirds of our planet is covered by sea and ocean, and sitting on the decking last night, enjoying a beer and looking out to sea, the power and might of the ocean was so clear to feel. My bungalow is on the beach, and waking this morning to the sound of those breakers was just heavenly.

Time for a tropical breakfast now (that means Rice Crispies with fresh local fruit). I plan a trip into the mountains today, and hopefully tomorrow I can tell you all about day two in Paradise.

Aere ra (goodbye)

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Photos

The view from my base
Castaway Beach Villas are by the beach on the western coast of Raratonga.

Clear water
This photo was taken on the beach - note the clear lagoon water and the waves crashing on the reef in the background.

Coconuts are everywhere
Coconut trees grow relatively quickly, and on Raratonga, you see them nearly everywhere.

Comments

[paul]

bonjour
And bonjour (hello) from the island of Brussels. There are indeed distinct parallels in our respective situations: in your blog you were surrounded by the Pacific ocean and, geographically at least, marooned, we are marooned in snowdrifts; you had your tropical breakfast on the beach, we had hot porridge as close to the radiator as possible; you had your polynesian bath, I had a hot bath to try to warm up. The fun and games will really start here on Tuesday when the supplies of salt and grit are due to be exhausted. If they are ever replenished I will see you in Amsterdam some time in February, I hope. Enjoy the rest of the trip, Keith, and please upload some pics of ladies in grass skirts to warm us up a bit. And, no, we are not jealous in the slightest!

[Brian]

Kia orana Keith
Keith, Hope one of those rugby balls in the palm trees didn't fall on your head as you ambled away from the beach, heading for the mountains. Am eagerly awaiting the next instalment (this one was 12 days'ago!). It all sounds fantastic...

[tammie]

Is someone bring you drinks?
If you don't have someone bringing you drinks with little umbrellas, then I VOLUNTEER! Gorgeous place Keith. Big change from frozen canals and your office view. Are you scampering up the coconut trees with your machete? What kind of survival skills have you deployed? Unbelievable. Keep posting!