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Published: February 16th 2017
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Hello Everyone. . . still having a great time in Rarotonga, Cook Islands!
We have pretty much covered the whole island on our scooter so have seen most of the beaches, swimming spots, beach bars and scenic spots. We have kind of settled into a routine where we relax and sip coffee on our deck in the morning with a trip into town to pick up groceries and other necessities like beer and wine (lol)! We usually plan a destination by scooter in the afternoon where we enjoy a swim, snorkelling and sometimes have a fresh fish sandwhich for lunch at the many quaint cafes. We normally go out for dinner but once or twice a week we stay in and cook at home. Our kitchen is very effiecient and there is also an outdoor grill we can use.
Warren went fishing with a young couple from Austria and caught a 40 lb. wahoo! He was pretty excited and it was quite a fight pulling it in. He had sore arms for a few days after! Anyway, we have been grilling the fish up and it's delicious!
Last week we had quite the adventure! We took the 5
km cross island trek up and over the mountains. The scenery was spectacular but it certainly wasn't for the faint of heart. We were literally climbing up the 500 m assent like spiders grasping onto the roots for stability! Once at the top we had a beautiful view. Coming down was a little tricky and slippery but we made it. We had to wade across the creek several times which was kind of fun. The trail down was very narrow pushing through the tropical forest and often plunging around a hundred feet on either side! Needless to say you had to be careful but it was such a great experience a a good workout! There was a lovely waterfall part way down and we enjoyed a refreshing dip.
We have to keep in mind there are two tides each day six hours apart, otherwise you might arrive at the beach and find there's no water! We can check on line to see the tide times and they also publish it in the local newspaper. Each day it's an hour later so kind of tricky to keep track. There are 3 or 4 really good spots for swimming with lovely
turquoise water that is clear and warm.
We went to a traditional "Umu" which is a local meal wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground. It was super good consisting of pork, chicken, pumpkin, various kinds of squash, turo, and a type of spinach. It was served with a nice salad and fresh papaya and coconut. It was interesting to watch them lift the food from the ground and unwrap the banana leaves.
We had quite the education in coconuts from Evelyn the owner of where we are staying. They grow in the garden here and they regularly harvest them for coconut juice and coconut meat. She showed us how to make coconut milk with the shredded coconut and a cheesecloth. We made tasty piƱa coladas with the fresh milk. .
We're looking forward to our next two weeks in Rarotonga so until then!
Mallory and Warren
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Alice W
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Wish I was there!