Chemtrails not working in Raratonga

Day 8 - leaving day!

 Got on with things in good time (breakkie etc) and had unit empty by 9am - dropped bags at reception and took car into 'town' for the Saturday Market!  Same as in Riccarton - lots of clothing and jewellery - and lots of various foods! Market starts at 8 am and goes till lunch time so easily could provide breakfast and lunch.  Bought some stuff for the boys!
Also saw this schooner out in the open sea - yet no one seemed to know anything about it - and it must have sailed right past it - did not enter the harbor - weird!!
Then tanked the car and gave it back to the rental folks - then had lunch at the diary (on the beach) and then walked to the Lagoon Breeze Villas for our pick up - more waiting.  Bus arrived EARLY and we got dropped of at the Airport - only one counter operating at times and slow checking in - all manual!!! Eventually - more waiting - plane late boarding and slight detour - arrived in Auckland - night time - and had to rush to get through customs etc - turn around so tight - did not make the connecting flight to Chch and got bumped to the next flight - still had to run even then to catch that.
Michael picked us up and after some prelim unpacking fell into bed at 11pm.  NO ROOSTERS at night time!!!!!!   Yussss

This little dude made himself at home under one of my shoes - which we always left outside our unit (no point in dragging in the sand) so had to be careful lifting and putting on our footwear! 

 The local group doing a fundraiser and a demo.  Like most natives in many countries they try and keep old traditions going!  It was more fun listening to the Dude who made the introductions - he had a knack of weaseling out your $$$$ from you in a funny humorous and yet challenging way!

 There is an art to beat the drums not to mention the wiggling of your hips!

 Some of the many stalls - anything from fresh fruit and veggies to lots of cloths etc . . . .

 Some stalls are more permanent structures and can be open from time to time during the rest of the week - depending on how the owner feels about it on any given day . . . .

I got the impression that more money changed hands on that morning then during the rest of the week!  If you go hungry or empty - your look out!!!















Impressions from our trip:

• More chickens then local people but still no KFC! 

• All chicken are wandering free - and been kept in check by cats / dogs wandering free!  

• There must be native birds around- have not seen any though (in fact the only TWO feathered birds we saw were the chickens (if you can call them a bird) and the "Myna" which is a native of India.

• Lots of ants / chucks / sun!   

• There is not always Blue Sky! 

• NOT a single Seagull's has been seen at all!!!!   

• Shops / and indeed most of the island are closed on Sundays! 

• People friendly and always on Island time! 

• POT-holes!!  50 km speed restrictions necessary or you "bounce out" of the road!  

• Beaches publicly  accessible only in a few places! 

• There is a 2.8% net emigration  (meaning the population decreases over time with Births not keeping up with Deaths and people leaving the island to seek fame and fortune)!  That shows in some of the family plots / sections with half built houses or existing houses falling into very bad repair.  Complicating the matter is the notion that only native Cook Islanders can 'own' land!   Population sits at 12 000 as of 2011 Census - with approx 60 000 being overseas . . . (imagine if they all want to come back to the Island!!!)

• Tourism is a big earner - annually there are 200 000 folks visiting - that brings its own complications (Water and Electricity are a scarce commodity) 

• Have seen more solar panels in Raratonga then in all of New Zealand 

•  Almost EVERYTHING has to be imported - making some things expensive

• Family/tribal affiliations are still ingrained (shows in that the burial of your family members is your task - there seems to be  no "central" Cemetery - lots of raised graves on the family land!)  www.cookislandsnews.com/lack-of-land-grave-matter

Is it happy hour yet??? 

Hmmmm we have to save our pennies for a trip to Europe in 2019 - then after that we could go back there- maybe in the rainy season?!?!?!?!?!




Have fun!