22. - 28.04.2019 # Cook Islands, Aitutaki

We had heard a lot of good things about the small South Sea dream Aitutaki. So the next morning we board a small Saab 340 of Air Rarotonga to see for ourselves.

During the approach, we see the expected or hoped-for sight. A beautiful green atoll island with turquoise water and long sandy beaches lies practically at our feet. That looks good.

The luggage from the plane comes on a trolley and is unloaded by self-service. Cleverly, those who have bags or suitcases at the bottom rush first. That's somehow the same everywhere.

We are picked up by an older islander with a car that is at least half as old as he is. Unfortunately, we don't understand his name, maybe he didn't mention it when he put the obligatory flower garlands around our necks and warmly welcomed us. So we only find out upon arrival at our accommodation that it was our landlord Rino himself who chauffeured us and didn't even come close to pushing the speed limit of 40 km/h.

Our small shop in Rino's Beach Bungalows is not as luxurious as the last one on Raro, but it has a certain trailer charm. Apart from that, it is spacious, equipped with the necessities, and, most importantly, has a beautiful view of the sea. We had the worst fears after receiving an email two weeks ago, stating that our booked bungalow needed an unexpected overhaul and we were relocated to a "Garden View," as it was so unkindly called. But we can live with that in the end. The only thing that bothers us a bit is the fact that it is a double bungalow, where you inevitably share your privacy with the neighbor, especially on the terrace.

Although it is Easter Monday, we are lucky that a shop within walking distance is open and we can stock up on some groceries. On the way, we pass a sports facility where a large volleyball tournament is taking place on at least 6 fields. Almost the entire population seems to be gathered here, and if they are not actively involved, they sit somewhere in the shade as spectators or sell local food. Either way, everyone seems to be very enthusiastic, and we can still hear the cheering from our terrace even in the twilight.

Since we don't have a means of transportation yet, we take advantage of the beautiful weather to explore the area a bit. Aitutaki has only a fraction of the area of Rarotonga, so strictly speaking, you could explore the whole island on foot. You can't really get lost, even without a map. We quickly go through the town center and continue by chance. Following a sign, we want to walk to Piraki Lookout. Unfortunately, there is no information about the distance on it. So it turns into a good one and a half hour hike in the blazing sun. At a pretty steep slope, a car stops next to us, and the driver asks us if everything is okay with a concerned look. It is apparently unusual here to expose yourself to such exertion without reason. :-)

The next morning we are given a scooter without any bureaucratic fuss. Rino also operates a vehicle rental service as a side business, which makes things easier for us. The fact that we decided against bikes in favor of doing more fitness already pays off when we drive to the other side of the island. At the height of the airport, there is a long straight, where even our horsepower struggles with the strong headwind. To make up for it, we explore the highest point of Aitutaki on foot. The Maunga Pu Summit is a staggering 124 m high, and we break a good sweat in the heat. As compensation, we are rewarded with a magnificent, almost complete 360° view of the entire atoll. This is probably one of those places where the photos for typical holiday postcards are taken.

Thanks to our motorization, we quickly check off the tourist highlights. An advantage that will prove to be valuable. However, there are not too many of them. Sabine from the Divers in Raro had already warned us that there is not really much to do on Aitutaki.

Finally, Torua Joseph gets in touch. He and his wife Stephanie run a small handicraft store called T&S Artworx. Steph makes jewelry from pearls, while he mainly builds ukuleles, also on request. At the beginning of the year, I ordered one according to my ideas from him. To discuss the details again, we pay him a visit. A very funny guy indeed. But he definitely knows what he is talking about. The piece should be ready by Friday, well, we'll see.

On Wednesday morning, the weather is sunny again, probably the last time until we leave. As the next day is another public holiday (ANZAC Day), we visit various shops again to stock up on food. We only have breakfast included at Rino's, and unfortunately, it is not very varied or plentiful. The shops have surprisingly good offers, but none of them have a complete range of the items we need. Well, we don't have anything else to do anyway.

Of course, we also want to experience some culture. Lagoon Cruises, which are carried out by various providers, are popular. During these cruises, you are taken back and forth through the lagoon for the entire morning, stopping at some small, uninhabited islands and occasionally snorkeling. That's not really our thing, and given the gloomy weather, we gladly skip it. Instead, we book a Cultural Tour for Thursday, of which no one can really say what it includes in detail.

Enua Rio and his sister Lucy pick us up punctually at 9:00 am in a very old Jeep. We don't have to drive far, as we take a detour from the main road after less than 5 minutes, driving a few hundred meters through the green wilderness. On a clearing, some relics from the past are exhibited, whether original or replica is not really recognizable. This is supposed to become a Cultural Village step by step. While Enua enthusiastically tells us all sorts of interesting things about the history and culture of the Cook Islands, you can hear how much he regrets that the old Maori traditions are slowly disappearing. He was born in Australia himself and returned with his family to contribute to the preservation of the culture. He is doing a really good job, and we have a lot of fun with the whole thing. In the meantime, Lucy has heated up the umu (earth oven), and since cooking is men's business here, I prepare our lunch with Enua. That means we cover the hot stones with peeled pieces of banana stems to reduce the temperature to the required level, and then we put chicken parts and fruit on top. Afterwards, everything is covered with palm leaves and blankets to simmer for an hour. We use this time to visit some very old ceremonial sites. Actually, you only see some differently sized lava rocks in the middle of the jungle, but with Enua's detailed descriptions, you can imagine how the birthstone or the stone for circumcisions were used back then. There is also an earth oven the size of half a tennis court. Apparently, the whole island came together for the parties at that time. Meanwhile, we are being stung by mosquitoes so much that I can only wave my hands and Enua grinningly asks what kind of dance I am performing :-) Back at the starting point, the earth oven is uncovered again, and it smells delicious of roasted or smoked chicken. And it tastes just as good. The old islanders knew how to live well. After a good three hours, Enua thanks us for coming and for our interest, and after we thanked him for the extremely enjoyable and informative morning, we say goodbye to each other very warmly.

In the meantime, it has started to rain more heavily, and we are tethered to the bungalow until late afternoon. When it stops, we are bored, and we decide to take a little ride with the scooter. On a slippery, unpaved path along the coast, I suddenly have to brake sharply, and despite the fact that we are only moving very slowly, the rear wheel instantly slips away. I can only shout "shit" and boom, we're on the side. Damn it, damn it. Luckily, the damage is limited. Maike has a slightly swollen ankle, and I have a new tattoo. Later, I also start to feel pain in my shoulder, but it's not a big deal. With some ice, disinfectant spray, and Bepanthen ointment, everything is quickly taken care of. By the way, the scooter is completely unharmed, and Rino just waves his hand tiredly when I confess my little slip-up to him.

Despite the scare, we still want to go to the Island Night at a resort 10 minutes away in the evening, as it is supposed to be very good. After finding out that there are no more free seats, we are disappointed at first. However, when it starts pouring rain shortly after our return to the bungalow, we are quite glad. That would have caught us off guard. It rains the whole next day, sometimes harder and sometimes weaker, so we use the time to lick our wounds. A couple from Cologne, who arrived from Rarotonga the night before, goes on the Lagoon Cruise that day. When they come back completely drenched in the afternoon, they have the bad luck of being locked out of their bungalow and have to wait for over an hour until Rino shows up, who fortunately also lives here. The office is only staffed until noon.

Despite the rain, we walk to the town center in the afternoon. There is a rugby match between the teams from Rarotonga and Aitutaki. It must be quite important since even the local TV station is present. When we arrive, it already feels like a carnival. Rugby is something like the national sport here, and although we don't fully understand the rules, we like to watch a game live from time to time. The field is packed with spectators, and those who can't find a place on one of the benches sometimes use a coconut as a seat. The lucky ones have secured a spot with a good view in their cars and even watch the game dry. The Aitutakians are good hosts and let the visitors win after a tough but fair match.

The Saturday is not as rainy as feared according to the forecasts. So we use the time to cruise around the island a bit. We have an appointment with the ukulele carver at 3:00 pm. Of course, the piece wasn't finished as agreed yesterday, as the 6 layers of polyurethane for sealing did not dry as quickly as planned due to the damp weather. When we arrive, Torua notices another sound flaw. So he definitely doesn't want to hand the uke over to me like this. I like that, and I agree that he will bring it over in the evening. It has turned out really beautiful, and it's a unique piece as well. Now I just have to learn to play so that it doesn't become an expensive wall decoration :-)

Sunday marks the end of the week on Aitutaki, and once again it's time to pack up. I'm a bit worried because I only got a soft case for the ukulele in New Zealand. But it looks pretty robust, and with bubble wrap and various items of clothing wrapped around it, I can transport it as carry-on in the plane without any damage. With a slightly different packing technique, we manage to fit my regulator bag into my suitcase, so I'm still only traveling with two pieces of carry-on luggage without exceeding the limit of 23 kg for checked baggage. That should not be a problem.

Rino takes us to the airport around noon. The plane is supposed to depart at 12:35 pm. We hope it stays that way because we only have two hours for the transfer. I'd better ask again if everything will be on time. "Sure, no worries" is the reassuring answer. This is how it turns out, and we are sitting on time in the Air New Zealand Dreamliner, which takes us to Auckland. It was nice again on the cookies. And who knows, maybe not the last time. But now Samoa is waiting.