Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Rarotonga
We've been in Rarotonga the last three days. We snorkeled twice off a beach which might have had a lot more coral before a few weeks ago, when four cyclones hit the island, and are said to have caused lots of coral to break off. There were lots of nice reef fish, including some long cornet fish, some incredible picassofish, sunset groupers, some convict surgeonfish that are very inquisitive and swim inches away from us, lots of white fish of all sizes which blend in with the sand, and a few large fish of various dark colors. The rock crevices contained lots of pink-spined sea urchins and I saw some kind of clam which looked like a wavy iridescent blue-green opening in the rock.
The beach by the place we are staying is not quite so varied. There's a little island you can walk to without ever getting your shorts wet. The real problem walking out there is avoiding stepping on one of the thousands of sea cucumbers sitting there being sluglike on the sand. For variety, there are a few different species, but most of them just look like sand stuck to slime on a cylinder about 10 inches long. We did see a cute snake-eel which was white with brown spots, slithering about the sea of sea cucumbers.
The place itself, Aremango Guest House, is definitely "budget accomodation". The budget does not include fans that run all night -- you have to get up every hour and push a button to turn it back on. What are they thinking? The beds are pretty old, and you also have to close the window about 4:30 AM as soon as the rooster cacophony starts. And bring your own towel. However the people you meet at such places are often on much slower and more interesting voyages, or in the instant case, attending weddings which their friends from New Zealand have decided to have here. I am sure that the people at Kingsgate in Auckland have interesting stories to tell too, and probably even interesting investment advice, but you don't get to talk to them at all. Their rooms are air-conditioned and tolerable to be in.
Yesterday we took the cross-island walk -- the trail was also trashed by the cyclones. It started out along the road to the power station, but at some point abruptly became a very narrow steep track on which we pulled ourselves up by tree roots, just like our walk up Mt. Apo in the Philippines in 1988. Going down was not only just as steep and narrow but often confusing -- it wasn't always clear that when the trail appeared to ford the river that it continued on the other side. Fortunately, the picture we took of the map posted at the beginning of the trip came in handy and we found our way out of the rain forest. Once again we didn't take enough water -- when we got to a little store at the end we each drank 1.5 liters immediately. And a fruit smoothie.
If you're ever here, check out Sails Restaurant in the sailing club in Muri, which has lots of very nice food, and for something simpler go to That's Pasta, run by a couple from Milan who make their own pasta and sauces and desserts. Don't bother with The Flame Tree, reputed to be the best restaurant on the island at least in our guidebook -- it isn't worth it. Also the Pacific Resort has a roving thug in a Hawaiian shirt who sidles up to you in a laid back island manner and indicates that if you aren't staying there you shouldn't be there unless of course you are going to the restaurant but after such a reception you don't feel like it.
Renting bikes today has caused it to drizzle, but hopefully it'll stop before we ride back to catch our ride to the airport for our 10:20 pm flight to Tahiti, arriving at the convenient time of 1 in the morning.
The beach by the place we are staying is not quite so varied. There's a little island you can walk to without ever getting your shorts wet. The real problem walking out there is avoiding stepping on one of the thousands of sea cucumbers sitting there being sluglike on the sand. For variety, there are a few different species, but most of them just look like sand stuck to slime on a cylinder about 10 inches long. We did see a cute snake-eel which was white with brown spots, slithering about the sea of sea cucumbers.
The place itself, Aremango Guest House, is definitely "budget accomodation". The budget does not include fans that run all night -- you have to get up every hour and push a button to turn it back on. What are they thinking? The beds are pretty old, and you also have to close the window about 4:30 AM as soon as the rooster cacophony starts. And bring your own towel. However the people you meet at such places are often on much slower and more interesting voyages, or in the instant case, attending weddings which their friends from New Zealand have decided to have here. I am sure that the people at Kingsgate in Auckland have interesting stories to tell too, and probably even interesting investment advice, but you don't get to talk to them at all. Their rooms are air-conditioned and tolerable to be in.
Yesterday we took the cross-island walk -- the trail was also trashed by the cyclones. It started out along the road to the power station, but at some point abruptly became a very narrow steep track on which we pulled ourselves up by tree roots, just like our walk up Mt. Apo in the Philippines in 1988. Going down was not only just as steep and narrow but often confusing -- it wasn't always clear that when the trail appeared to ford the river that it continued on the other side. Fortunately, the picture we took of the map posted at the beginning of the trip came in handy and we found our way out of the rain forest. Once again we didn't take enough water -- when we got to a little store at the end we each drank 1.5 liters immediately. And a fruit smoothie.
If you're ever here, check out Sails Restaurant in the sailing club in Muri, which has lots of very nice food, and for something simpler go to That's Pasta, run by a couple from Milan who make their own pasta and sauces and desserts. Don't bother with The Flame Tree, reputed to be the best restaurant on the island at least in our guidebook -- it isn't worth it. Also the Pacific Resort has a roving thug in a Hawaiian shirt who sidles up to you in a laid back island manner and indicates that if you aren't staying there you shouldn't be there unless of course you are going to the restaurant but after such a reception you don't feel like it.
Renting bikes today has caused it to drizzle, but hopefully it'll stop before we ride back to catch our ride to the airport for our 10:20 pm flight to Tahiti, arriving at the convenient time of 1 in the morning.
