Our port of call today was a new one for us, Aitutaki, Cook Islands. And because we had to miss our visit to Rarotonga, we had our doubts about successfully tendering to this island. However, the weather gods had cooperated and during breakfast, Captain Frank announced it was a "go" to the island today. After taking into consideration the sea swells, winds, and the ability to hold the ship in a fixed position, he felt reasonably sure it could be done safely. The only change he would make was to amend the all aboard time an hour earlier, due to the tides and possible problems loading the four tender boats.
So with that, the guests had to gather their tender tickets like they did on every tender port. We never want to be the first ones off of the ship, so we waited until after 9:30am before we headed off. Spending some time on our veranda, we had the good luck of seeing a couple of tropic birds close -up as they flew around the aft of the ship. Better yet, one of us got some great photos with the good camera. The Captain came on the speakers before we left the room to let us know that due to the tides going out, it was necessary to reduce the number of passengers on each boat. Instead of 70 people, they took on 60 guests. We went down the center elevators to deck one, and showed our room cards. The front desk girl motioned us to go down the stairs to deck A, where we were greeted by Shiv and eventually Henk who was monitoring the boat loading. Safety comes first, and they take it very seriously. We were about the last ones to board, but we were not stuffed in like sardines.
The weather was the big surprise today. It had rained earlier on, but eventually the clouds lifted and we actually got sun. Hot sun at that. Every now and then, it clouded up, and we did have a few showers, but they were brief. With the heat, it actually felt good. And the sun made all the difference in the world with the shades of blue and turquoise in the waters. There are about 2000 residents living here, and most of the jobs are tourist-related.
The ride was fairly short, but the boat driver had to navigate between a tight opening in the coral. Not as tight as the landing in Rarotonga back in 2016, when the boat landed on top of the sharp coral rock. But it sure reminded us of that incident. Today we cleared the opening, but we definitely drug bottom as we headed towards the landing pier. Perhaps the following tender will have fewer people. Once tied up, getting to shore was easy.
The first building we noticed was their church, which is reportedly the oldest one of all of the Cook Islands. Aitutaki was the first of the Cook Islands to embrace Christianity in the early 1800's. It is said that the most beautiful singing will be heard from their churches every Sunday. That is the case in most all of the South Pacific islands.
From this side of the island, southwest, we could only see the outer ring of the lagoon, which was beautiful when the sun finally peeked out. There was a convenient info center with maps and brochures to help the folks figure out what to do and where to go. Since we have never been here, these local maps are a god-send. Especially when you do not own a cell phone. There were more booklets with lots of info, but we decided to pick them up on the way back and not carry them all day. Wrong again. They were all gone a few hours later.
With umbrellas with us, we headed up the west coast where most all of the resorts and bungalows are located. The info lady had suggested we walk to some of the resorts with restaurants a good hour up the road. By the way, there were no HAL shore excursions here today. But there were locals on the shore offering rides to beaches for swimming and snorkeling. There were a few open bed trucks that took the folks to the resorts along the road.
It was easy walking since most of the island is very flat. Houses and huts line the roadsides, and we had to be careful walking since the traffic is opposite of what we know in the states. This island reminded us of Rarotonga, only smaller in scale. There are no big cities here, just a series of villages. The shops are postage stamp-sized and there were a few gas stations. We could not help but see the price of regular on the pump. It was $3.49 NZD for one liter. Ouch….that's $13.96 for an imperial gallon. Diesel was worse at $3.99 a liter equaling $15.96 a gallon. It's no wonder that a lot of islanders drive motor scooters and small cars. Of course, the NZD $1 equals $.58 USD.
Homes here are basic, made with wood and concrete with metal roofs. Their gardens are free-flowing as there are no fences. Many have coconut palms and breadfruit trees. Bananas grow wild as do bougainvillea, hibiscus, banyan and flame trees. There are no dogs. Like in zero. They are not allowed on the island. Cats must be OK, since we saw one. Goats are all right to own. We saw three white ones grazing the weeds around the homes. Sure beats mowing them. With the rain they get here, everything is green and lush. In between the houses, you can access the sandy beach and swim anywhere on this coastline. This is where many folks left the road, and went to find the perfect spot on the beach.
We kept walking, and soon came upon the Pacific Resort, which appeared to be a large complex. Thinking a lot of guests might have headed there, we continued to the next largest property which was Tamanu Beach Resort. Just as we approached the driveway, it began to rain. Good timing. Entering the lobby, we inquired about their restaurant and if it was opened to the public. The answer was yes, and we could also take advantage of their beachfront and restrooms while there. Sometimes, these resorts ask for a day pass fee, which could be from $20 to $80 we understand. The most important question we had was do they take American Express? The answer was yes, but they did not accept US dollars. She showed us the way down towards the beach, and we found it. Once again, we asked about using the American Express credit card, and the manager of the restaurant said yes. A few years back, we had a problem when this very same thing happened to us in Rarotonga. The restaurant people did not accept the credit card or US cash. If it was not for a very sharp local travel agent, who offered to pay for us, and let us reimburse her with dollars, we would have been up a creek. Anyway, we ordered two Heinekens and a club sandwich with fries to share. We spent an hour relaxing on their outdoor patio watching many HAL people swimming and snorkeling in the shallow reef. Then the time came to pay the bill, and guess what? No, they did not take the Am Ex. It did not matter what we had been told, now they denied it. But they did take US cash, and not at the going rate. It was a one to one exchange. Not fair in our minds, but still reasonable as their prices were not outrageous. There will not be a next time, since we will do our homework prior to going.
Instead of walking the road, we figured we could beach comb most of the way back. That way we did get to see all of the properties with hotels and huts right on the beach. The sand was packed, but full of sharp and broken coral. Those that knew this wore aqua shoes or else they could not have snorkeled. This was also a great place for bird-watching. We saw noddies, cranes, white terns, and even a tropic bird near the tall trees. One of these birds had snagged a small fish and dropped it. When we came across it, the little thing was still alive. So it got thrown back into the surf. Saved it for another day we guess.
We also passed some huge volcanic boulders strewn from the roadside all the way down to the lagoon. There has to be a story to this, and we decided to look it up back on the ship. Back to the landing pier, we got on the tender boat around 2:00pm. The last tender would be at 3:30pm, and we did not want to come back that late. If we had more time and energy, we would have explored the Blue Lagoon on the opposite side. That is where the high-end resorts are with all of the water sports. Maybe next time……
On the way back in the tender boat, we had a good conversation with world cruise travelers John and Diane. When we asked where friends Ginni and Rich were, they said they had decided to go home, due to Ginni's recent shoulder surgery and an injury to the other shoulder. Not a surprise, but when you are hurting that badly, home is the best place to be. They should be in better shape by the time the Grand World Voyage begins in January.
We had a really nice surprise of a bag of Halloween candies in our mail slot. Gee, we wonder who left that bag of goodies, as there was no note included? Of course, the suspects had to be Denise and Howie, and that was confirmed when we looked over the railing outside to thank them for being so sweet….literally!
Spending the afternoon on our veranda, we soon discovered that the temperature had risen to a very hot 95 degrees. Little did we know that the winds had been 35mph all day, as the Captain informed us during his pm talk. He had a tough time holding the ship all day, and was also concerned about the difficulty loading the tender boats. He also added that the Zuiderdam was the largest cruise ship ever to tender guests ashore to Aitutaki. And we have never seen this port on any HAL itinerary. But we do know the smaller luxury vessels come here such as Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, and many expedition-type ships. And appropriately, Captain Frank gave thanks to his crew who took such good care of the tendering guests. They are well-trained as well as a thoughtful group.
There were a few, but not many guests wearing Halloween costumes at dinner tonight. One lady wore a skeleton dress and a fancy mask, like Mardi Gras. Another gal wore an 18 inch high witch's hat, getting a big reaction from the waiters. The entry to the dining room had been decorated for the occasion, but not everybody was "into it". There is one single elderly lady sitting near us who waved away every waiter and yelling "Get that Halloween "stuff" (not her real word) away from me'…..loudly for everyone around her to hear it. Jaws dropped. We have secretly named her Miss Sunshine. There is a story there, and we suspect it is not a happy one. Her companion at her table is always a computer tablet or a book, and there is no communications with the waiters or wine stewards. Sad….
Anyway, ignoring it all, we had quesadilla starters and Caesar salads, no anchovies thank you. One of us had the crispy coated rockfish, reportedly excellent, and the other had a shredded beef tortilla with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. A really good Mexican dinner for one of us. Slices of spicy pumpkin pie finished the meal nicely. At 9:30pm there was a Halloween costume party in the Rolling Stone Lounge, but by then, the seas were really rolling making even walking hard let alone dancing.
With all of the sun, water, walking, and exploring, we slept really good…or maybe it was the candy? We have a welcomed day at sea tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
