Just can't stop, CAN'T STOP THE BLOG!

Ok, I'm addicted.  I probably no longer have an audience, what with being back in the country and there fore not actually doing anything exciting, but I find that I have become addicted to writing it!   However I am off to Turkey next Friday, so there might be something interesting to write about then.

So as the BIG trip is over, so is this particular blog, apart for a complete run down of where/where not to stay in my experience, which I shall add as a hopefully useful addendum to anyone who is planning a similar trip

In the mean time..... you can find my new blog of life back home and my Turkey trip at www.sophieyarrowgoeson.blogspot.com

See you there!

Coming up to London at the weekend

to see everyone before I head off to Turkey on the 6th....
Hoping to see everyone before i go, otherwise, I'll see you when I am back... should be well before Christmas

Home....... (and more pics and movies to be added soon, so don't tune out just yet!)

Well, my last few nights in the Cook Islands were just great.  I got to watch a wedding on the beach

and got taken to some more island dancing, where I got up on stage with the dancers (one of whom was very talented indeed) and gave it some good booty shaking.

I was told I was very good, but then I had been practising (in private) since seeing it the other day and also, as I was cycling back from the beach the next day, I went past all the village ladies practising their specific village dance for the Gospel day on Monday, so I joined in and had a go.  You have to keep your shoulders still, whilst waggling your bottom for all it's worth.  I am apparently a natural, which comes as a surprise since I am so utterly rubbish at all other dancing (trophy for being worse a worse ballerina than the disabled one being just one example).

So on my last but one night I went clubbing, to about 5 different clubs, as you can see here:

and the last night Nick, my hosts cousin took me for a lovely meal before very kindly giving me a lift to the airport.

From then on it was not quite so good... a 9 hour flight to LA (and what a total shithole that place still is! you cant even get internet access there! I mean they have better facilities in bloody Hanoi..... and that really IS the arsehole of the world!) and then a 5 hour wait before another 11 hour flight back to Heathrow!

My Mum met me which was just great... and I got to see all the neices and nephews today...and they had done me heartmeltingly gorgeous welcome home cards.

Good to be back... and nothings changed.... have I really been away?

Battered and Bruised (and an even sorer bottom)/ Cock action

The day after the cycle ride I put off the trek for the next day and basically did absolutely nothing but try and make space on my computer, as seems to have run out, and lounge around reading on the beach to give my legs a rest.  I had made myself a packed lunch of assorted sandwiches, some of which were utterly horrible - (never mix strong cheddar cheese and pate, for some reason they don't go together well)... but at least the local beach dog liked them;  and then watched the Star Trek movie in the evening with the kids which was just as good as last time... (got terribly excited about it all and embarrassed the children with my enthusiasm, but impressed them with my ability to do the Vulcan "live long and prosper" hand thingy.)

So I had therefore committed to doing the cross island trek the next day with Ed and Claire, the other guests at Rau's Guesthouse . 

What was I thinking???

It started off pretty easy, well, until we had entered jungle proper.  The track was suddenly very narrow and occasionally difficult to work out if it was indeed a track.

There were some markers nailed to trees, but sometimes someone had to scout ahead to see if we were going the right way.  We often had to had to climb over logs or trees on the path and it was often slippery or just very very uneven, gnarled with the slippery roots of trees webbing over the path to snag your  shoes,  or for you to slip in if you stood on one the wrong way.

It was "only" 650m up to The Needle a large pointy rock from which there are supposedly excellent views, but the island has to be a good 9 miles across too, as the crow flies, so our twisty-turny steep path our total journey was probably considerably more.

It was an overcast, but very humid day when we left to get the bus around to the other side of the island to begin the walk and pretty soon it began to rain, though the canopy above us was so thick we could just hear it rather than feel much of it, but it made the climb and then the descent so much more difficult as everything was just that little bit more slimy and slippery.

Just before we got to The Needle, we realised we were climbing inside the cloud and so when we reached it, we couldn't see any of the view, but then as we stood there, tired and disappointed, it suddenly blew away revealing a lovely view across the jungle, down the mountain to the sea.  

There was nowhere to stand or sit to enjoy the view but the narrow path which we were aware had a steep drop either side...we literally were walking the line straight up a crag of the mountain. With nothing but mosquitoes and spiky plants if we slipped.

The path after the needle then ran up, but largely down, which seemed more difficult than going up (if that was possible!) and I fell twice, once snagging my ankle in a tree root, whilst the rest of my body carried on, (still, proving I can do the splits if needs be, but bruising my ankle rather nastily) and again just having my feet disappear from under me and landing very hard on my bottom and bruising it nastily too.  This morning I can feel them, but they still don’t show so they are pretty deep I imagine.

We soon came to the stream, which we followed being bitten unmercifully by mosquitoes, until we all agreed it was time for a 15 min sit down for lunch.  We were already pretty muddy with filthy hands and nails and very hungry indeed.  We couldn’t stop for long though as the mosquitoes were unstoppable despite the amount of deet we were spraying on; - I think we were sweating it off in the humidity rather quickly.  And the bastards can bite through your clothes too.

The path continued, often zig zagging across the stream again and again, which despite really trying to stay on the rocks, and I found myself crawling across like Gollum catching fish, (as the stones were very very tricksy, precious) and everyone had wet squelchy feet by the third or fourth crossing.

At one point we had to cross the stream again, and then immediately traverse a rock wall with very little hand grip, or indeed grippage of any kind, to make it to the path on the other side.  Ed is making it look easy here, as he is long of arm and leg, and 6 ft 4, however it was a little harder for Claire and me.

And then we were suddenly 4 travellers.
A beautiful Rooster, whom we named “Barbecue”, joined us for a good 3 k of our trek, lured in part by my occasional gift of some macadamia nuts but clearly also by a general sociable urge.

There was the occasional pleasure of a let up of jungle for a little waterfall, or when we entered steamy  Fernland, but we were aiming for a big waterfall which basically marked the end of the jungle and a 3k homeward trek by road.

When we reached here, Barbecue sadly left us with a final farewell crow, to go back to the jungle again, and the waterfalls frankly were less impressive than I’d hoped after all that walking.  I had planned to swim in them, but when it  finally came to it I was just too exhausted, bitten, battered and bruised to even contemplate stripping off, swimming, drying, warming up from the cold mountain water, re-deeting and the rest. 

So we just looked. And then decided to get home before we just couldn’t.  They say once you stop it’s so much harder to get started and after the 10 mins we spent at the waterfall, my feet were already burning up and seriously protesting with the renewed assault and everyone was aching with fatigue.

Apart from the light relief of the "cock action" we had been trekking, clambering, slipping, climbing, wading and ducking for 5 hours, steeply uphill or down hill and the road was we’d hoped, going to be nicer and easier but really, it wasn’t.

Drank 2 glasses of wine and was in bed by 9!

Today I am a mass of aches and pains, bruises and bites, but I do have a certain sense of achievement.  It’s my last day here, as I leave tomorrow, so I shall get going before I have no more beach time left -  as the sun as now out and the beach is calling!

Plane goes tomorrow at midnight, and 26 hours after that, I touch down in Heathrow!

The end is nigh L so today I finally treated myself to one of the Wigmore Store's famous double scoop ice creams which was almost as big as my head.

Island Night

So tonight we went into a local hotel that has a really good traditional native dance troupe and watched as they jiggled and wiggled (girls) and thrusted (boys) ... and the drumming was amazing too.

The dancing is mostly a sexually based dance, where the women smile and show off their long hair which is considered the most beautiful aspects of a woman here,

and the men dance to “shake the male appendage” in appreciation of all the wiggling that the girls are doing, (and general "showing off")

Different islands have slightly different styles of dress and different styles of drumming but essentially it’s very similar and great fun to watch.

  

Incredibly Sore bottom / Day 4 of the Cook Islands

Well today I decided that I would cycle the entire way round the island, as it’s only (?) 32 km.

I decided clockwise was best as I would always  be right next to the sea all the way round... and also because it’s the outside lane the journey would be slightly longer, making me slightly fitter.

I still can’t get over how beautiful the island is, with the crystal clear turquoise waters in the reef, to the deep blue of the sea bond and the delightful green central mountains....

Went past a very pretty church with stunning views behind – it’s so disappointing that they never come out on camera as beautifully as they look in reality.

Stopped to enjoy the view at “Black rock”... I think I’ll have to go back for a swim there before the week is out... there were already 2 people there having a rather private swim of their own so I was careful not to get them in the picture and get away before they noticed me...

 I stopped at Avarua Harbour where the Greenpeace ship Esperanza is docked,

and I also stopped at Ngatangiia Harbour ....this is really a stunning place.  Apparently this is where the Maoris started from when they kayaked across to New Zealand.  

So I stopped for a snack and a rest for my poor sore bottom... and it really was getting quite sore as I had done 25k by then, though I stopped for lunch earlier at a part of the island where the reef has been smashed by storms and the beach is just huge chunks of coral thrown on to the land, and the Pacific ocean crashes and booms on the shore.  I found myself a comfortable rock and ate my lunch staring out at the horizon feeling the salt spray cooling me as I ate.

When I finally arrived back I just ran straight to the beach and jumped straight into the cool sea, to soothe my burning bottom, and lay (face down) on the beach and dozed for a little before coming back in to clean up and eat.

I think tonight Atua is taking me and another couple who arrived yesterday to an “island night” where they do traditional dancing and drumming which should be cool.  And tomorrow I will do the “cross island” trek with them which takes you past some waterfalls, and gives you stunning views of the island too. (Thighs and bottom permitting of course!)

Hired a Bike...

but then slouched on the beach all day.

The water here is not as warm as Thailand... in fact I'd go so far as to say it's on the cool side (not compared with when I was swimming with the dolphins, you can still feel your extremeties,  but with a  breeze you do get a few goose pimples when you come out of the water.

It's generally a bit breezy everywhere except Mura beach where we were snorkelling, as you are in the lea of the small islands; even then we had to stop snorkelling after an hour or two yesterday as we were actually cold.

So mostly it's quite easy to burn as you just don't realise how hot the sun actually is.

But you can't fault the scenery or the laid back friendliness of the locals and visitors alike.  Virtually nothing is illegal, and the things that are, (it seems from reading the local paper) are rarely enforced and when you do get caught,   if you apologise profusely in court they let you off anyway!

You don't have to wear helmets, or seatbelts (which makes me feel a little insecure cos I reach for them any way and they often just arent there!

I could seriously get used to it here!

Day 2/3 of Paradise!

Well, this place is as beautiful as I had always dreamed.  Clear turquoise seas inside a reef on which waves crash frothily in the distance and brightly bicolour exotic fish dart around your feet as you pick your way through the coral away from the bright white sandy beach..

I am on the very south of the island, but the views are stunning every where.  Friday (my second in 48 hours due to the very confusing crossing of the date line) I spent sitting on the beach, dozing and listening to my iPod, getting burnt cos the sun moved and I woke up no longer in the shade.

The first night Vaia, and his wife Mocha, who run Rau's Guesthouse, and their friend Nick welcomed me by getting me so drunk I could barely move the next day, until the evening when I went for a superb steak dinner with Atua, the owner of the Guest houe, who takes out all his guests on their first night (or second!) so today, Sunday, was the first time I managed to get up and do something. 

Now brace yourselves before you hear what it is that did. 

Ready?  Good.

I went to church!

Yes yes, I know I know, not my kind of thing, and I haven’t "found god".  (But I do know where he hangs out if I need him.)

I walked the 2 miles there, along the coast road, enjoying the breeze and the glittering sea on one side and the verdant green of the mountains in the middle of the islands on the other.  When I felt I’d gone a couple of miles and I still wasn't there, I asked an old man on a moped who was going the other way if I was on the right track to the church . He said yes, it was not much further.  A minute later he drew up alongside me and offered me a lift on the back of his moped the rest of the way!

People here are so genuinely welcoming and friendly, and it’s taken me months to let that British “you are being nice to me so therefore you must want something” guard down!

It was a lovely little place and worth a visit just for the scent of the flowers around the alter and the view of the mountains from the windows.

However the reason that i came, was that I have heard that church is much more of an event here, and very much part an important part of the culture of the place.  I have visited so many Buddhist temples now it was time to appreciate some Christian culture, and truthfully I really went for the singing which I had heard was really something.  Singing is said to be huge part of the hour and a half long service and boy, they weren’t understating.

The men and women sing different parts and everyone sings in harmony together.  No-one organises them, there is no choir as such; but Their voices soared, people sang joyfully and as loud as they could, so fervently and genuinely happily one couldn’t help but join in even though I did not know the songs or the language before.  The tunes were simple and easy to learn so anyone could be a part should they wish to, and the words were projected on the wall, as there were no bibles or hymn books; some people had brought their own though.

 People held each other as they sang, children hugged each other.  Old men leant on the pews in front whilst they sang their hearts out in harmonies they had learnt since childhood and the small church was so full of the sound of togetherness and happiness it was utterly infectious and very moving.

 

All the time the sun streamed in and I watched the beautiful view out of the window when I couldn't understand the sermons, (half of which are in the Cook Islands native tongue and half in English)

The pastor even said that although Psalm means "short lesson" he apologised as today they were covering Psalm 150 which has lots of verses and so todays sermon was going to be a bit of a longy!

And afterwards everyone went across the road and ate sandwiches and scones and drank orange squash together to chat and meet each other!  I meant a few nice people before Nick picked me up and took me to the Mura beach on the East of the island to go Kayaking and snorkelling around the reefs there.

Mura beach is the most popular place on the island.. There are 4 or 5 little tiny islands that when the tide is low you can walk to, are close enough to swim to and easy to kayak to and the snorkelling is fantastic off them too, and all the while they protect you from the tide and winds.

So we kayaked round the islands, and snorkelled amongst the many fish.  Saw parrot fish (which are apparently “good eating” and giant clams and big blue starfish and long thin trumpet nosed fish ... and stripy fish that come right up to you to see what you are..... it wasn't quite as stunning as Nha Trang, but then you could just wander a few years into the sea to see all these fabulus creatures and corals,s in that way it was lots better!

Then, exhausted after load of swimming and kayaking and diving down to pick up starfish and squish sea cucumbers,  spent some time just lazing on the beach of an island that many couples come to get married on; each, rather romantically planting a coconut palm during the ceremony so they can come back and visit their marriage tree whenever they want to.

They have a nice simple attitude to the weather here also which made me giggle..

Went for a few beers in the evening not many at all after the experience the other night) and made plans for tomorrow... I am going to hire a bike! (not a moped, just a cycle)

The Cook Islands

Ok, interesting introduction to the Cook Islands!

Stilll smarting from an email i got from Guy in our wedding anniversary demanding even more of a share of the house..... which really hurt.  but watched Boston Legal all the way over on the in flight entertainment which at last stopped me crying!

Arrived at the tiny airport, first off the plane, and was greeted in the terminal by an old man with a ukulele, singing welcoming songs by their one baggage carousel.  Big friendly ladies put gorgeous smelling garlands round our necks, and I was the first person the very efficient Raro tours dropped off at my guest house.

There was supposed to be a key in an envelope to my room on the table in the kitchen, but the only key led to an open room with 2 kids asleep in... So I ended up having to sleep on the sofa in the living room to be woken at about 7 am by a woman who told me there had been some sort of mistake.  I have crossed a date line and its Friday again!  I've never done that before!

I got into my room and though tired found it was too light to sleep and too much of a waste of a beautiful day.  I found out that I would have to walk to the supermarket for food and also to connect to the internet (OMG!)  

But on the plus side there are some chickens and the most enormous pig outside my bedroom window which are quite fun to watch, and a lovely little baby called Nathaniel, who is utterly adorable following me around in is baby walker, and we have become great friends already.

It's a gorgeous day here, so I'm off to the supermarket to get supplies now.. will probably hire a bike tomorrow and have a cycle round the island which should take about 3 hours (or more, for me!)

Seals and meals

Well, Stuart picked me up, and as it was still such a lovely afternoon, we visited a seal colony which was a couple of miles up the road...  and there they all were just lazing around comfortably on the leathery belts of seaweed ...or indeed anywhere they chose,

like the big warm rocks.....

or the car park wall....This one doesn’t actually have a lazy eye... he was just too lazy to open the other one to check me out....

entirely unbothered by all the humans taking photos of them...

Had lovely seafood chowder for dinner... (They are famous for their crayfish here in Kaikoura which I think are pretty much what we call lobsters, but they are so prohibitively expensive that I don’t know if anyone actually eats them!

Stuart had an early start to drive to Picton and I had much blogging to get on with, and we realised that if we didn’t stop right there it could end up a dangerously messy night, so we parted with emails and promises of future contact and was rather sad to say good bye, as  he was a great laugh, and we had a lot in common (including very similar taste in men!)

On to Christchurch tomorrow.

Swimming with Dolphins!

Yes!!  Swimming with dolphins!

Well, after a walk round the bay this morning to the “encounter centre” and a hurried and a breakfast that I felt I ought to eat rather than wanted to, due to my excitement, we were all fitted for wet suits and fins and hoods and gloves before getting into them. 

They are delightfully ....tight and restrictive, you can hardly breathe in them.... wondered if I have a rubber fetish I never knew about!

Moving on......

After a briefing on what we would be looking forward to, off we went on the bus to a bay around the other side of the peninsula, where the dolphins hang out.

Dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus Obscurus) are about 1.6- 1.8m in length and are notoriously curious and inquisitive.   They are very vocal and also particularly acrobatic and energetic and leap and somersault often....possibly to attract mates, possibly just cos they can and it’s fun!

The females come into season once a year to breed, however they have sex socially and for fun all year round, in fact, the dusky dolphin is so promiscuous that one female was seen to have had sex with 5 different males within the space of 2.5 minutes!!!  And they weren’t even footballers.

They have a lifespan of about 20-30 years and the orca is really their only predator other than humans and there are very strict laws about hunting them, though often they are killed when people are fishing for other things, or they choke on rubbish.

Anyway.. The water was about 10 degrees.... ie fucking freezing.  The initial shock was breathtaking and my toes were numb in seconds.  But it didn’t matter – I was swimming with Dolphins!!!

We were told that as dolphins live in a world of sound those making noises, especially high pitched ones, and singing attracted them to come and check you out, as well as diving down when you see them so that they can really see you....

It was amazing.  We had at least 5 swims, (we had to get back on the boat and follow the dolphins around.).. But there were loads of pods that just came to check you out when you were in the water too.

Singingwise, I found that they weren’t that interested by anything from the Sound of Music or indeed any other musical, however old folk songs seemed to work well.  (Particularly “Daisy Daisy” for me, but obviously with the word “Dolphin” substituted for Daisy. And you try singing that through a snorkel!)

I dived down, and suddenly I was surrounded by them, spiralling round me and above and beneath and all whooshing past me so close I could touch them (but you are told not to, as this is not good for them)  I  was able to have eye contact with them as they came to see what I was and why I was making such a peculiar noise, and one in particular who swam around with me for a while before the rest of the pod came over , circled me and then swam away.

As we had to go in two groups and I was in the first, we got to watch the others as they went in as we had our hot chocolate and ginger cookies, and got dry, laughing at the noises they were making as they tried to attract the pods.

I also saw a “medium sized” albatross i.e. it’s wingspan was "only" a little over 2m whereas the big ones have up to a 3m wingspan and weigh over 10 kilos! But it had me skipping about with excitement nonetheless.

We were only in the water for an hour but that is WELL enough at those temperatures, and trying to keep up with dolphins is really hard work...I love the water had usually feel fairly agile in it, however I felt like a total klutz next to the dolphins!

The Dolphins swam with the boat for some way leaping and diving around us as we left as if to say goodbye and wish us well or possibly because they just enjoyed racing the boat.... but it was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had, to look into their eyes and see intelligence and interest.

And I met a nice man called Stuart with whom I am going out for dinner with tonight too.