Tuesday 27 January 2015

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Our flight was long but uneventful, and we were thrilled to arrive because as soon as the plane doors opened we were greeted by warmth and humidity!  We could feel the winter melting away, despite being tired and very disoriented.  We were greeted by our host who placed leis around our necks and were then taken to the little bungalow we had rested for the week.  It is behind a small bicycle shop, across the street from a beach and it is very private.  We have everything we need...a small kitchen, comfy beds, a bar-b-que and two bycicles to use to explore the island.   It is a small island and we can bike around it fairly easily, it being about 30 km. 
We forced ourselves to stay up for the first day.  This was very difficult as we arrived at 6:00am.  We spent the time getting some groceries, going snorkeling and exploring the immediate area.  What a lovely island!  The ocean is very warm and that beautiful blue color one only finds in ocean settings!  We have tropical fruit trees growing outside our door and we are picking fruit to add to our diet.  This is helpful as nothing is inexpensive here!
All in all we are just kicking back and trying to recover from jet lag. 


Sunday 25 January 2015

Let the new adventure begin

After a lovely Christmas and a very cold start to 2015, we are starting a new adventure - destination New Zealand.  It seems we have been preparing for months before departure day finally arrived.  Our first stop - Los Angeles where we arranged to meet up with Jennifer (a friend from my days at work), and a new friend, her husband Jeff.  The flight to LA was uneventful and after a relatively good night we met up with Jennifer and Jeff for Sunday brunch.
They whisked us off to a great meal at a restaurant on Hermosa Beach and then we took a walk along the beach front to Manhattan Beach.  The weather is fantastic, hot and sunny; such a contrast from the sub zero temperatures at home! 
Our next flight leaves at 9:30 tonight and our plan is to spend the rest of the day enjoying the beach so we will be good and tired for the next leg of the trip...12 hours overnight to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands where we will be spending a week soaking up the culture on a South Pacific Island.