Rarotonga island On the 27th of November 2004 I fulfilled a personal childhood dream: going to a lost and remote Pacific island. As an avid reader of The Treasure Island, Patrick O'Brian's novels and all around anything that's got to do with SVII and SVIII seafaring colonization era (pirates and buccaneers included), I have always dreamt of traveling to any of these too-tiny-and-off-the-bloody-way-to-be-chartered-in-the-map islands. I dunno, but they've always set my imagination on fire. And now, I have finally ticked this one off the dream-list. You might have noticed that I flew off Auckland (New Zealand) on the 28th of November but I landed here in Rarotonga on the 27th. That's because, as opposed to Julius Verne's character in Around the world in 80 days, I hadn't forgotten to account my passing over the imaginary date line, at some point in the Pacific Ocean. It's like having entered a brief time loop. Cool, isn't it? Alright now, let's get down to business. Rarotonga is the Cooks' main island, the largest, most populated (with a mighty 8000 Cook Islanders) and better catered for tourism. Don't get me wrong, this island is still minuscule, barely 10 km wide from one end to the other, and nowhere near the tourism hell of Bali or Kho Samui. It's way more laid back and less exploited than either of those two, which I appreciate. There's this only road circumnavigating the island by the seaside joining up all the resorts, restaurants and stuff, which have been loosely distributed all around the island perimeter without focusing upon any single portion of it. Why would they, if it barely takes like 30 minutes to drive it around the clock. The center of the island remains virtually unpopulated as it's pretty craggy, with an handful of high peaks totally covered by rainforest offering excellent treks and better 360-degree lookout possibilities. Another factor I couldn't help but noticing was the size of the locals. There is a large percentage of the population, both male and female, showing quite a prominent obese size. I couldn't figure out why as they don't particularly portray the junk-food, couch-patato role.   Rarotonga's craggy heart, with the South Pacific far in the background, as seen from the needle, one of the island's most prominent peaks. It was a pain in the ass to hike up there because I had not expected the trail soil to be so loose and slippery, and thus I was wearing my flip flops. I reckon I slipped down on my ass quite a number of times   Unfortunately, I was to be welcomed to the Cooks by an awful weather, cloudy and on-and-off rainy for the first four days. That sucked to be honest. What's the use of a tropical island on a rainy day I ask? Considering I had only 12 days in the islands before flying to Mexico, I was really concerned that my short holidays here would be spoilt because of the weather. But then, on the fourth day, I woke up, flung the curtains open, rubbed my eyes in disbelief, and there it was... a perfectly rounded, proudly shinning sun! wooohoooo! I jumped on my swimmers, ran down to the beach and...   ...ho ho ho... gugu tata!   But I have been carried away by the excitenment. Let me tell you what I did those first three rainy days, not that I did much really. One day I rented a scooter and explored Rarotonga's multiple beaches, stopping here and there for an ice-coffee and to take few pictures. Another day I trekked up the inner mountains as I related above. And another day I went on a night out with the bunch of peeps at the guesthouse to a local club, ending up the evening lighting up a small fire and a late-night swim at the beach.   Thanks God the weather had seemed to take a turn to the better. At the end of the day, I could consider myself lucky as we are entering the wet season here in the South Pacific. However, I browsed the weather forecast reports for confirmation and apparently the next three days it was meant to be sunny. I didn't want to miss this chance, so I promptly booked a flight ticket for the next day to the neighbor island of Aitutaki, officially voted year after year by the press among the world's top-10 most beautiful islands along with the lot of Bora Bora, Maldives and the sort. Well, I appointed myself as member of the jury and proceeded to visit the afore mentioned island in order to cast my expert vote. Having secured a seat in the next plane, I relaxed for the rest of the day reading a book and napping about in the beach.
Maybe, just maybe, the secret of life?	Palm trees lining up against the ocean
Fancy a nap? I sure had a lovely one!	Raise your hand if you'd like to live in this house!
This hairy fellow followed me up for a good hour down the beach	Local kids playing at the school yard
As a side-note, I will state that the Cook Islands are an extremely dangerous place and sudden death from coconut-impact is indeed a possibility. Yeah, yeah, laugh away but I certainly didn't when, as I was sun-bathing in the beach, a five kg coconut heavily dropped barely a few feet to my right from a 10+ meters high palm tree. Had it hit me in the head, it would have cracked it apart in two halves fair and square, and I'm not kidding. Nice tombstone memo it would have made: Died at 28 from coconut-delivered skull traumatism. Poor sucker...
Aitutaki island Things in Aitutaki were looking good even before the plane touched down. As the 45 min flight was approaching its final destination, I had a quick anticipation of what to expect down there. I was already pouring the sun cream all over me at the mere sight of the island's atolls from the sky!
British travel-writer Steve Davey singles out Aitutaki as the Pacific's most beautiful island in his book Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die (I have seen over 50% of his top-100 list at 28 years old, so I'm pretty confident I will clear it all out before I die). I had heard wonders of the arch-famous Aitutaki's lagoon. Indeed widely considered the most stunning lagoon in the Pacific, and thus probably in the world, stories about the beauty of this lagoon had been caressing my ears during my stay in Rarotonga on daily basis. Those who had seen it would reluctantly, furtively share small drops of it trying to keep it tight onto themselves like a thief to his loot, empowering its aura of myth and legend. Those who hadn't would remain hooked into its influence, forging and imaginary picture of it and strengthening their personal oath to go there themselves one day. Of course, I headed my ass right there the minute I walked out of the airport. Aitutaki is a very small island, so 5 minutes later the taxi-van had arrived to the lagoon. It is shocking how un-developped and un-exploited this island is considering its world-wide reputation and fame. There are no multi-storey chain hotels, no shopping malls, no McDonnalds, etc. Thanks God! may it continue like this forever. And so I arrived to the lagoon... I... well, I mean the lagoon is like... you know, turquoise waters... palm trees... and there's the coral under the shallow water too... very pretty... wait a minute! I can describe this. I know I can. Let me start again. The lagoon is enframed in the hook-shape formed by both Aitutaki and its string of numerous sand atolls wandering off it into the ocean like a vertebrated tail. Therefore, the shallow waters encompassed between such main body and the curved tail embody the lagoon itself. Just as I arrived here I experienced a well familiar feeling I have been noticing occasionally during my journey. I felt it in Petra. I felt it in the Wadi Rum desert. I felt it in Phang-Nga, I felt it in Angkor Wat. I felt it in the Everest, and a few other very specific times. It's the feeling of being humbly grateful for having been given the chance to see the marvel that lies in front of your eyes. A marvel you're aware very few people from your hometown will ever see. It's a feeling that makes up for all the tough moments every traveler goes through every now and then and which makes the whole effort worth-while, fulfilling the very essence of the journey in itself. You guys are probably scratching your heads ape-like pondering "what the fuck is Hector talking about? ". Well, I am talking about... ...this...   ...or this...   ...how about this...   ...maybe this?...
...yup yup, also this...	...could it be this?...
...gotta be this...   ...or possibly this...   ...let's not forget about this...     The Aitutaki lagoon is illegally perfect, or at least it should be illegal. In fact, it is the most demoralizing sight you could possibly imagine. Well, not the lagoon in itself but rather the thought of going back to Europe after having seen and been in Heaven. How am I supposed now to go back home? It is not fair! It's like letting someone take one bite of the most delicious marinated lobster and then switch his plate for a bowl of boiled coleflower! They should issue an anti-depression medicament prescription at the airport with the plane ticket. I joined a small speedboat island-hopping tour. There are about 10 atolls confining the lagoon within and they are all equally idyllic. In fact, one of them served as the scenario for the UK-run reality show Shipwrecked (the Spanish version for that show is called La isla de los famosos). The island is seriously minuscule, let's say about 200 meters wide, and there's nothing to eat there other than crabs, coconuts and a handful of chickens (I don't have a fucking clue how a flightless bird originally arrived to this isolated island). It must have been extraordinarily tough for the contestants to have survived there for two months. By the way, just a historic side-note: the Aitutaki lagoon was first seen by an occidental white man in 1789 by Captain Bligh onboard of his ship Bounty, which reached world-wide fame because of the crew insurrection that took place on it and that bought it its own Hollywood film, starred by a young Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Anyway, there you go some pictures you masochists, I know you want more!
A purple starfish under the crystalline waters	The water is so shallow that you can walk your way from island to island. You could walk a hundred meters into the ocean and still the water wouldn't reach your waist line!
Sunset over the lagoon	A random beach in a random atoll
I swear the camera is not fully displaying the infinite array of blue-tones of the Pacific Ocean here in the Cook Islands. I promise you it's way more spectacular and colorful in situ . The water is just so ridiculously azure that bounces back the light and thus the pictures lack of its real intensity. Gotta be seen to believe it.
And now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to have a nap...	Alright, alright! stop whining! Come have a seat next to me
Another day's gone, another sunset to watch
This is the first glance I ever had of the lagoon and the first picture I took as I walked to the beach. When you see the impossibly blue waters that lie behind the palmtree line you can't help but to run towards it	Same place the next day. Please note how the horizon over the Pacific is dotted by small islands everywhere
Land ahoy!	Speedboat by the beach
These lines are for my parents, who have traveled on holidays extensively to different tropical destinations themselves: go to Aitutaki. I know it's bloody far away, I know the flight takes like 20 hours and it's expensive, etc. But you haven't seen anything like this, and you won't regret it. I, in fact, envy you guys, for you have still the chance to see in awe the Aitutaki lagoon for the first time, which is the sweetest of all. I have used up that wish already.
After sunset, I headed down to a local luxury resort to enjoy a typical Cook Island dance show. It was very entertaining and amusing the way the girls shake their bum sensually waving their grass-skirts and coconut-bras at the furious drumbeat. Really cool performance. They picked some people on the stage from the audience, and unluckily enough I was one of them which gave me the chance to make a fool of myself in front of everyone with my less-than-perfect dancing skills. Oh well...
I spent four days here in Aitutaki, and I shamelessly declare that I scratched my butt big time. Needless to say, that's the whole point of this place: to indulge yourself bobbing about at the unsurpassed waters of the lagoon, read a good book resting on a hammock and enjoy a traditional dance show while sipping a cold beer in the evening. You know, spa therapy at its finest, and it's bloody damn sweet! Aitutaki is the paradigm of a tropical honeymoon destination that moves a gear or two behind the rest of the world. Eeeeaaaasy. The owner of the guesthouse I was staying at is a huge Danish guy in his 50s. He married a local girl long years ago, whom inherited a house off her mother here in Aitutaki. So the Danish guy and her wife re-located down here and have been running their guesthouse ever since. The big fellow spends his days sitting at the entrance lounge (which faces right towards the lagoon) smoking cigarettes and chatting away with his wife and their local friends, who drop by every evening for a beer and stuff. That's his life; a quiet, slow-paced, stress-free life in the paradise. I wish it all could be that easy for the rest of us, isn't it?
Back to Rarotonga
I flew back to the main island of Rarotonga to spend there my last three days in the Cook Islands and, once again, rain piss-poured on and off persistently. I wish I had had a bit more of time to visit at least another of the numerous islands of this small country. I hear that the tiny island of A'tiu is terribly pretty too. But it's all cool, Aitutaki has replenished my tropical-dose needs for at least another full year! Those last two days in Rarotonga passed by rather uneventfully: lying on the beach reading a book, playing drinking card games with the troupe at the guesthouse (picture on the right), attending to my daily date with the sinking sun at 7 pm (picture bellow) and, you know, the sort of typical things to do in the beach.	Left to right: John, Rebecca, Markus and Phil. All from the UK.
I am so glad I came here to the Cook Islands, specially to the heavenly wonderful Aitutaki. Now I know what a tropical island should be like! I am only sorry that from now on every place I go, every vacations I take, might seem disappointing to me after having seen that lagoon...   And so concludes the third stage of my journey, the South Pacific, just as I cross the 9 months mark ever since I left home back in March 2004. Hereafter I enter the last stage where I will be traveling throughout the Latin American sub-continent. My plan is to go from Mexico City to Buenos Aires overland during the next three to four months, but let's see how it all evolves from here. One thing is for sure: if I want to stick to this original plan under that time-span, I'll have to carry a maniacally-fast travel pace. So fasten your sit belts tight ladies and gentlemen; Mexico, here I come!
In the Syria section I appointed the Wadi Rum desert as the most beautiful place on planet Earth. But now it's time to crown a new king, and that's, of course, the Aitutaki lagoon.
Rarotonga's craggy center and its peaks looming over the island as your plane approaches in. Local music and dance shows are very lively and entertaining. Nothing beats a good book, a hammock and an ice-cold coconut juice at a South Pacific beach. Locals are really friendly and easy going. The clock ticks under the so-called island-time, which means within an hour before or after the scheduled time haha! Sunsets here in the South Pacific are terrific every day. The fucking Aitutaki lagoon, once again!
The rainy weather in Rarotonga, but then again December is wet season at the end of the day.