Aitutaki has continued to exceed expectations, especially now that we have moved from the shallow spot in which we were anchored (and rubbing against the sandy bottom) to a sort-of quay on shore. Space became available on Saturday morning after S/V Dreamtime left. (Incidentally, they are 2 years into their projected 10-year circumnavigation and summed it up by saying, "Life definitely doesn’t suck.") We put out an anchor from the bow and had some help from Bruce on S/V Migration (from California) in getting our stern lines tied up to the coconut trees on shore. In doing so, Bruce cut his foot, but Tiff was able to put her nursing skills to use in getting him bandaged up.

Tied up to a coconut tree

After settling in, Dallas and I headed out on the bikes to further explore the island. First we stopped briefly at a hotel (Tamanu Beach) that has wireless internet for a reasonable price. Then it was time to hike up another mountain. At 500 feet or so, it was more like a hill. Unlike Bora Bora, Aitutaki is very nearly an atoll, as its volcanic peak has almost receded into the ocean, leaving only the large lagoon and surrounding coral reef behind. Anyway, the peak still provided an opportunity for photos of the brilliant aesthetic that we have grown accustomed to but certainly don’t take for granted. We had planned to have a picnic on the peak, but the combination of mosquitoes and heat was pretty unbearable, so we opted to eat while we walked back down.

The lagoon encapsulated by the reef

Next we rode up to the north end of the island and stopped at the Aitutaki Marine Research Center. There we found several small pools of clams of various sizes as well as a three-legged sea turtle, a few blue starfish (very cool), and a couple of my favorite fish that have camouflage on top and black and white stripes on the bottom. Apparently the research project involves preserving the population of clams and coral in the lagoon, but the researchers were in the middle of lunch, so we didn’t get the details.

One of the giant (1’ or so) clams

We tried to find a couple of art galleries on the north end of the island, but one was closed and the other no longer there. In the process of trying to find the latter, we stopped to ask a woman in her doorway for directions. Evidently they don’t get much tourist traffic on that side of the island, and as soon as she found out that we had arrived by boat, she offered us a bunch of papaya and bananas from her fruit trees that Dallas then learned how to knock down with a long stick. She and her daughter couldn’t have been any nicer, and they encouraged us to return for more fruit if we have a chance.

Dallas enjoying the beautiful day

We ended our bicycle tour with a long ride around to the south end of the island to see the marae. It took a bit of luck to find it, as it is tucked away behind the waste management building without any signage. There is definitely less emphasis on ancient rituals and customs here than there was in French Polynesia.

We were pretty tired on Saturday night, but I always seem to have the energy to dance when there’s some good or even decent music playing. There is a restaurant/bar right here by the dock called the Blue Nun, and on Friday and Saturdays a DJ spins local and international records, so I stopped in to check it out. It was a pretty typical affair for the current MTV demographic (a "meat market", as we would say in the states), but they interspersed the American dance tunes with more traditional Polynesian ones.   

Sunday morning we had a chance to experience one of the most prominent aspects of the current culture here in the Cooks by attending a local church. Dallas liked the look of one on the east side of the island that he had spotted during our bike ride, so we had a nice long walk over there during which we saw a number of locals travelling every which way to their respective churches. For as small as the island is, there are quite a lot of churches of various denominations, from Seventh-Day Adventist (we were going to attend their service on Saturday but had to move the boat) to Latter Day Saints to Jehovah’s Witness. We attended a Cook Islands Christian Church, and it was a good choice. After the initial prayer and greeting, the congregation broke out into song, and their acapella vocals were astounding. The older members seemed to be singing at the top of their lungs, and their clear, almost piercing tones reverberated off the vaulted ceiling. They sang in harmony (typically two-part) with beautiful intonation, and the song-leader seemed to switch according to the song. The Maori language is very similar to Tahitian in terms of there being a high vowel to consonant ratio, and their songs provided lots of opportunity for them to show off their pipes as they held out the vowel sounds. With the exception of the vocals that could rival the Vienna Boys Choir in terms of their quality, the service itself was pretty consistent with what I am used to in the states. The seating arrangement was a little unusual, though. Instead of sitting with their families, the younger women sat in the front showing off their pretty pandanus hats, and the men (those few in attendance) and older folks sat behind. The children sat on the sides, with the young girls chatting and teasing each other throughout. We could tell that the minister was quite an orator despite that most of the service was in the local Maori language. He took the time to greet the few of us tourists in English. He thanked us for making the effort to be there and said, "Convey our love to your friends and family back home, and tell them that Aitutaki is a good place for holidays." So there you go. 

Showing off their Sunday best

On Sunday afternoon we watched a large, traditional wooden catamaran approach the dock. The Pacific Games are happening right now in Rarotonga, but the Hobie cat sailing competition is to be held here on Wednesday, so the catamaran is here to mark the occasion. We jumped aboard to check out their huge tiller up close. They have to hand steer all the time (3 hours on, 6 hours off), which we were told can be quite challenging and require more than one helmsman in bad weather. 

Back on the boat, Dallas answered a radio call from our friends aboard Matajusi who arrived that morning. They are anchored outside the reef due to their deep draft and were curious about whether or not a shellfish that they found out there was edible. Dallas was eager to accommodate and found some local boys near the dock who agreed to go with us to their boat to see the shellfish and answer their questions. This was also a good opportunity for us to check out the dinghy’s outboard engine on which Dallas had just replaced the propeller in an effort to take care of the thrust problem. It turned out that the boys were quite knowledgeable about the local fish but got seasick rocking back and forth on the monohull out there, so it was a short stop, but before we left we saw a mother and baby humpback whale sounding in the distance. The outboard worked well on the way back until we were entering the pass into the lagoon, and even though the current wasn’t all that strong, it almost kept us from making our way back in and made a nasty sound when Dallas revved it. I guess the thrust problem is taken care of, but there is now a new, hopefully-related problem. Maybe the new prop just needs more grease…

Last night (Sunday) we went over to S/V Migration for a potluck that consisted of our homemade burritos plus Bruce’s jalapenos and salsa from Mexico (I couldn’t believe he still had them!) and his homemade pizza. It was quite a feast and quite good company as well. The Austrian guys from S/V Anima were really funny, and one of them led us in a sing-along of classics such as the Beatles of which everyone knew at least some of the words. He taught Dallas a number of songs and invited him over to check out his large collection of sheet music today. What’s more, he is currently helping Dallas to fix our broken escape hatch using his stainless steel welder! As I told him, he is a good guy to know.   

Dallas just came back and informed me that I missed out on meeting the prime minister of the Cook Islands and the president of French Polynesia (as well as getting some free food) just now! Apparently they are here for a ground-breaking ceremony for a new museum to honor a man who had been declared dead after being lost at sea for 5 months, finally landing here on the reef weighing only 60 lbs! Talk about having will to survive. Anyway, as you may have gathered, there’s never a dull moment here in Aitutaki. I better wrap up and get back out there before I miss something else…