We had a relaxing morning with a walk to a cafe for coffee. They did not have soy or almond milk so we went without. Once back at our villa, Ellen made us coffee. At 9:00 am she called the bike shop to inform them about the flat and location of the bikes. We put the lounge chairs in the sun and relaxed. At the designated arrival time of our bikes I walked out front and waited about one hour. They gave two newer bikes which were the wrong size and only one lock. We adjusted the seats and headed to Fruits of Rarotonga for snorkeling.
 |
| The view from our deck. The beach is just beyond the plants. |
The sun made every earthy color so very vibrant. The water had its many tones of blue. The palms were brilliant green with some yellow. The sky was a deep blue. The clouds leisurely floated over us. Everything was stunning. The natives that cruised by us on their scooters smiled at us as if they were as happy to see and feel the Rarotonga sun once again. We headed out into the crystal clear water and to the right. We soon encountered huge coral blocks with numerous schools of colorful fish. Some of the larger coral had canyons we swam through. It was as beautiful as Wednesday's snorkeling. What sights! Fish everywhere and the sunlight playing on coral and the white sand beneath us. The fish did not care that we were swimming amongst their schools. Individual fish would come up to me and as I would reach out to touch them they would scamper away quietly and effortlessly. Once I got cold, I signaled to Ellen to head for shore.
While walking the beach the sun warmed me and the wind started to dry me. Back at the bikes I ate my sandwich and I stopped shaking. We headed for the vegetarian restaurant but they had closed at 3:00 pm. Once home we found our spots in the sun and enjoyed munchies and wine. The sun was warm and it allowed me to relax. I think I fell asleep. Dinner was great. We used our lounge chairs to view the Southern Hemisphere night sky. Wow! It was beautiful and very different from what we are used to. The Milky Way stood out. The lack of light pollution increased the number of viewable stars. We never did see the Southern Cross, something I wanted to see on this trip. I slept well.
John
We slept in until 7:30 and had Cheerios and mango for breakfast. We walked to a coffee shop but they were out of soy so we came back and I made made vanilla lattes from instant coffee and vanilla almond milk. We called the bike shop at nine when they opened and made arrangements. They finally delivered two different bikes at 11:30. A medium is a much better fit for me. Then we had lunch of crackers and homemade, fork-smashed hummus and shared the last beer.
After lunch we snorkeled Fruits of Rarotonga. It was stunning. With the sun out and the water clear, the colors in the coral and fish came alive. We went through one section of coral that was huge and tall and the water well over our heads even with the tide being low. Weaving in and out of coral canyons, we saw so many beautiful fish. I swam through a school of silvery fish with a yellow stripe down their backs and they didn't mind me at all. It was by far the best snorkeling of the trip.
The lagoon is beautiful now that the sun is finally out. We spent the afternoon relaxing. I read and John blogged while we enjoyed some wine, fruits, and crackers. For dinner we are having brown rice with pinto beans, red pepper, and salsa with a squeeze of lime. I have to be pretty creative with food here. We spent the early evening planning our next trip here in July of 2018. We should have a beautiful sunset tonight, the kind Rarotonga is famous for.
Ellen
No comments:
Post a Comment