Day 27- Rarotonga- Tues, Mar 13, 2018
Rarotonga is the main island of the Cook Islands, and has a
population of 10,600. The Cook Islands
are named after Captain James Cook, the explorer, even though he never actually
set foot on the island. However, the HMS
Bounty mutineers did stop here in 1798 after the mutiny of Captain Bligh. Rarotonga has lush volcanic peaks covered in dense
vegetation that arise 2,000 feet above the white-sand beaches. It is encircled by coral reefs creating many
lagoons.
We tendered into Avarua, the Capital of the Cook Islands and
the main town on the island. We set out
on foot to explore. We saw the National
Museum & Cultural Center, the Cook Islands Christian Church with its
interesting graveyard and the Palace.
Avarua has many hotels, cafes, shops and obviously can handle tourists,
unlike our last several ports.
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This mountain reminded me of the opening scene of Indian Jones. |
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We saw an attorney taking a picture in front of a law firm, so Bob did the same thing - University of South Pacific. |
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The palace. |
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So many outrigger canoes. |
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The reef. |
Swimming was our afternoon plan, and even though we had
several rain showers, it was very refreshing.
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Our nightly visit to the Crystal Cove. |
Tonight was our last visit to the Italian Specialty
Restaurant, Prego, for this trip. We
always enjoy our meals there, and tonight was no exception. We both had the same meal: Caesar Salad, Appetizer Portion of the
Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce, Filet Mignon, Pomegranate Semi-Freddo for
dessert.
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We've posted the other food items before, but this was a chef's special. |
The evening entertainment was the International Pianist, Kym
Purling, for his second performance on this cruise. He was scheduled for a second performance as
whomever was supposed to perform missed getting on the ship.
Today we walked 5.12 miles, 12,290 steps.
My mom told me that I am a descendant of James Cook. I don't know if that's true, but I think I need to go there and embrace my heritage. I also think I should get the friends and family discount. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteWell there you go. Captain Cook was incredibly important in the history of these islands. He did 3 voyages (got killed on the 3rd in Hawaii). He mapped all of the places, which ultimately led to trade and progress in the islands.
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