Bali hai

It’s not actually Bali, but “Aitutaki hai” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

We are joining a dozen other ocean swimmers, three of whom we know, for a week in this particular version of paradise.

How do you know you’re on a tropical island? Roosters everywhere! However, for reasons shrouded in legend, there are no dogs allowed on Aitutaki. This is a good thing.

Aitutaki is part of the Cook Islands, which is technically a country but very tied to NZ. We flew 3 1/2 hours to the main island, Rarotonga, and then another 40 minutes to Aitutaki. There are about 2,000 residents, and something like 40,000 visitors per year.

Our bungalow is about where the yellow dot is. Here’s our view…

Today I’ll start with attending a service at the Arurangi Cook Islands Christian Church, the oldest church in the Pacific apparently, renowned for its singing and the ladies with their flowery hats. Then a short afternoon swim.

We had a few minor snafus getting in and settled last night. But they helped speed up our mental adjustment to being on island time. As our tour leader explained… everything works out here, but almost nothing goes according to plan.