How to settle in to the Pacific lifestyle

Certain rules apply when settling in to the Rarotongan lifestyle. Please follow these rules obediently.

Rule no 1: Relax. Lay back. Everything is going to be alright.
Rule no 2: Talk to people. Tell them who you are, what you do. Make friends.
Rule no 3: Always, I repeat, always wear sunlotion (SPF 50 required). Even in the mornings. And afternoon. Until the sun goes down.
Rule no 4: Always, I repeat, always take an umbrella or a rainproof jacket with you.
Rule no 5: Explore the island and the people. Both of them have a lot to offer.
Rule no 6: Enjoy.

I have now spent over a week on the beautiful island of Rarotonga. I'm still settling in and not yet sure of what to write here but once I get more into everything, I will have a lot of stories to tell. What I can say is, so far I love it here!

Things I've learned:

- Wear sun lotion. All the time.
- Always come on time. "Half of the island comes on time, the other half comes late. We call it the 'real Island time'", said one local.
- Local greeting is a kiss on the right cheek.
- Nobody walks. Ever.

Things I've done:

- Worked at the hospital for a week in the mornings, mainly getting to know to people and places and finding my own spot.
- Bought my own bicycle. Thebike shop will buy it back when i leave.
- Biked every morning up the hospital hill (the hill itself takes about 10 minutes). My record is 2/3 of the hill. After that I have to stop and push my bike up the rest of the way. After 20 minutes at work, the sweating usually stops.

Things I've experienced:

- Local Rugby League game. So exciting! Such a good atmosphere! So brutal. I still prefer Rugby Union.
- An Island night up in the mountains where a tribe used to live. We were told about the history and traditions of the island, dancing and singing.
- Graduation ceremony of The Cook Islands Tertiary Training Center. Also attended by the Prime Minister of the Cooks.
- Scorching sun, heavy rain. The weather here has been ever changing and unpredictable.
- One storm.
- One cyclone warning. The warning was cancelled after 3 hours and the day turned out to be sunny and beautiful.
- Sunday church at one of the many churches on the island. Very different from the Finnish church.
- A hike in the jungle in pouring rain with some of the expats on the islands.
- My first bad sunburn on this trip. No sunlotion + 15 minutes of sun = bad idea.
- Guava.
- Geckoes squealing and hunting mosquitoes and fireflies.

Island Night at Highland Paradise.

A Punanga Nui Saturday market in town.

Eels vs. Sea Eagles 24-24.

30 degrees in the shade makes it a bit tough to play rugby.

Sunday church in town.

Whale and Wildlife Center.

My new ride!

Quiet Nikao beach.

Right now it's 8 pm on Sunday evening and I'm sitting at the verandah with my German friends listening to the sounds of the evening.

Riikka

And that has made all the difference

The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Went to see where the hospital is, found the hospital and an amazing view.

At The Black Rock, a mini lagoon.

Nikao beach, the closest one to me.

My home, Tiare Village

Rikka lives here

Things i have done so far in Rarotonga (3 days in):

- biked around 

- went to the Saturday market, got pulled up into a dance contest, won a prize (a cultural island night with traditional ceremonies, shows, food)

- met and talked to lovely people

- went to watch a jet take off at the airport (live 500 meters away from it)

- got asked twice if i was alright by the locals during a long walk (nobody walks here).

- met a volunteer doctor from the hospital who assured me i would have a great time but i would just have to relax and take it easy in the Cook Islands time 

- got eaten alive by mosquitoes, repeatedly.

I live in paradise.

Riikka

Two sides of Koh Lipe, part 2

I have come to tourist hell, was my second thought of Koh Lipe as we were strolling down the Koh Lipe Walking street, a 3 meter wide concrete built pathway connecting the two main beaches on the island. Tanjung Rhu in Langkawi had practically no tourists, Koh Lipe seems to have all of the tourists. I am amazed how many shops, restaurants and hotels they have been able to squeeze in on this tiny little island. I know tourism is probably the only way for the locals to make a decent living, but i can't help but feel sad of how the island must have changed in the eyes of the locals. For the worse, I would think, but maybe I am wrong. One thing's for sure: with people comes the trash.

Plastic bottle recycling?
There are campaigns to keep Koh Lipe clean and even guided walks to collect the trash from the ground. Luckily our first hotel offered us clean drinking water and provided washable, plastic free bottles to fill them up multiple times a day. Saved us from buying and eventually throwing away numerous plastic bottles.

Local way of living.

After spending a few nights and days in Koh Lipe, I must admit, the place has sort of grown on me and now a few hours before we are leaving, I can say I actually like the place. Good for a short stay, wouldn't stay longer than a week though. But the people are nice and easy to get a long with, the beaches are beautiful, stray cats and dogs follow you around hoping to get some attention. And of course, the food is delicious. 

Best breakfast and thai food on the island.
So good we ended up walking to eat here from the other side of the island.

The King hanging around on the roof of a bar.

Koh Lipe night scene was loud but not late.

Narrow streets bring small vehicles. Only saw one car during our stay.

Lovely dogs and cats to pet.

After lazy days on the beach, it is time to head back to Malaysia and to bigger adventures.

The beach says bye, bye.

Riikka

Two sides of Koh Lipe, part 1

I have come to heaven, was my first thought as we arrived to Koh Lipe, one of Thailand's many small islands. Crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, burning hot sun. Beautiful birds, colorful flowers. Delicious food, lovely people. The feeling of being safe.

Beach, food, sleep. Repeat.

Riikka

"People of Finland, Welcome to Malaysia"

Things we've heard today:

- "People of Finland, welcome to Malaysia." Check-in man at Malindo Air counter as we were checking in to our flight to Langkawi.

- "I am very worried for you." Scooter rent man when we asked if it's easy to ride a scooter (never done it before).

-" Don't worry. Just leave the keys to the ignition, no one's going to steal it." Scooter rent man telling us to leave our scooter at the hotel when the rental time ends. Someone will then pick it up.

- "Maybe tomorrow." Hotel check-in boy not being sure if he understood what we were saying when we asked if we should pay now or when we leave.

Things we've seen today:

- 1,5 meter long (not kidding) lizzards eating trash on the side of the road.

- Lots of monkeys by the road.

- Beautiful sunset behind the cement factory in Tanjung Rhu.

- Cats with their tails cut off at the hotel.

- Beach.

Things we've done today:

- Traveled from KL to Langkawi by a 45 minute flight.

- Karin rode a scooter for the first time ever.

- Ate fish (barracuda) by the beach.

- Went to the local night market to buy unbelievably cheap food.

On a not so pleasant note, we also got harassed verbally and physically on our way to the night market, just 800 meters away from the motel area. So far our experiences of Malaysian people (men) have been nothing but positive but this changed our perception a little bit. Definitely not walking in the dark by just the two of us anymore.

It was an eventful day full of mixed feelings, so best to end this post with some happy pictures.

Found it!

Tanjung Rhu Beach

Some tourist

Tail cut off cat

Special hotel view: cement factory in the sunset

Chinese New Year lights at Tanjung Rhu roundabout

Riikka

Lost in KL

Lost. So lost. Trust no map. It's a jungle out here.

Petronas Towers

View from our flat, 23rd floor

Jungle in the city

KL Tower

Next stop Langkawi. Time to get some beach time to treat our jetlagged minds.

Riikka