Aitutaki

Back to blogging... we're not exactly close to the internet on a daily basis, so here's some I've prepared earlier...!

Wow, the lagoon is gorgeous! That's the first thing that you think as you descend from the clouds in your little Air Rarotonga Saab. Picked up by our accommodation owner, Aide, who's got probably the best located place on the island, right at the top of the huge lagoon. Spent the first day exploring the island (OK, half day, the island is tiny), and what a contrast to Rarotonga – very low population and a far simpler way of life, very much at the end of anywhere, and feeling that it's about the remotest place in the world (I can't imagine what the Northern Group Islands are like!)

Best part of Aitutaki is lagoon, full of small uninhabited islands that you can reach by kayak and claim as your own for the day. We kayaked to Ee for two days and built our own camp and shelter. Fabulous! Man hunted coconuts for woman and dehusked them by hand – no need to bring food or water when coconut water and meat is available hanging from plenty of coconut trees.

Just a simple matter of actually getting a coconut out of the tree first, then dehusking – simply using a wooden stake to remove the outer layer... a mere 40 minutes later, it's done, and delicious coconut water is ready to be drunk (must say my skills did improve after the first attempt!

Click here for some more Aitutaki pictures! (it will link to Picassa). On previous blogs, click the photos for links to albums.