This post comes to you in the form of quick tidbits about our stay in the Cook Islands. Also, FYI, it’s pretty safe to assume that if I’ve updated the blog, I’ve also uploaded new pictures. I won’t always say so here, so you’ll just have to visit the photo gallery. However, I did just upload a bunch more.ÂÂ
During Sunday on Raro, we had the great pleasure of being invited to a Sunday “feed†for lunch. Uncle George, his daughter, and several other friends and relatives gathered for some good old-fashioned cookin’. Once all the food was assembled, Uncle George gave a brief speech about the three of us returning to the islands, and then dad got up and gave a short talk on what our family is like back in the States.
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There were several different styles of meat, including a delicious curry chicken, white rice, something that 
looked and tasted like potato salad, taro, and taro leaves. Scattered around the table were bottles of coconut sauce, and just to the side of the outdoor table was a large bunch of bananas. Dad was positively delighted to be eating taro in coconut sauce, with a banana on the side, not to mention all the other dishes. All I’m going to say is I don’t care for taro, or its leaves.
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Most of the houses in the islands are built from cinder blocks. The interiors are sparsely furnished – there’s lots of open space. I don’t think this is from lack of finances, but rather the fact that all the “stuff†that typically crowds American houses isn’t necessary here. TV is limited to just a few channels (if you’re 
lucky! On Aitutaki there’s only one channel). The houses seem to be more places to sleep and take shelter in, than places where you spend a great deal of your life. This observation is limited to my short stay and brief trips into several houses, so it may not be entirely accurate.
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“Radio Cook Islands†is the lone station in all the islands. They play an interesting mix of music. When we first turned it on in Aitutaki, we heard a rap song, followed by an island song in what I assume to be the Maori language, which was then followed up by a 98 Degrees song. Yeah. Sorry Doc Halliday, but I won’t be able to broadcast or take over the Cook Islands radio station until I learn to speak Maori, since all DJs are bilingual locals.
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The weather during our second day on Aitutaki managed to clear a little, which of course meant the appearance of dozens of lovely mosquitoes. Bug repellent provided no real protection, and with no vitamin B1 to protect us internally, Dale and I fell victim. The “mozzies,†as the locals call them, swarmed our legs and left behind plenty of itchy bites. Dale is worse off than I am, though we both appear to have picked up some other kind of bites along the way. Of course, the mozzies left no itchy bites on dad, even though they swarmed him as well. Nasty selective buggers.
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Trucks are typical vehicles for islanders, and it’s common to see people piled into the back, zipping along the road. This is how Dale and I got to travel while on Raro. Aside from being very fun, I would say this is 
the best way to tour an island. There’s no peering through windows trying to get the best view, it’s just there. Plus you have the wind in your face, and the island sun beating down on you.
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During our trip around Raro’s perimeter, I kept thinking that something was missing. It took me a while to figure out what the missing piece was: the smell of the sea. Even though the ocean is right there, waves breaking and everything, there’s no zesty sea air to throw the smell of salt at you. That’s the only thing Raro and Aitutaki are missing. If I could, I’d add just a little bit of that and I could be perfectly happy.
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I think this about wraps it up for the Cook Islands. I’m definitely planning on coming back for a longer visit in the near future. We are currently in Auckland, having arrived safely yesterday, so the next post and pictures will be on Auckland.
Last month we had a couple of cold storms, which meant a trip to Palomar mountain for some snowtime fun. I uploaded a few of the the digital pictures, there are some of Jennifer and Dale, but those are yet to be developed 35MM film. Good times were had by all, especially when our
neighbors loaned us a couple of their giant inner tubes. Perfect for sledding! Afterwards I took John and Christopher to the Observatory, which they’d never visited before. It was a perfect ending to an equally beautiful and perfect day.
On July 3rd our goat Princess gave birth to super cute twin boys. I have posted some