Around the Island

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Bustling downtown Avarua, the capitol "city" of the Cook Islands.	On Saturday, the large outdoor market is filled with locals and tourists buying prepared foods and handicrafts.	The market is open all week long, but really busy only on Saturdays.	The food booths are so popular that restaurants around the island shut down due to lack of business.
Pierre quickly discovered a favorite local beer and, when we located the brewery, had to drop by for a visit.	The road down to the brew house is lined with old family grave sites.	Here's where the magic happens.	Even though it was 9:30 a.m., Eric poured everyone a glass of lager while we waited for our bottles to be filled.
Pierre says "super size me!"	James, the other brewmaster, filling a 1.5 liter soda bottle with fresh, cold lager.	Back out to the main raod. Need to get those bottles into the fridge!	In town one day for supplies, we spotted this canoe (vaka) mounted above our heads. Locals race modern vakas in the harbor.
Raviz! A branch of a New Zealand chain that serves surprisingly good Indian food.	A cliff face above town.	Another day, happened to be in Avarua for Lagoon Day, when all the school kids learn about conservation.	We lucked out one day looking for lunch and found The Mooring, serving fresh off the boat fish sandwiches.
And right next to the restaurant was the modern 1992 "seven canoe" monuments we had read about.	Pierre blends in with the guys cleaning fish at Captain Moko's dock. Moko and his wife own The Mooring.	Another day in town, we visited the National Museum for an exhibit on ancient stone structures on the islands.	Outside there were several massive carvings.
	A mural on the side of the National Library, in the same complex as the museum and National Auditorium.	Saltwater Cafe (across the road from this sign,) a good place for lunch and halfway around the island from Avarua.	Pierre enjoyed the octopus curry. There are octopi in the lagoon!
Kathleen had the garlic prawns, also very good.	After a few tries, we located the ancient "seven canoes" monument commemorating a voyage to NZ in 1350 by the Maori people.	The sign listing the seven canoes (vakas.)	The monument is in a small park right on the lagoon. Across the water is one of the small coral islets (motu.)
When we were first looking for the monument, we thought it might be across this footbridge. Lucky for us, it wasn't.	A fisherman dumps his haul of small mackerel into a bucket.	Kathleen decided to drive clockwise around the island to take photos. This is one of the many family gravesites near the road.	Wigmore's, the closest market, where we found fresh tuna and a variety of produce
from their own hydroponic gardens.	At many points, the road is this close to the water. Keep left, while driving!	The Needle, a landmark rock in the middle of the island.	The Big Fish
More gravesites	Family members are buried close to home.	The shipping harbor at Avarua. It's being dredged and a new wharf built for cruise ships.	Scooters are a common mode of transportation in any type of weather.
A circle of palms outside the leaky, Chinese-built City Hall.	The wait for the bus is normally only 30 minutes.	Remains of an ancient marae, sacred meeting place, off the main road.
The focal point, with a huge, half-buried stone.	Back on the main road.	Ancient graves, crumbling and being reclaimed by the vegetation.	Right across the road from Maeva, the closest branch of the CICC, Cook Islands Christian Church. We could hear the Sunday bells
Grave marker in the church yard.		Right next to the church, the produce stand where we got bananas and the best arugula we've ever tasted.	The girl who runs the stand.
One beautiful evening, we walked down the beach to have tapas and a glass of wine at the Little Polynesian.	Reflection on the Little Polynesian's pool, as the sun starts to go down.	Our last day on Rarotonga and there was a bicycle race around the island. Here comes the peleton!	And there it goes. :-)

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