After an 11 hour flight, I wake up in The Cook Islands, or the “Cooks” as the Polynesian islands that make up this state are commonly called.
When I had initially looked up the Cook Islands on a world map, a few features stuck out. First and foremost, the islands are isolated. They appear like mere specks of dust in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean. They aren’t exactly “close” to anything. This appeals to me. Second, the 15 islands that make up the Cooks are themselves spread out over a vast area. I wonder how much contact the citizens of these islands have with each other, let alone the rest of the world.
Finally, the Cooks are quite close to the International Date Line, meaning it is one of the last places in the world where the sun sets each night- a romantic notion which adds to the appeal.
My flight landed in Rarotonga, the largest and most populous of the islands. At about 32kms in circumference, it takes about an hour to ride around the island on a bike- without stopping for pictures or a swim in the waters (which is impossible). Rarotonga, or simply Raro, is also home to Avarua, the capital “city” of the Cooks.
Transportation is relatively straightforward on Raro. In addition to walking or biking, there are two bus routes: clockwise and anti-clockwise. Hitchhiking is also common and people often stop to offer rides.
After some exploring, the realisation finally sets in: I am in the tropics. I am surrounded by lush and colourful plants. I am sharing my room with speedy iguanas. And, I am pretty sure all those seemingly fake desktop background pictures of turquoise waters and white sand beaches come from here.
Impermanent Establishments 