Hi from civilized New Zealand. We arrived after 10 really nice days in the Cook Islands. Very relaxed, and VERY tropical. We were 2 sweaty little Canadians. We spent most of our time on Rarotonga with a short side trip to Aitutaki. The people in the Cooks were unbelievably friendly. Like no other place we've ever been. You could walk up to what would normally be surly teenagers and just start chatting to them about the surf conditions. The local cuisine left a lot to be desired. Lots of unhealthy fried foods so we tried to cook ourselves and eat some of the amazing produce that grew there naturally as we could get our hands on it. Huge Papayas for a buck a piece. Starfruit, mango's, passion fruit, bananas.

Beaches, let's talk beaches. As far as the island would run, beautiful white beaches and often just us two whities there, or if we weren't alone there were local kids playing, or grown-ups lounging in the shallow water to cool off. The reef was also beautiful with lots of beautiful fish and coral to discover.

Now we're back in a big city and our morning coffee in a busy and hip cafe was a bit of sensory overload. People talking fast, loud noises and the sounds of traffic, we couldn't concentrate to carry on a discussion. Interesting how fast one can de-program, and that's basically what this trip is all about