The day after we got back from our fun filled Rotorua weekend, I had a friend contact me asking if we wanted to spend 2 weeks in Rarotonga housesitting and dogsitting for her parents…and we would have to leave in a week! Oh my! Rarotonga has been on our bucket list since we've moved here. Ethan even did a report and PowerPoint presentation about it researching the cost of having our family visit. Of course we wanted to do it! After we quickly looked at the cost of flights and got the ok from Cody's boss, we clicked purchase and started preparations for an amazing adventure!
The kids would have to miss 4 days of school, the rest would fall during their school holidays, and Cody had to take off 8 days of work. But it was all so worth it! I got right to packing and prepping for everything that needed to be done. It was a crazy busy week at home, for my calling, and at work for Cody but we knew that we would have 13 days of bliss to look forward to.
We packed 7 suitcases (we would have packed lighter but we brought a lot of food since groceries are pricey in Raro and all of our snorkeling gear and towels) and each had a backpack. Everything at the airport went smoothly and of course we got a lot of looks with our crew. We didn't even consider some of the things we put into our suitcases and we got a few things confiscated at security (peanut butter, jam, Nutella, canned beans, and canned peaches…darn!) Lesson learned! But the kids were all so well behaved and have become awesome little travelers. Our flight was just under 4 hours and we kept the kids entertained by loading games and Netlfix and movies onto our devices. Cody and I read and everybody was happy =)
Once we landed, the customs process was so pleasant. The workers were so patient and kind. Our baggage was ready right away and we were whisked through lickity split. Our shuttle service was top notch. They had fresh fragrant leis for each of us, a cold bottle of water for everyone, and island music blaring. We arrived late at night and quickly settled in for a good night's rest.
My friend had warned me that stores close early on Saturday so we got up early and caught a bus into town to get some groceries to last us a few days. I brought reusable bags knowing that we would be riding the bus during our stay and we would need something sturdy to carry our goods in. Rarotonga's main supermarket was a 20 minutes' bus ride to the top of the island. We explored the store and got the essentials. Food is a lot more expensive in Raro but cheaper than eating out at every meal. We soon had a full trolly full and checked out. We had 4 resuable bags full, plus 2 plastic bags, and a box of milk (yes, milk is in boxes and tastes like powder milk), plus we bought 2 huge bushels of bananas at a stall nearby. So, along with our crew of 6 and all of our bags, we were quite the scene! As the last bus of the day going in our direction pulled up, we clambered on and headed to any empty spots. Everyone was staring at us and as I sat down to the man next to me I said, "Sorry, we have a lot of stuff!" And he says to me, "You have a lot of kids!" It was hilarious! Yes, we attract a lot of attention but I'm so proud of our kids and how well behaved they are out in public. They have been troopers!
Once we unpacked and got settled, we headed across the street to the beach. We just lounged in the sand and waded in the water. The water was so clear and turquoise and warm! It was such a nice change! We ate a yummy dinner and then enjoyed the beach again at sunset. It was a great first day!
The next day was Sunday. Cody got up early to drone a bit of the sunrise. The rest of us hurried to get ready for church. We were told that church was just a 10 minute walk. 20ish minutes later we finally arrived, thinking we were very late. But, lucky for us it was their Dristrict Conference and it started at 10. So we got good seats and enjoyed people watching. Everyone was so friendly and wore bright colors and single flowers or flower wreaths in their hair. As their choir rose to sing, there weren't very many members but their volume was so loud! They sung beautifully! The rest of the hymns sung during the meeting were all robust and loud. It was a nice meeting and had a great spirit there. Instead of walking along the road back to our home, we decided to walk along the beach. The boys all took off their ties, rolled up their sleeves, and pant legs and we all enjoyed the gorgeous view home. After dinner, we enjoyed another stunning sunset.
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