Song of Rarotonga
By Don George
When I told my neighbors last month that I was going to
Rarotonga, the universal reaction was, "Where?"
It didn't help when I explained it was the main island in the Cook
Islands group.
It's a measure of the Cooks' charm -- and challenge -- that even
many travel aficionados have no idea where they are.
If exploring a prototypical South Pacific island -- think
white-powder beaches, leaning palm trees, limpid blue-green water
and exuberant people -- calls to you, open your atlas and look for a
vaguely S-shaped scattering of 15 islands between Tahiti and Tonga.
The next-to-southernmost speck is Rarotonga. And trust me on this,
you should answer that call.
What can you do in Rarotonga? Well, you can swim, snorkel and sail;
hike into the lush and precipitous interior; gorge on parrotfish,
papaya and other fresh fish and fruit; take in an Island Night
extravaganza of traditional foods, drum-pounding music and
hip-swaying dance; learn about weaving and woodcarving, Maori
medicine, coconut-husking and costume-making at the Cultural
Village; or just read a book in palm-shaded splendor, wriggling your
toes in that powdery white sand.
But whatever your preference, you should make sure your stay
includes a Sunday, because there is one activity you absolutely must
do: Attend a Sunday church service.
For my service I chose the simple white and blue Cook Islands
Christian Church in the village of Arorangi, which was built in
1849. This is the church where Papeiha, the Polynesian missionary
who introduced Christianity to Rarotonga in 1823, is buried.
The service was due to begin at 10am. I arrived about 15 minutes
early and was greeted by a dignified deacon in a crisp floral shirt
who asked, "Would you like to sit in our guests' section?" and
directed me to a set of rows on the far left side of the church.
I later learned that the congregation comprises four districts of
Arorangi town, and that each district has its own seating area
within the church.
For 15 minutes I studied the spare white and blue interior and
simple green, orange and red stained-glass windows, and the women in
their bright, flowing dresses and fancy, wide-brimmed woven-pandanus
hats. At 10 promptly, the minister rose and said a few words in Cook
Islands Maori, then the deacon began to toll a big bell in front of
the church, and the tut-tut-tut-tut-tut of drums drifted from
outside. Soon a procession of youths in different outfits --
Brownies in brown dresses and white blouses, Scouts in aqua shirts
and deep-blue shorts, another group in pale blue and white uniforms
with triangular caps -- marched into view and down the aisles to the
pews in front.
At first the ensuing service reminded me of childhood church
services in Connecticut. As a young girl read from the Bible, babies
squealed, coins plonked, children yawned and adults fanned
themselves. But then the congregation rose and began to sing. First
the males sang in a single deep, booming voice, then the females
answered with a high, piercing, straining refrain, then all joined
together, their voices surging, braiding, pounding like the waves
and the wind. They seemed to sing with all their bodies, and for a
few moments there was nothing in the universe except that ebbing,
flowing, crashing, soaring harmony.
In those moments I felt fused with the history and heart of
Rarotonga, and as if pieces of a puzzle were clicking together, I
understood better the marriage of the old religions with the images
and ideas of Christianity, the passion and power that had infused
the Island Night songs and dances, the deep springs of the
islanders' tranquility, the roots of family and slow pace and pure
enjoyment of the present I had felt throughout my stay.
All these braided into the torrent of the song and became Rarotonga
for a moment, for me. And that's why you must attend a Sunday
service, because once you've heard that song, you'll never leave or
rather, Rarotonga will always sing inside you.
Getting there:
Air
New Zealand flies three times weekly from Los Angeles to Rarotonga,
with a one-hour stopover in Papeete, Tahiti; airnewzealand.com.
Where to eat:
For the island's best cup of coffee and tasty
pastries, The Cafe in the main town of Avarua is the place to go;
011-682-21283, breakfasts $5-$10. The Saltwater Cafe is a popular
place on the south coast, good for a casual lunch; 011-682-20020,
lunches $5-$12. For a savory feast in a scenic setting, the Tamarind
House, a gracious plantation-like restaurant right on the water just
outside Avarua, can't be beat; 011-682-26487, tamarind.co.ck, dinner
entrees $16-$23. My best meal was at the Windjammer, in Arorangi,
where I had a scrumptious dinner of yellowfin tuna, asparagus and
chickpea puree for $20; 011-682-23950.
Where to stay: For budget travelers, Aremango Guesthouse is a
friendly, clean place with 10 spacious bedrooms; each sleeps from
two to five people. It's on Muri Beach, the island's prime spot for
swimming and beachcombing; doubles around $32; 011-682-24362;
aremango@oyster.net.ck. The more upscale Aroko Bungalows has 11 cozy
units on the shore of Muri Lagoon; doubles $78 (garden view) or $93
(lagoon view); 011-682-29312; bungalows.co.ck. For a very romantic
getaway, Rarotonga Beach Bungalows offers five thatch-roofed,
charmingly appointed bungalows on a pristine, protected stretch of
the south coast. Rates are about $350 for beachfront bungalows and
$315 for those set back from the beach; 011-682-27030, rarobeachbungalows.com.
For more information: Cook Islands Tourism Corp., 17880 Skypark
Circle, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92614; 866-280-1739;
http://cook-islands.com.
Don George is Lonely Planet's global travel editor. E-mail him at
don.george@lonelyplanet.com. For more travel information, visit
LonelyPlanet.com.
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