So this last week I spent in the Cook Islands where I went to do a site inspection for an eclipse group who will be visiting there in July. All went well, except for a little hiccup — we were almost visited by Cyclone Nisha, which, luckily, turned into a tropical depression before it reached us (but not before all the islands had been boarded up, schools and offices closed). What is it with all this rain everywhere??? Or is it just me being followed by a little cloud?
There’s one flight a week from and to Los Angeles, you really don’t want to miss that flight! So I was at the airport hours early only to find out our flight would be delayed a few hours (since it was supposed to depart at 11:30pm, this meant it wasn’t going anywhere until at least about 3am). Yikes, the airport reminded me of Skukuza, circa 1980’s, with an outside holding pen, which is all well and good, unless it’s raining! When I did find a chair I wrote the following.
Our flight was supposed to depart to Los Angeles at 11:30pm, it’s now about 2:30 am and there is still no sign of our plane, which is supposedly on its way here from New Zealand. Luckily I got word of this beforehand and went to a friend’s house to watch the tennis, Federer won, yippee, but my happy spirits are slowly being diminished as we wait for the plane. And my feeling “in the know” about the plane being late is dissipating, too, I didn’t know it would be this late. And don’t you just love those people who have stretched over four seats to take a nap. We’d all like to take a nap, thank you very much, and in the event we can’t get comfortable stretched over 4 metal chairs, we’d sure like to sit down on something that has a back to hold us up (and only take up one seat). Aaarrgghhh While people watching at airports is one of my favorite things to do, no one is looking interesting at 2:40 am, in fact everyone’s becoming quite irritating! Thought I would jot down my feelings of despair and perhaps share some great things that happened in the Cook’s, however, at this moment in time, all those feelings are fast fading. I’d better sign off now before I start blaming sareunited for our demise (I’ve blamed everyone else). Oh wait, yippee, the sound of a plane, it’s landing!! Happy happy again, only have to wait another hour till it’s cleaned and we’re off. And, by the way, the Cook Islands were great. I spent my time on Rarotonga and Mangaia, the population of Rarotonga is about 10,000, and on Mangaia it’s about 350 (and shrinking every day). It was fabulous being the only tourist! Aha, a name for a book – The Only Tourist – sounds a lot happier than The Lonely Tourist. Watch this space for more!
Okay, it’s now 3:37 am, and we are still sitting here, a room full of chia pets – everyone’s hair is frizzed out to there. The ukelele has come out, the man is singing which usually means we are about to take off, and …………. and then I had to shut down my computer.