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... 17:55 Muri Beach, Rarotonga. I have been on the move now since 09:00 EST. Though the miles travelled, the time zones crossed and the jetlag accrued, nothing compares, nothing at all to the distance in emotion, and personal endeavour...<br /><br />

"Kia Orana" - Leg Two

Asha Patel
2006-02-27 19:53:26

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isn't the most pleasant of times to practise but often the best. Today was not the case. If all else fails, a good shower never does. And, as I stood under the hard patter of cold water, a shower of a different kind came to soothe my soul. Once again, I ran outside. Rain. That soothing, cleansing, nourishing liquid of life. It poured and pelted onto the island. Standing outside, everything was all of a sudden alright... everything was... as right as rain...

...For much of the day I subjected my skin to the searing heat, as I explored the island. Wiltering I, for some unknown reason walked in an illogical direction.. to find..Tom, whose quivering, deep blue piercing eyes I shall never forget. I didn't uptake him on the invitation to visit his home, the biggest house on the island...

...Wednesday it rained. Heavily. So, I went with Svein, hired a mountain bike and rode around the island, drenching myself in magical moments....Yum...The evening, not so yum as I began to experience the advantages as well as the drawbacks of travelling alone. Tupe came again this evening, with more up on my balcony, ain't he a cutey?!than a bag of fruits. I learned an immense amount about the islands, about the Maori culture and the lands. I learned too, of the black pearl farmed off Manihiki island and of which I have been invited to become a technician. Hm, interesting...

...This morning after a swim in the crystal clear lagoon of Muri beach, I took a bus, without purpose, without direction and without intent. I simply sat by the open window and allowed hot air to blow through my hair and onto my face....

...escaped today to another world. This time an underwater one. Equipped with snorkelling gear, I swam through the tropical sealife as if in the television documentaries I had watched prior to departure. Magical...

...the night before departure, I sit in the perfect midnight temperature, caressed by a warm breeze from the balcony, gazing out into the stillness of the pitch black night. I munch on a chilled papaya, scooping it's soft yellow flesh straight from the skin. I reminisce about my week here in paradise, a tropical dreamland in every sense. The colours, sights, sounds, smells and of course, people. Where else in the world is one greeted by "kia Orana" (may you live long)?

This one welcoming phrase alone, and the sweet sencerity with which it is said is sufficient to demonstrate the way of life here - open hearts and open arms. And it is into these Maori hearts and arms that I have fallen. I would not hesitate to reuturn to the South Pacific islands. Tonight's cultural show of Maori music and dance was all it took to uplift my spirits after a turbulent day that neither yoga nor the grey skies were able to quell...

...so, at the end of a long week, I find myself a gorgeous golden bronze, accessorized by a plentitude of insect bites, adorned by a now securely fastened necklace, somewhat lonely and very, very tired..Rarotonga gave me the perfect goodbye with a pink sunrise, followed by another tropical downpour. Soaking wet, I fondly petted Kevin the cat and parted. Learning to cope with the crap that is merely incidental to this voyage - the cold, the wet, the heat, the backache, the cramped airplanes, the food, and the fright... On I move to - New Zealand.