2021 Aug Rarotonga

A second day raining but we set off by bus anyway. Richard takes pics of grave headstones and there are 3 requested for a Cemetery in "town" (Avarua...). The plan is take the pics between showers, find a nice place for lunch, head home in the afternoon. However, mother nature has other plans, the squall turns into a mini-cyclone and hits as we are still looking for the last 2 graves. We took shelter in the church entrance and waited. A hour later it was pelting down harder and harder, wind was up around 60-70 kmh. At 2.30 we made a dash for "The Café" across the road with lunch in mind only to be told it closes at 3pm and the kitchen has already closed. Next bus was due 3pm so after a very (!) strong coffee we waited in the rain until the bus arrived nearly 20 min late. Two bedraggled rats finally made it home at 4pm, drenched, no lunch, only 1 of 3 headstone photos ... but still smiling. Until we entered our room to find the rain had blown into our room under the 3m overhang and flooded the floor. But even that couldn't make it a bad day. This is, after all, a vacation we'll remember!
P.S. overnight the sea surged and nearly every ground floor unit had the sea come right on it at 2am. 5 broken windows around the resort, clean up crews out and guests being shuffled to new rooms. We are up a floor where the view remains great!Read more