Still, our cozy bungalow and large covered deck along with the expansive lagoon views and managerie of animals at Muri Beach Hideaway saved the day. We took advantage of a momentary break in the rain to walk the couple of minutes to the nearby bakery and even I splurged on a custard doughnut today. We carried our treats back to our bungalow, made coffee and tea, and, along with one of the beautiful and large papayas Vina had in the kitchen for us when we arrived, called it breakfast.
G is shocked by my affinity for the rooster, hens and chicks. They are keeping me highly entertained; there are four hens and countless (upwards of 15) baby chicks that seem to have doubled in size since we arrived on Thursday. It's said that travel teaches us things about ourselves. Well, I've learned that given a 500 sq. foot bungalow and hens and chicks and a dog named Charger and I could happily live out my years...providing I have this $10 million view.
This week's friends
We ventured out mid-afternoon, when the rain ebbed a bit, to walk down the beach and were amused by the righting of a small sunken boat by four boys. We've had a lot of rain, but not that much. I think a leak is the real culprit. We walked the length of Muri Beach, checking out all the other properties and talking with everyone else doing the same thing. Despite the weather, there were several kayakers and kite surfers in the lagoon. Finally, the wind picked up again, and G predicted an imminent rain and he was right. We made it back just in time.
I am very much regretting that I got mustard yesterday on the sleeve and body of the only fleece I brought with me. I hand washed it out in the kitchen sink, but, given the 100% humidity, it will be days before it dries. Meanwhile, I am enduring the low-70s temps wrapped in a beach towel, and am drinking cups of hot water to stay warm. It's hard to remember that, just Friday, I got two sunburned triangles on my back during Captain Tama's motu BBQ when I mistakenly removed my rash guard in the heat of the sun.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon on the deck, me reading one of my many books on my iPad and G reading all the brochures we've picked up along the way. We had originally thought we might do a day trip on Air Rarotonga to the island of Aitutaki; its lagoon is supposed to be even prettier than Bora Bora's. But, given the rainy weekend we've had, we are re-thinking that plan. There are still several things we want to do on Rarotonga, and the Aitutaki trip is very expensive. That same money would go far during our remaining three days here. G is making tentative plans for cultural dinner shows and happy hours. All we need now is some sun.
The Muri market was supposed to take place again tonight just a five minute walk away, but we weren't certain it would, given the weather. We also wanted to cook the last of the ground New Zealand beef we'd bought at a little market on Friday. It had come in an unmarked packaged, a big ball of beef, frozen hard in a thin plastic bag. We had hesitated at the amount- .75 kg, or about 1.6 pounds, which was more than we wanted, but a fellow shopper warned us not to pass it by. Apparently, finding beef in one of the mini markets is akin to finding the Holy Grail. G cooked it up and we made a salad for dinner and opened a bag of Diamond Sweet and Salty mixed nuts that we've had since Hilo for dessert.
We were early to bed soon after the sun set, watching videos we've saved on our iDevices. The only TV channel is broadcasting religious programming, no doubt to be followed by bereavement TV. House of Cards holds just a slight bit more appeal. ;-)