25/1/2026 Bus trip and market day

I decided I was going to catch the bus to the market today so had a quick shower,  and went to breakfast. I was feeling a bit anxious about the trip, which is ridiculous but there we are, it is what it is. I got my coffee and a banana  and as I sat down to drink my coffee, the goddamn radio started playing Stuck on you. FFS. I can't say it ruined the day because it didn't, but it didn't half cause me some upset because I wasn't expecting it. The songs playing previously were all Island music, the same ones  which have been playing Every. Single. Day Since I arrived, so you can see why it took me by surprise. I'd been thinking about Si, and having a chat with him in my head about the upcoming market trip and asking him for a sign he was with me so I guess I got what I asked for. I just wasn't prepared for it to hit so hard. I left the restaurant because I was a bit of a mess, and contemplated cancelling the trip to the market and into town. In my room I pulled myself together, and decided I'd go. So I washed my face, pulled on my big girl pants and dragged myself outside the hotel to wait for the bus. 

The clockwise bus is the first one past the hotel so I caught that one. It also drops off at the market before it terminates in town which was perfect for me. While I was waiting for it, the handyman came out with a ladder to take down the fireshow poster that was hanging outside. The ladder was a bit wobbly so I held it for him while he went up and got the sign down. I can do without him falling off it and breaking his neck, because that would have ruined the day completely.The bus came around the corner and I flagged it down, got on and bought my ticket. I decided to buy a 10 ride pass for $35 which works out cheaper as it's $5 per ride, no matter how far you go. I'd like to visit the beach this week so now I have plenty of rides in the bank to play around with, as each time you get off it counts as a ride. The  bus filled up quickly, and I was glad I decided to get on the clockwise one as by the time it got to the market it was standing room only. The forecast was for sunshine all day, but that was incorrect and I'd only been on the bus for 10 minutes and there was torrential rain. 

At one of the stops a girl with an English accent got on the bus. She had a small rucksack with her and was on the way to the airport. We got chatting and she's been island hopping for a few weeks around some of the places I want to go. I was glad I started the conversation with her because she was full of good advice for my own island hopping plans, and is also travelling alone, so her experiences were good to hear. Her trips have been slightly different to what I have in mind, as she's a hiker and really enjoys the walking routes a lot of the Islands have. Clearly this is not on my agenda, but just the fact that she's been able to do it on her own has given me a huge amount of encouragement and has alleviated some of my anxieties about it.  She has also managed to do some Island to Island hopping without going back to New Zealand however these flights are few and far between and took a lot of juggling and whilst I don't have a huge time restriction I’m really not sure i can be arsed with spending days on the laptop trying to find the days and the flights, although it wouldn't take too long in all honesty. Some of the Islands she's been to are underdeveloped and hold no appeal to me, I do not want to be walking in streets that have fecal matter in the gutters, particularly in the 30 degree heat and extremely high humidity. I'm just too old for that . I require some basic creature comforts, running water and flushing toilets being absolute necessities that are not up for negotiation anymore. I wouldn't have been particularly enamoured with them 20 years ago but I wouldn't have minded quite so much, I am obviously a travel snob now. Also I am not set up for that kind of trip, which wouldn't take a huge amount of organization, but would add to my luggage weight. I will take one bit of her advice and that is to get a life straw, so I can safely drink the water on the Islands. It was one thing I thought about before I came out, but because I didn't write it down I promptly forgot all about it. A quick trip into one of the Malls in New Zealand will sort that out. 

I have a list of other places to look into with a view to visiting, but for me it depends on the flight costs as she did say that some of them were expensive. Her next location from Rarotonga is to Tahiti as it's pretty cheap to get to from The Cook islands and only a short flight. I contemplated a few days trip while I was here but I am really not in the right headspace for it at the moment so maybe it's an option to go there before I come home. I'd very much like to visit, but I also want to spend as much time with Morgan while I'm over here too, without intruding too much into his life. The other point is that I don't have to do it all this time, I will be back out at the end of the year anyway so it's something I can do then, and also my brain might not be so scattered and will be able to plan it more efficiently rather than just winging it!. We chatted until she got off the bus at the airport. After Tahiti, she's off to South America, Galapagos, Ecuador and Peru before she heads home, and who knows where else she'll be calling in. Before she got off the bus, she gave me her bus ticket as it had two rides left on it and she didn't want it going to waste, which was really nice of her. 

I forgot to take a photo of the road into the airport, it has a mural painted along the length of the sea wall that is just fantastic, really bright and colorful. So next time I go on the bus, I must remember to do it!. 

Just before we got to the market, the driver pulled over on the side of the road and a man hopped on the bus with a big bundle of Raro leaves for him. He popped them into a cardboard box down by his feet and paid the man, who jumped back off. The leaves are generally used for wrapping meat which is then stewed or baked. They can be stewed in coconut milk and spices, or used in baked dishes, and they keep the meat really tender when cooking. 

The bus pulled into the market and the majority of people got off. Being at the front of the bus I was first off, and went straight to the ATM to get some cash out. Unfortunately I was unable to get any and assumed it was down to the bank and the issues I'm having with the card. I had some cash with me but I just wanted to have a bit extra in case I saw something I wanted to buy, I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong because the Cook Islands cashpoints require you to put your card in, then remove it once it’s been read to finish the transaction. Although I was pleased it did that because the last thing I need is for my card to be swallowed up in the cook islands, or anywhere else for that matter. 

I walked through the part that was undercover as the rain had started again, I took my time and inhaled all the delicious food smells that surrounded me and  By the time I got to the far end the rain had stopped and the sun had appeared again. Right at the bottom of the undercover section was a stall selling hand printed Sarongs, which are pretty famous in the Island. They come in two sizes, 2 metres or two yards, I got myself a 2 metre purple print one. It needs washing as it's a bit stiff, but once it's washed it will soften up lovely as its pure cotton. There were others in polycotton but they wouldn't soften up the same.  I need another because the holes that are in my current one have increased significantly and it now looks awful when I wear it as I can't disguise the holes no matter how I tie it. I will take it back to NZ with me because I can do something with it with my trusty scissors, needle and thread! I'm also slightly emotionally  attached to it as it came on the trip with Si and I so it has to come home with me. That’s not up for negotiation. 

From the undercover section I went along the rows and went to the massage place we went to last week and had another massage. It was as good today as last week, and I felt a lot better  for it, although there were some knots that brought tears to my eyes! I floated out from there, with a promise I'd be back next week for another one, and carried on along through the market. There weren't any dancing displays today which was disappointing, but the lady who had been at the resort the first week I was here, singing with the band, was on the stage singing which was really pleasant. There were so many stalls, far more than I realised last week, but it was so hot, we were glad to get from there for food so we missed a lot out. The rain earlier had lowered the temperature and as it was still overcast it remained cooler for meandering. I have been thinking about buying a Cook Island Black Pearl, they are truly stunning, and are grown on farms on one of the other islands. There are several shops dotted around the island but one shop has a stand in the market and today I located it. It's only a small  stand but has just the most beautiful black pearls. I was talking to the ladies who work there, they were draped in pearls and were telling me that they are a huge  status symbol on the Island. The ladies wear them everywhere, and they are more popular than diamonds. They were explaining the grading of them and how they are graded which was interesting. I saw two necklaces that I really liked, one had two pearls, one black one and one pale grey one on a twist of silver, the other was a double stack, dark grey and a slightly purple grey. I loved them both, but the twist one caught my eye first, as my first thought was that I was the black pearl as it was hanging straight down and Si was the silver grey one, floating off to the side. I tried them both on and they both looked really nice. I tried another one on and the pearls didn't glow the same way, the ladies said the pearl chooses you. I felt like Harry Potter choosing a wand at that moment. Interestingly, the lighter black pearls, despite being more gray and silver, are  also regarded as being a black pearls as they come from  Black lipped Oysters. All the pearls from this particular pearl farm come with paperwork detailing the grading of the pearls for insurance purposes which gives me a little more confidence. Because I couldn’t decide which one I wanted and also the bank card issue, I am going to think about it until next week and then go back with cash because they do a really good deal for cash purchases.  Whichever one is left is the one for me, unless I see another that screams my name. When you wear pearls the oils from your skin give them a luster and when they are not worn for some time they become dull. They quickly regain it when worn and the skins oils wear off onto them. Utterly fascinating. Ideally I would like to go and visit a pearl farm to see how it's done because I love the idea of picking my Oyster from the ocean and seeing what beautiful gift it holds for me inside. I'm sure it's entirely possible, just not for me on this trip. The ladies were so generous with their time and knowledgable, I have decided I will visit the shop on Friday and see what other delights they have in there, as the market only allows a limited selection as you'd expect. There is also the option to buy just loose pearls which I could then get made up. I will see, I'll know it when I see it. 

Just opposite the Pearl Stand there was a young lad doing fire dancing and a large crowd had gathered around to watch him. He was brilliant, I assume it was his dad who was in charge of extinguishing and relighting the fire sticks for him, once he'd dipped each end into the petrol (I think) he gave them to the boy and he spun the stick at speed, and the fuel flying off it went everywhere, I would not be be having any naked flames anywhere near there for a few days!

Having seen all of the market I decided to go on into town and get myself a drink in the Lucky Rooster. On my way in I passed another place Si and I used to visit and almost went in, but at the last minute changed my mind, maybe I'll go one day in the week. I'd forgotten how pretty the roadsides are along the main road in town backing on to the ocean, just gorgeous, flowers and shrubs everywhere and the smell … divine.

Down the centre of the road between the market parking and main road there are covered seats which I made use of for a while because it was warm and I was Achey and they offered a nice bit of shade from the sunshine. Even being market day and the roads were busier than normal it was still very peaceful just sat there watching the world go by. The ocean behind me and the volcano in front of me. Directly opposite the seats was the police station.

Before you can hire a motorbike or scooter in Rarotonga you have to apply for a visitor motorcycle licence which requires practical and a theory test. If you have an overseas license from your home country that allows you to ride a motorcycle or scooter you are exempt from applying. The scooter licenses are obtained from the Police station in the town centre, and it’s open Monday to Friday 0800-1500 and Saturday 0900 -1200hrs. The forms have to be collected completed and submitted between these hours and when you submit them you are allocated theory and practical test times. The cost for both tests and the licence card is NZ$40 and then obviously the cost of the scooter and helmet on top of that.

To pass the theory you need to get at least 23/25

The practical test is down the side of the alley by the Police station. You have to prove you are confident riding a scooter and show you know how to start it, and put on a helmet correctly. Once you’ve done that, you have to ride the scooter down the alleyway to a give way sign at the end use indicatorsa sn check both ways before doing a U turn and returning up the other side of the alley way to the stop sign. The final part of the test is to weave In and out of the traffic cones down the centre of the alley without putting your feet down or hitting the cones.

If you fail you have to rebook for another date and time and pay again. The number of scooters that are left at the police station after the practical testing would indicate this happens an awful lot. I imagine that Polynesian Rentals that is just next door to the station does a fabulous trade. You can also hire a scooter for the day. Pay the refundable deposit and return it after your test if you wanted to rent it from another company on the Island.

After my rest I went in search of, and found, another bank ATM and tried my card again. It still wouldn't work, so I asked a lady who was behind me if I was doing something wrong and she very kindly walked me through it step by step. Turns out that I was doing everything right, the card just wouldn't work. I left her to get  her own money out and carried on into town. She came running after me and said to try the ANZ bank because sometimes the Island Bank, which I'd been trying to use, doesn't accept cards from outside Oceania, despite having the master card and visa signs on them. I thanked her and carried on my way. Next minute she's scuttling after me offering me a lift into the bank. She and her husband had finished what they were doing in town and had nothing urgent on so had plenty of time to kill and wanted to help. I hopped in the back of the car and they drove me to the bank and waited to make sure I got some money out. This time I was successful. It appears that I need to go to an International Bank, to use my card successfully.  I will now check them all before I go to ensure there is an ANZ because I don't want to be in this situation again, and cash is King absolutely everywhere  in all the Islands even in the supermarkets where you would expect to be able to use a card.. 

I offered to buy the couple a coffee in the lucky rooster to thank them for their kindness and help, but they declined and said they were just happy to have helped me out. 

Lucky Rooster was heaving, and I managed to get a table in the corner and ordered an iced coffee as it was sweltering and I needed something cool. There is very little public wifi  on the island but the lucky rooster, they have it, the only thing is the staff have to connect you to it, they don't give out the password to the public. I was just happy to have some unexpected wifi. Once I was connected I had a notification of a missed whats app call from Morg. I’d sent him a voice note of the song this morning, unaware that it had picked up my sobs, he was worried sick bless him and i felt really awful, i just thought he’d have heard the song had an “oh fuck” moment and thought no more about it. I should have known better shouldn't I? I rang him back straight away because shortly after the missed call notification, a load of messages came through and he was really concerned bless him. I'm so stupid, I just thought he'd hear the music and roll his eyes and move on. Sorry Morg.  I didn't think. 

Having cleared that up with him and apologised profusely for worrying him so much we had a nice catch up, the weather is shite in Auckland and he's not hopeful that he'll have a summer at all this year which is disappointing. They've had the odd day of sunshine, and his farmer's tan is back with a vengeance much to his disgust. He worked so hard on getting rid of it when we were in Fiji. 

Once our conversation was finished I went and got some more mosquito bite relief. I've run out and managed to get bitten and it's driving me nuts, it's also tracking and really hot so the stuff was a welcome relief as it was cooling and numbing.  Not needing anything else I went to the bus stop, and had about 20 minutes to wait for the bus. There was one already waiting there but that was the anti clockwise and I wanted the clockwise one.

On a Saturday they put on 4 buses as it's so busy.  At 12 hours the bus started up and I got on it. I thought it was the clockwise one but turns out it was going anticlockwise, which was nice because I got a lovely view of the mountains on the way back to the resort.

It would have been much quicker on the clockwise bus, five minutes in total, but to be honest it was just nice to be sat down and enjoying the breeze coming through the window. The bus went into the Edgewater resort which is the sister hotel of the one I'm in. It looks very different for club raro, but I could see the ocean from the bus so it looks promising for my beach access. I did think about it today, but I'm bloody knackered after the shopping trip!  It started to rain again but only lasted a few minutes and had stopped by the time I got back to Club Raro, although it was really overcast. Luckily I'm not daft enough to get caught out so when I went to lie out by the ocean I took care to not stay out too long! The shade of lobster on some ladies is not one that looks good on me.  

More new people in today, but there was no sign of the interlopers from yesterday thank goodness so I was feeling quite comfortable in my sun lounger again. There are mostly couples in at the moment, and although they're friendly, they aren't quite as welcoming as groups of ladies, and that's ok. The lovely staff are more than happy to pass the time of day and I've spoken to a lot  of people today so I've socialised. 

That's about it for today I think, I'm ready for my bed, and I'm another day closer to joining Si.

Much Love

Mrs Leonard

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