It's warm and comfortable inside Jargo with the sweet smell of coffee countering the damp grey skies that have been dumping rain for the past 12 hours.  I've fallen in love with Rarotonga.

Coming into the wharf last Sunday I was distracted by massive humpback whales blowing and breaching clear out of the water.  Every year a half dozen of the mammoth mammals gather off the island to rear their young before starting back to the frigid arctic waters where they live.  Locals and tourists alike gather along the coral beaches to watch their antics during the few weeks they are here.

The island itself is mountainous with many peaks and jagged ridges rising a few thousand feet above the sea.  The semi-tropical environment supports a lush green jungle that is in deep contrast to the deep blue sea surrounding the island just past the coral barrier reef.  The lagoon is very shallow and the aquamarine ribbon rings the island providing great swimming and snorkeling.

The Cook Island people continue to show the extreme hospitality of the Polynesian people and here there is no language barrier.  The people, economy, and culture are heavily influenced by New Zealand and I can't help but smile when I hear the heavily kiwi accented, "hey, how ya goin".  The people are almost universally gregarious and have a strong love for their cold beer and parties.  Every night brings out the locals for happy hour and live music.  It has become a very easy place to pass the time.

The passage from Bora Bora took a little over five days as the winds died two days out from the island.  I kicked the old motor on and began the long slow motor.  Just one day out the my five year old batteries gave up the ghost by blowing their tops and melting off one of the terminals.  They were shot beyond hope of repair.  On arrival I rented a little 250 cc motorbike and began the hunt for some new deep cycle batteries.  Of five automotive stores on the island only one imported deep cycle batteries.  $940 USD later I have a new 420 amp hour bank, but it is a big shot to the cruising kitty.  Oh well, had to be done.

I've got the little bike until Wednesday and still want to tour the island a bit more and do a hike right across the center to the South side.  Come Thursday or Friday I'll try to depart for Palmerston Atoll some 270 miles to the Northwest.  My Pacific cruise is coming to an end and I am ready for it.  Having visited Palmerston, Nuie, and Tonga I'll head for New Zealand around the 1^st of November to wait out the cyclone season and prepare the boat for SE Asia.