What happens when you are stuck on a cruise ship with two teenagers and it happens to be Halloween? Nico and Jai had always been avid trick & treaters and loved Halloween costumes. So what if you’re the only young men on a ship full of old people? Just dress up and get out there!

Nico had planned ahead and brought along the blow-up dinosaur costume he invested in last year.

When we were in Honolulu (the most American place we’d stop at) we shopped around for a costume for Jai. Both of them were the hit of the day!

Nico donned his dinosaur costume early in the day. Once he blew up the dinosaur he almost didn’t fit through the cabin door. But he roamed the ship, visiting the casino, guest services and more. He probably had a few hundred photos taken of himself that day and brought smiles to many faces.

Jai blended right into the ship’s population with his grey wig with curlers and wearing my night gown! Some people didn’t even realize it was him dressed up! And that night, during the Halloween parade, he was one of ten finalists with the best costume. And both boys collected candy as they went.

We loved seeing how the crew got into Halloween. They had decorate amazing pumpkins which were on display all day. Guests were able to vote for their favourites.

In early November we arrived on yet more fabled, Polynesian islands I had always wanted to visit. The Cook Islands today are an independent, self-governing country with a ‘free association’ to New Zealand which looks after its defense needs. The country advertises to have ‘No building taller than a coconut tree’. There are no high-rise hotels, traffic-lights or stop signs, just green rolling hills, gorgeous stretches of white beach and friendly, cheerful people who value family and culture.

Our first island was Aitutaki. Lovely white beaches and blue waters beckoned us to stay. We walked through the tiny town, found an ATM to pick up some NZ dollars, and then got in a taxi that took us across the island, past the airport’s landing strip to a perfect beach. There we swam and snorkeled and soaked up the white sand/blue sky views. It didn’t take the boys long to discover sea cucumbers in the water and they had fun picking up the green slimy suckers.

The next day we were on Avatiu, Raratonga, in the Cook Islands. As we drove along the wide streets in our taxi van, we noticed cement rectangles in front of many bungalows. Turns out people here get buried in their front yards. So interesting to see. We drove almost an entire circle aorund Raratonga until the van dropped us off at a lovely resort where we swam and sipped pina coladas.

Besides the azure blue waters and seeing whales frolicking around our waiting ship, the highlight here was meeting an old friend. I had met Maureen during Literacy Conferences in the USA, where she always wore the most gorgeous flower wreath in her hair, in true Polynesian style. Now I was able to meet her on her own turf and see the lovely place in the world she calls home.

RESOURCES:

https://cookislands.travel/home

BOOKS: (Scroll down to South Pacific) https://www.globetrottingbooklovers.com/books