Day 51: (3 July 2011 (-1 in time zone)):
- Toast & marmite/hazelnut spread for breakfast.
- Late morning: walk with ladies to Stanly's for bicycle on rec. of Ira. Look @ main commercial centre. Fale Fono & police station. "One size fit all" helmet does not fit me. Old lady lead us to Stanley.
- Quite far. Cool abandoned building.
- Wave & hi to everyone.
- Crazy Uga. Very small.
- Pick up bike. I continue north. Stop @ petrol station to buy water 2 stations in Alofi. One run out later in week, & petrol prices rise to well over $3/L. One is an important store in Alofi.
- Pass Peniamina's grave. Photo. Find out later was the person who brought Christianity to Niue. Big wood signs at tourist/track locations (except AnaAna).
- Funny signs around. The don't litter signs. Can cat. Piggery. Women's Gossip. The tilted downhill sign.
- Lots of abandoned buildings around.
- "Moses" with staff, chickens, coconut. Stare with open mouth. Asked about "crazy guy." Alexa immediately know who.
- Dogs chase @ Tuapa. "Tuapa dogs." Alexa guessed where, apparently always happen & only @ Tuapa. Just yelled at them & stare. Person @ Limu said dogs bit their car tires.
- Stop @ Limu Pools. Meet couple staying at Coral Gardens.
- Down steps, pools. Bridges, tracks. 1st view of Niue water. Very blue & amazingly clear. Can see fish easily. Very welcoming.
- High tide. Tide did not cooperate this week. Low tide early & late.
- A bit rough, stay away from inlet. Heavy bluring from fresh & salt water. Fresh water cold. Dive down sometime to warm up. Some coral & fish, but net that much due to Heta damage.
- Swim through a 5m underwater tunnel, emerge in tiny pool. Trusted others who looked for me & told in room to surface. Too high on return, went to dive & kicked a low-hanging rock. Deepest & most bleed of cuts in years. Bleed for a while. Not healed until few days back. Even months later, still damaged patch and pain.
- Hear of 2nd pool. Follow trail & down ladder, over rock. Wear reef shoes to protect cut.
- Pool with arch & 2 visible springs. Water under arch deep, before the reef. Slippery. Look for snakes. Small baby snake, I get very close. Snake follow girl.
- Rinse foot at pool. Slip down but catch self. Talk to person - he lives here. Turns out is Kieth the commodore. Hydrogen peroxide paste from tourist. Expands / foams up. Causes scaring?
- Wasn't planning on going so far, but since close now, continue to Hikutavake.
- Trailhead for Matapa & Talava at same place. Early, so decide do long one: Talava.
- Talava: trail goes on & on. 3 rest areas with simple wood beam bench. Coral rocks. Careful to look back to prevent getting lost, as read is a big threat in Niue with the terrain. Eventually reach a sign & a hole in the rocks. Unexpected. Little did I know caves are the norm in Niue. Duck in, big caves. Large waves result in banging. Scary. Columns, stalagtites & stalagmites. Rope unclear if guiding or blocking. Hole can see ocean. Went towards then realise wrong way? Follow rope down & around. Under an arch, see another across a tidal pool, clear with fish & coral. View of coral rocks, but not quite pinnacles. Photo anyway. Large waves. Cave looks like giant mouth. Boulder that looks precariously perched over cave entrance. Stalagmites even on arch. Did not walk around too much, high tide anyway. See dark caves across from 1st arch. Curious, but a bit scared, so did not explore. Relief when return & exit caves. Long walk back.
- Short walk on easy wide trail to Matapa. Steep, long chasm. Some overhang walls. See waves near entrance. Rising & falling water levels. Spring, water flowing in. Quick swim. Calls continue 5-10m down. Clear blue water, some fish. Meet a friend of Mark Cross when leaving, bring 3 kids for swim. Tell me in only place that's not just them all day. Visit Niue (3rd time?). Great grandfather shipwrecked in Niue. "You must have very tough feet."
- Stop to look at map. 2 guys drinking. Ask if anything interesting / deserted village. Call over when find me from Canada, ask me to send some "white cricket balls." Said not baseball when asked. Give me address, Hon. O Talafasi, village, Niue Is. Said he's responsible for tourists. Tourist minister? His son's home is the one burned down by opposition a few weeks ago. Wikipedia: won 2008 election: 15-14. Other years run unopposed.
- Bike to Toi. No deserted village on way. Look for village shop, but stop @ village hall. Sign with "woman's gossip." Sign with piggery, pigs for haircutting,
- Long ride back. Nice varied scenery. Grass, villages, forests.
- Go to customs & bond store. Gin & Bourbon (cheap). Peter can get extra stuff. Brian drive around to try find tonic for me. Can't find. Lemon & lime bitters instead.
- Can see road through truck floor. Peter's car has wood board for seat.
- Go ~4:30. Stores open late, ~4-6 on Sat. Usually 9-4.
- Bike left anywhere. In front of main door at night.
- Geckos @ hostel, cook split peas & cabbage & macaroni for dinner. Curry powder from cupboard.
- Alexa supported by friend to room. Drunk. (was this the day or another day this happened?). Sat night is party night until 12am at rugby club.
- Very poor sleep: mosquitos.
Photos available at: http://marklitraveljournal.blogspot.com/
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