Day 50: (2 July 2011 (-1 in Niue):
- Wake up 5:45. Pack & out the door before 6am. Bye to Logan.
- Air Bus fares increase as of day before.
- Stop at domestic ~7:10, check e-mail for final instructions.
- Check-in, security, eat a BK croissant, slow wait. Only 5 min to boarding when get to plane.
- Call mom & board. Lots of photos of signs & boarding passes with Niue on it.
- A320?
- Surprisingly large plane & full. Found out this is the most people to arrive in Niue ever. "Historical flight." Lots of cargo being loaded. Niue reserves 2 seats to sell at last moment in case they need to bring over specialists for emergencies. Going to get duty free in Niue, but realise may not work when see amount of duty people bring on board.
- Sit with middle aged German Kiwi. Here (in NZ) over decade, 1st visit to islands. Invited by friend.
- Very nice views of Auckland & Waiheke on take off.
- In-flight map: looks like our dest is ocean. Not even labelled.
- Nice puffy clouds on descent. Sea cliffs. See Alofi. Pretty small.
- Song & dancing @ airport. Found Neal from Kololi, introduced to Ira from backpackers. No duty free @ airport. Since Jim from Niue Holiday Homes, where I am staying, is not around, so so he will take me there. Meet the two girls from Auckland at airport, going to Kololi's. Some people had leis. Handed info pack & "Welcome to Niue!" as exit airport.
- Pass modern public works bld., NZ high commission.
- The place was a bit run down, no one around, so Neal let me in. Chickens, mosquitos. ~1km out of town.
- Change & wait maybe 30min or more, reading, etc. Decide walk into town.
- Stop @ Alofi Rentals, ask about bike: $15/day, $90/week. Will decide later. Continue walk.
- Past backpackers, Ira see me, give me coconut. Brian fed to chickens after I drank it, not realising I was to eat it. Gave me a coconut later, which I kept in the fridge & drank & ate the next day. I opened it with a heavy knife in kitchen.
- Brian took me to Swan & Son supermarket to get supplies.
- Brian & Ira: "they always complain no tourists, when there is one, they don't take care of them." Mention they have a room free if I like. Owner of other place, Jim is a friend & con't mind. They have room b/c a girl didn't confirm, but inquired, & didn't show up. I thought staying half/half would be OK, but they said no problem to move now.
- Drive back to Jim's. Was going to have Brian ask, but still no one around, so take my stuff & go to backpackers.
- Very nice. Large & clean common room & kitchen. Lots of books, more downstairs. Realise why they were filled up: only 4 rooms, they don't put strangers in same room. Alexa, friend, visit. 2 older ladies together, but in separate rooms. Alexa: 2 weeks. Ladies: 3 weeks. Only one room left!
- Pile of freshly-picked pawpaw.
- Sit downstairs & chat. Ira discuss with me what to do in Niue. Very detailed.
- Ask Brian if he knows Peter, a Samoan builder, since Brian is builder, turns out Peter is working on his bathroom! Say hi to Peter (met in Apia).
- When ask where to buy drinks, found out most shops closed. Only expensive wine @ 40/bottle available in a small store. Custom & bond store does duty free up to 3 or 4 days after arrival, if shown boarding pass! Nice system.
- Find out apparently island is out of beer. No beer brought on the last monthly boat (due to mistake?), this boat is late. Some beer airlifted with flight, but now is $5/can (440ml), instead of $2/can. Only canned beer allowed on island. Mail not delivered to make room for beer on plane.
- Meet the two ladies. One live on Waiheke, one moved to remote location in South Island (Marlbourough Sounds?) ~ 12 years ago.
- Meet Alexa, from Wellington, stayed in Niue for 8 months 3 years ago. Bike accident. Medivac to NZ, by Aus. chopper. Insurance run out. $70k, 1/2 paid by church.
- Brian give me drinks downstairs.
- Ira told me girls from Kololi's at Jenna's, had me go over. Bring my drink over, I may have forgotten my glass there. Plan to meet @ police @ 10am on Sunday with bicycles to go South.
- Hear whales arrive day before.
- Fetched to go to dinner at Falala Fa. Peter decide not to join us. Grilled fish. Chat. Pretty drunk. They bought wine for all.
- Story about prev. owner, some family member? Keep money in vault, gov. had to get him to deposit his $30k, as bank needed money.
- All seem to be unhappy with the way gov. handled Alexa's accident, asked for departure tax after left (with Brian).
- Talk about hair cuttings $ ear piercings ritual. Large tin of corned beef goes around. Keep under bed.
- Alexa knows Brian & Ira through their daughter. Apparently her parents, pastor(?) of church with lots of Niueans. or knew pastor of Niuean people's church.
Photos available at: http://marklitraveljournal.blogspot.com/
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