Land of the birds - Vol 16 part II
Vol 16 - Welcome to the land of the birds part II.
안녕하세요, Kia Orana, Welcome
This week I present the second part in my series looking at the island of Atiu (A·Choo), Cook Islands.
ATIU (A·Choo)/ENUAMANU (E·nu·a ma·nu)
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, The Cooks Islands comprises 15 islands stretched over the area of Alaska. Last time we looked at three areas that are quite interesting in Atiu (A·Choo).
Atiu (A·Choo) - Image courtesy of Cook islands travel.
This week we will have a look at some of the other unique areas of Atiu (A·Choo). We will look at caves, warrior culture, and beaches.
CAVES
Atiu has a number of caves for those looking for an adventure. It’s quite easy to get a guided tour and enjoy the cooler temperatures the caves provide. One of the more famous caves is Anatakitaki cave (An·a·ta·ki·ta·ki) which has regular tours. It’s famous as the home of Kopeka (Ko·pe·ka) which is a unique bird that uses clicks and echos to travel in the dark. In some of the caves, you can enjoy a lovely cool swim.
Kopeka (Ko·pe·ka) - Image courtesy of Cook islands travel.
Anatakitaki cave (An·a·ta·ki·ta·ki) - Image courtesy of Travel unlimited.
Many of the caves hold another important usage as a traditional burial site for ancestors. Our family has one of these caves named Te Ana O Raka. However, these days access is prohibited but I remember going in there as a child.
WARRIOR CULTURE
Among the 15 islands that comprise The Cook Islands, Atiu (A·Choo) has a fierce warrior reputation. There are numerous stories of them sailing to other islands and causing absolute carnage. There is one famous story of the Atiuans upset over a disagreement, sailing to another island and completely massacring the population. Following this, they set out to replace them with their own people. Cannibalism was also common. It seems to have been a practice to demean defeated enemies by cooking them up after defeat. This practice was eliminated with the arrival of the missionaries in the 1800s.
The people of Atiu (A·Choo) still have the warrior mentality though in all aspects of life.
BEACHES
Atiu (A·Choo) is not as famous for its beaches compared to Aitutaki (ai·too·taa·kee) or Rarotonga. However, the ability to go to a beach in the middle of nowhere with no people is absolutely mindblowing. Spend the day snorkeling, fishing, or just relaxing. You will forget that across the ocean there is another crazy hectic world while you have your own beach.
Matai Beach - Image courtesy of Expedia.
Atiu (A·Choo), Cook Islands, famous for its swampy marshes, caves, historical warrior culture, strong bush alcohol, and empty beaches. Leave your problems at home!
See you there.
In the next edition, I will release a Korean newsletter.
This week’s recommendations
1) This week I have 2 new language expressions for followers of this newsletter. How do we say yes in Korean and Cook Island Maori?
How do you say yes in Korean?
How do you say yes in Cook Islands Maori?
“Ae” = Yes (Eye) - Yes
Feel free to engage in the conversation below
1) Where are some beautiful places you would like to see?
“Feed your focus, starve your distractions.”