Cook Islands Gong Show!

Well, we made it to the Cooks unscathed. Sort of...We have discovered upon just arriving hear that we have some unwanted visitors onboard: BED BUGS! AAAAHHHH! Quite possibly the worst thing that we can ever imagine on board, minus a deathly squall or the boat sinking, or a shark attack, or something like that. But for right now I think it's the worst thing (as we have weathered many squalls on our way here already). We had a great time touring around the Society Islands near Tahiti (Moorea, Huahine, Tahaa, Raiatea, and Bora Bora). We left French Polynesia on September 1st, and made it to the Cook Islands yesterday (September 6th). We are on the Island of Rarotonga, which is one of the main - if not, THE main - Island in the Cooks. It's fabulous! It used to be owned by New Zealand, so everyone here has that Kiwi accent, but they are all French Polynesian looking. They all speak English - which is GREAT (it's so good to find things and buy food that way) - and they are very friendly and sweet. They drive on the left side of the rode, with the wheel on the right side of the car, and the stick-shifts on the left (naturally), which, if you talk to Karen, is VERY confusing! I haven't had a chance to drive yet here, but Gillian and I did get our driver's licenses at the police station yesterday for only $10Kiwi dollars! It's awesome! I also got a hat and a few golf shirts from the police station as well, along with some pictures. I took the liberty of asking the woman cop there what it too to become an officer, and she laughed, then said you had to be 18, apply, and that was about it. She said you don't even have to have been born there! WOW! How easy is that? They don't even carry guns. But they get to drive motorcycles - probably because it's so hot. I'm not really sure exactly what they do all day, but yesterday they were busy making driver's licenses for all the tourists who wanted to rent cars. Anyway, after Gillian and I scoped out where we were going to purchase all our food, and went to the bank to exchange money, we returned to the boat to discover that we had to take ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING out and put it up on deck - due to the bed bugs! Fortunately, we think only 4 bunks have them (3 in the Hold, where some guys were bit, and Jordan's bunk in the Galley - which are at the opposite end of the Hold where Gillian and I sleep, but still in the same area)! You can imagine the scare! The girls in the Fo'c'sle are so far untouched, but we still had to clear everything out for the exterminator today. So that is what we did all day today! It was a mess! Imagine everyone putting all their clothes and bedding into plastic bags, all of it going to the laundromat to get washed - ALL OF IT! (Gillian and I had 3 huge garbage bags each just full of clothes). Then we put all un-washables in other bags and up on deck. EVERYTHING was taken out! EVERYTHING! And I mean EVERYTHING! Mattresses were stripped, individually looked at, sprayed, hung, dried, (still hanging and drying up on deck as I write), mattress covers taken to get washed separately, everyone's stuff up on deck in a specified area, all our food, dishes, supplies, EVERYTHING out of cupboards, drawers, seat lockers, under bunks OUT! EVERYTHING is up on deck now! WE had to clean everything, vacuum, sweep, bleach water wipe everything, scrub, scrape, everything! WE were up before 6am and didn't finish until after 9am! I put together a fruit salad and yogurt for breakfast, but people were hungry by 10am, so I had sandwiches, apples and granola bars ready by then (I took a quick trip to the store when it opened at 8am to have that prepared on deck for people). We all had to individually inspect our stuff up on deck, transport the laundry to the cleaner's (Karen did this with Arwen), and everyone else was helping to get everything up on deck, clean, spray, inspect and just make sure it was all okay. The "bug guy" came at about 10 to do his thing. So right now he is probably finished, but we can't go down there until about 4pm, as the stuff he uses is toxic - which is why we had to get everything out from below (our boat is completely gutted, and everything is up on deck, minus all the clothes and bedding that is at the laundromat, which we won't get back until tomorrow, so we'll be sleeping on mattresses tonight - I'll be on my thermarest)! Anyway, it was - is - a gong show! Gillian and I can't do our huge shop until this is all done, so for right now, we're still making a list of everything we need, and then we'll get it tomorrow. We were able to find a place to make pizza for us all tonight (since we can't use the stove) and we'll have an early dinner before everyone starts putting the boat back together before sunset tonight. It's been a long day. I've just had a little time to use the internet before we have to go back to the boat to get people to help us carry all the pizza back to the boat.
WOW! The excitement of Offshore! I just hope this exterminator guy kills the living bugs. We will have to wipe down and spray bunks every week, and then do this same boat-gutting again when we get to FIgi, and then another huge spray, because the new eggs will hatch (nothing but fire or drowning will kill the eggs - and we can't do that on a wooden boat)! It's a real problem, but we're all hopeful it will be taken care of and we will get rid of them! At least the whole boat is clean, and I have an excuse to reorganize all my stuff! Gillian and I have by far the most out of everyone - because we're girls, we have 3 bunks between the 2 of us, we have a ton of storage space, and we keep buying more things. Plus - we weren't planning on needed to move anything, so we are living out of plastic bags for the moment, and won't be able to completely unpack everything until the problem is completely taken care of.
But enough of that. I'm still enjoying myself and loving the Cook Islands! Gillian and I had our first real, naked fresh shower since Tahiti! We even got to shave! WOW! I feel so clean now! We found a public washroom with a shower stall. Don't worry, Mom, I wore my sandals!
Well, that's all I really have to tell you for now. I will let you know more about the bed bug situation at a later date. For now, the weather is still hot, everyone is getting along, Leg 3 is going well, lots of Island hopping and many things to still see on this part of the journey, and we will be crossing the International Date Line soon, so we'll be almost a full day ahead, rather than 3/4 hours behind Vancouver! Love to you all!
Happy 24th Birthday, Melissa and Andrea, on August 25th and 26th!
Happy 3rd Anniversary, Amy and Jason on August 31st!
Happy 24th Birthday, Ashli, on August 31st!
Happy Anniversary, Jamie and Judy, on September 2nd!
Happy 39th Birthday, Jason, on September 10th!
GOod luck with school everyone - I wish I was there with you all (sort of). I love it out here though, and although I miss all of you and do miss University, I am glad I'm out here travelling, exploring, and experiencing all there is to see and do out here!

Love all of you so much, and miss you terribly!

To my Matt - I love you more than words can say, and I definitely miss you the most! I hope you are doing well up in Boyle, and enjoying your job! I think of you all the time, and I hope you are being safe and have a good experience! I love you!

Love always, Popeye Katie