My first full day in paradise....and yes it rained!!

Good morning faithful followers, my sincerest apologies for not blogging last night but I had a few cheeky drinks and went to bed tired and merry (no repeat of the Martinborough vomit central thank the Lord) but here I am now ready to fill you in!

What can I say.  It is all the pictures and brochures say, white beaches, crystal blue sea and palm trees.  Lovely! And hot too, that lovely muggy sweaty hot that you only get in the tropics (or what everyone i. England thinks we get when the temperature gets above 75 and we all start moaning.....)

So I was woken yesterday,not by children (that issue has been sort of dealt with) but by and amazing, fierce tropical rain storm.  Ive seen a few and I love them!  So I went straight out on to my massive veranda and lay on my outside bed and just listened and breathed in the freshness of it!

Now, this villa is exceptional, the 2 sisters that own it are both Islanders, so lovely and welcoming (as everyone here is) and their attention to detail is second to none.  Just how I would do it.  There are 5 all together along the beach, each one identical, each with all you need and all only 2 years old.  Stunning. It was filled with local flowers when I arrived and the smell was beautiful, but I had still not fully seen the view.

So I sat and I listened and I scared the security guard who makes regular checks around the villas at night as he didn't expect to see some mad ginger English women in her PJ's outside at 5am! An then he pounding rain eased and the sun began to show, and that view that I had looked at so many times on the internet came into view.  And for once, it did exactly what it said on the tin.

I just sat in silence and enjoyed, my daily fresh fruit platter was delivered, the sand outside my door was swept and my first full day in Paradise started.  I got myself breakfast with all the things they supply - bread, butter, cereals and milk, filter coffee, fresh fruit, yogurt - and I sat outside a d drank in the heat and the view, a sweat tash forming on my upper lip.  Heaven.

Then the brat next door woke up and had a tantrum of epic proportions and because the villas are so tall and open, and all the windows and doors are open, they might as well have been in my bedroom.

Ok, I have paid a lot to stay here, and I decided to just talk to the owner about it.  Now you know what I am like with kids, but I know that I cannot avoid them on holiday and Im all prepared for the holiday noises and fun times but a screaming child and a mother who just lets it scream and then just shouts louder and slams something down on the worktop 20 times is just a bit off.

Long story short the owner lives on site, had heard the child, was soooooo lovely and understanding and moved me to a another villa where the sound is muffled by the roaring of the ocean.

Back to the story.  I decided to explore this massive Island by hopping on the bus that travels round and went into the main town of Avarua.  As we went around the inner part of the island is basically lush forest of banana and coconut trees and a massive volcano.  The other is palm fringed white sandy beaches, scattered with hotels.  I arrived in town, had a wander through the tourist shops, fell over in my cheap flip flops on wet floors, got caught in another quick massive storm, bought supplies (a sarong and wine) and headed back to my own piece of this island for my date with a hammock.

And there I stayed. Swaying and snoozing and generally chilling.  I wandered on the beach, watched fish and crabs in the reef right on shore, snoozed some more, got a bit of colour in my cheeks, was invited by Shine the owner to watch her sister Tara sing at a local restaurant down the road which I did and she was really good and the fish coconut curry was even better!  Met her husband who turned out to be the security guard I had scared that morning, had a right laugh about the family with the brat (they are not impressed with them either) and then they gave me a lift back and I went to bed happy!

So once again here I sit waiting for the day to start on my outdoor bed, he waves roaring and the warm wind blowing.  Hmmmmm what shall I do today.....

Until later my faithful friends......