By Samuel Strait – December 28, 2020 It seems like I should be doing something other than sitting reading, watching TV, and generally locked in my house. Ordinarily, I would be putting the finishing touches on my latest adventure out of the Country, some place warmer, with blue skies, new and exotic foods to try, interesting people to meet, and generally a time to relax and learn things about the world. I guess I should paint myself lucky that February 2020 was spent in just such a location in the South Pacific, only to return back to the US for the beginning of what has become a definite change in how we might travel in the future. One of the first possibilities I suppose is to travel virtually, but somehow that kind of defeats the purpose of having an adventure in some far off exotic place, meeting people who can broaden your world, and discovering places up close and personal. In the most recent adventure of mine to the tropical Cook Islands, a non stop flight out of Los Angeles, ten hours later as the sun rose in the East, I was greeted with pristine lagoon waters, clear deep blue sky, and a warm 80 degree weather. After a quick ride to my cottage, literally hanging over the lagoon's waters, I pushed open the door to a deck and promptly took a nap to be awakened several hours later by two noisy Myna birds insisting on being fed. They were to become a regular feature on my deck except when the landlord's cats were over for some entertainment. Over the course of the next thirty days, I learned how to drive on the left hand side of the road, not that there is much road on Rarotonga, less than fifty miles, at a blistering pace of 38 miles per hour, the fastest you can legally travel on the island's roads. Had the luxury of eating fine dining just steps away from my abode where I became a regular to be greeted by name, and become acquainted with many of the local dishes the island had to offer. While the lagoon just steps away from my living accommodations, provided a wealth of beach activities, kayaking, snorkeling, or just plain swimming in the warm waters inside the reef. Miles of white sandy beaches to stroll along with very little traffic or company other than the islands large population of friendly stray dogs. The Cook Islands have a small population scattered out over fifteen islands. Tourists are the largest part of the economy, with a little fishing and banking thrown in. It is somewhat like here in Crescent City where many of our youth have moved on to greener pastures. New Zealand is the most common destination several thousands of mile away. Yet those that have stayed are a friendly people who will sit down and share their stories with you, from the island artists to those that make finely crafted jewelry from shells and the local crop of pearls. If you need assistance look no further than the nearest islander. There are no street signs or address numbers on the island. Every Saturday is market day where all kinds of crafts, food, and of course Tee shirt booths deck the downtown area next to the sea. Seems like the entire island population appears all at once to enjoy the beautiful weather, food and some lively local entertainment on the market's stage. On occasion a random cruise liner would appear and chaos would be the days activity around the port. At night the island's clubs and resorts offer plenty of entertainment and the opportunity to meet people from far and wide. It is truly a twenty four hour, three hundred and sixty day smorgasbord of delight for all that venture out into the wide wide world.