Day 75 in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
It has been a long while that I am actually taking a break from urban life and people. The last time I did a similar thing was when I took up a summer job in Northern BC. I only stayed there for a little less than three months. Even though the population of Muncho Lake was only 22 people, I was constantly surrounded by co-workers and tourists. I used to have long talks about anything and everything - troubles, dreams, hopes and aspirations. When I wanted solitude, I could always retreat to the vast forests and mountains on my days off. There was no internet or satellite TV. VHS player had just started becoming a common home appliance.
Then life got more complicated and people were more weary of each other. Fewer heart-to-heart talks happened and they were far in between. It got to a point that people would only contact me because they needed something from me or to reproach me. I might be living in a city of half a million people but I was more isolated than ever. Travelling was my only escape; I would forget the unworthiness that other people made me feel about myself. Maybe by chance, I would find my Shangri-la in my travels. Well, after my Trans-Siberian journey in 2011, I knew I was going to take more drastic actions to lead a simpler life in my golden years. I then developed a list of things that I was searching for.
The list of criteria for my utopia is as follows:
1) Warm all year-round, 18 - 32 degrees Celsius.
2) Not too dry or too humid. I prefer storms over continuous rainfalls.
3) Population density not higher than 100 people per sq. km.
4) At least 100 metres above sea level because global warming is real.
5) Not in the hot zone of natural disasters e.g. Ring of Fire
6) Average education level of residents not lower than high school graduation.
7) Cost of living similar to that of the Canadian average. If not, I should be able to live off the land.
8) Most locals can speak or understand English.
9) If religion is mandatory, I would prefer to be residing in a Christian community.
10) Reliable and cost-effective transportation is available to access the closest international airport.
Equipped with my list, I set out to find my heaven on earth in January 2013. I thought my final destination would be Cook Islands because it checked off almost all my criteria. After the setback in March 2013, I thought maybe I should also visit other islands that did not meet my basic requirements. I took a detour to visit South India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia in the fall of 2013. I am glad I took the time to check them out. I saw some amazing things and places, and was welcome by some of the warmest people in the world. However, I just could not deal with crowded, chaotic places on a daily basis.
Back to present time...There are roughly 13,000 people on the island of Rarotonga including locals, foreign workers and tourists. Even though the island is geographically remote, residents and visitors are not completely cut off from the rest of the world and enjoy modern conveniences. If it weren't for the constant sound of the waves, I felt like I was back in Vancouver in the summertime. Perhaps because tourism is the chief industry here, tourists are no strangers to the locals. Polynesians generally are friendly and caring. Well, the Rarotongans are the exception. They are only interested in the $$$ that the tourists bring into their economy. I have yet to find a Rarotongan who has taken time to chitchat with me.
I had hoped to settle on one of the outer islands in the Cooks. About three weeks ago, I realized that my dream of living here would not materialize because there is no reliable and/or scheduled inter-island transportation between Rarotonga and the other 11 islands. Item #10 on my list of criteria ,therefore, cannot be checked off. Cook Islands might have looked ideal on paper for a retirement place; the country is nonetheless riddled with a large number of deep-rooted socio-economic issues even additional foreign aid and grants could not resolve in the near future. Sadly though, the reality is that there will be less foreign aid and grants.
It has been a long while that I am actually taking a break from urban life and people. The last time I did a similar thing was when I took up a summer job in Northern BC. I only stayed there for a little less than three months. Even though the population of Muncho Lake was only 22 people, I was constantly surrounded by co-workers and tourists. I used to have long talks about anything and everything - troubles, dreams, hopes and aspirations. When I wanted solitude, I could always retreat to the vast forests and mountains on my days off. There was no internet or satellite TV. VHS player had just started becoming a common home appliance.
Then life got more complicated and people were more weary of each other. Fewer heart-to-heart talks happened and they were far in between. It got to a point that people would only contact me because they needed something from me or to reproach me. I might be living in a city of half a million people but I was more isolated than ever. Travelling was my only escape; I would forget the unworthiness that other people made me feel about myself. Maybe by chance, I would find my Shangri-la in my travels. Well, after my Trans-Siberian journey in 2011, I knew I was going to take more drastic actions to lead a simpler life in my golden years. I then developed a list of things that I was searching for.
The list of criteria for my utopia is as follows:
1) Warm all year-round, 18 - 32 degrees Celsius.
2) Not too dry or too humid. I prefer storms over continuous rainfalls.
3) Population density not higher than 100 people per sq. km.
4) At least 100 metres above sea level because global warming is real.
5) Not in the hot zone of natural disasters e.g. Ring of Fire
6) Average education level of residents not lower than high school graduation.
7) Cost of living similar to that of the Canadian average. If not, I should be able to live off the land.
8) Most locals can speak or understand English.
9) If religion is mandatory, I would prefer to be residing in a Christian community.
10) Reliable and cost-effective transportation is available to access the closest international airport.
Equipped with my list, I set out to find my heaven on earth in January 2013. I thought my final destination would be Cook Islands because it checked off almost all my criteria. After the setback in March 2013, I thought maybe I should also visit other islands that did not meet my basic requirements. I took a detour to visit South India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia in the fall of 2013. I am glad I took the time to check them out. I saw some amazing things and places, and was welcome by some of the warmest people in the world. However, I just could not deal with crowded, chaotic places on a daily basis.
Back to present time...There are roughly 13,000 people on the island of Rarotonga including locals, foreign workers and tourists. Even though the island is geographically remote, residents and visitors are not completely cut off from the rest of the world and enjoy modern conveniences. If it weren't for the constant sound of the waves, I felt like I was back in Vancouver in the summertime. Perhaps because tourism is the chief industry here, tourists are no strangers to the locals. Polynesians generally are friendly and caring. Well, the Rarotongans are the exception. They are only interested in the $$$ that the tourists bring into their economy. I have yet to find a Rarotongan who has taken time to chitchat with me.
I had hoped to settle on one of the outer islands in the Cooks. About three weeks ago, I realized that my dream of living here would not materialize because there is no reliable and/or scheduled inter-island transportation between Rarotonga and the other 11 islands. Item #10 on my list of criteria ,therefore, cannot be checked off. Cook Islands might have looked ideal on paper for a retirement place; the country is nonetheless riddled with a large number of deep-rooted socio-economic issues even additional foreign aid and grants could not resolve in the near future. Sadly though, the reality is that there will be less foreign aid and grants.
