Ahh sh*t!
I really need one!
[Music plays]
I’m not sure what kinda fruit that is.
It seems to be edible, but obviously I don’t wanna be the first tourist to die from just
eating random fruit growing on the side of the road.
I’ll ask around. Because there’s a bunch of them on the ground too.
So if anybody knows what kind of fruit that is, please let me know.
Put the name of the fruit down below in the comments and let us know!
[music]
Part of my cultural experience here in the Cook Islands is to go to one of these takeaway
places and I just ordered a veggie burger with chips.
Not french fries - it’s chips!
And also this Keri pulpy pineapple fruit drink juice that’s supposed to be pretty popular
here on the Cook Islands.
Some of these takeaway places actually have so many different varieties of food.
You can get some vegetarian options.
Of course, most of this is not really Cook Islands native food - whatever that is.
So they got fish & chips, which is kinda famous, and then also rice and curry and, on this
particular one right here, they said one of the good ones to get is the noodle box.
You can pick the noodles and you can pick the sauce and the protein, which also could be tofu.
Who says locals only eat Polynesian food here?
They eat burgers!
Get some fries, too!
Sorry!
They got “chips” too!
If you come to one of these takeaway places, just watch out for the chickens.
There are signs everywhere that say “Do not feed the chickens” and they try to discourage
chickens from hanging out in restaurants.
[Rooster crows]
The reason is that they can be pretty aggressive.
For example, I just sat down with my food on the table and I stepped away to get some napkins
When I came back to the table, there was a chicken that started eating my lunch.
So just watch out and don’t leave your food uncovered.
Halef: “Are chickens a problem here?”
Employee: “Uhm, they are. Especially when there are customers. They turn away and they pick at your food."
That’s why we try and chase them! It usually scares them."
[music]
Every time you see this, this is the quality control that
the Cook Islands government has on establishments.
Although I’m not sure why this is 2016, because I’ve seen a few 2018,
so they probably have to update theirs.
So I just stopped by at this fudge place and she recommended two things:
One is the crème brûlée fudge and the other was rum raisin and I got them both.
Just something to try and it’s actually really, really good!
So definitely check it out next time you come into Rarotonga.
A couple of things I learned about Cook Islands:
One, they do not have any traffic lights in the whole country.
You don’t have to stop anywhere for traffic lights - you just keep going.
There’s roundabouts and stop signs, of course.
And number two, there’s a bus system in Rarotonga, which is the only one in the country
and they have two routes.
One is clockwise and the other one is counter-clockwise.
Or, I guess in this case, it’s anti-clockwise.
All you have to do is just hop on and pay five bucks per trip
and an hour later, you come back to the same stop.
[music]
One thing about the island life is just picking up random fruit just laying on the ground.
There are plentiful fruit trees and they just have enough of it.
These are guavas, I think.
I have no idea it might be that these are guava trees.
I thought it was gonna be much taller.
But there’s a lot of guavas here on the road.
Just picking up a few and it smells really good and I know this will taste good, so I’m gonna give it a try
[music]
In theory, I can just walk all around and that’s just gonna be a little bump out and
all of a sudden you’re going to see Tamarind by the beach.
And this actually beats the walking by the side of the road, don’t you think?
[music]
So the currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand dollar - with the exception of some of the coins.
One of the most unique coins that they have is this two dollar coin, which is basically a triangle-looking coin.
I was told that this actually represents southern Polynesian culture.
If you look at the top, it represents Hawaii.
And one side is New Zealand and the other side is Easter Island.
And right in the middle is the Cook Islands.
So I think that’s pretty cool.
I’ve visited all three and now I am visiting the last center piece - Cook Islands.
And I've completed the whole journey of Polynesia, according to this coin.
[music]
Not far from the post office in the town center, there’s a Rarotonga Fried Chicken place,
which is open 24 hours.
This is one of the cheap places to go if you are on a budget.
If you actually want to experience what locals do, I guess this is one of them!
Just keep in mind that there are dogs with those sad puppy eyes that kind of look at
you and make you feed them.
I’m not sure whether that’s allowed and I will not do that because of the habit it starts
Definitely never ever feed dogs chicken bones. Big no-no!
[music]
Not sure how authentic this is but this is definitely one of the locals’ favorites,
so I’m giving it a try.
Ahhhh, those eyes!
Should I feed him or not?
Those eyes.
All right.
I asked a local and he said, “Yes, please feed them the chicken bones.”
If they’ve been eating chicken bones for years, and still are ok, I guess they’re immune to it.
I gotta do it.
It’s like three fries for three dogs.
[music]
[Rooster constantly crowing over Halef’s voice, making what he’s saying impossible to hear