The only good idea I’ve had for a book is “Sun Tzu and the Art of Parenting” in which I demonstrate that raising children should be treated in the same manner as fighting a great war and the delightful bon mots of Sun Tzu are as equally applicable to destroying your enemies as creating well balanced humans.
Today starts with a bit of grey windy sky and everyone is starting to feel a bit homebound due to yesterdays washout. A crafty plan is hatched to cycle a full loop of the island, 32 kilometers. Now this raises an issue in the fact that if certain members of Adventure Club catch wind of the scale of the operation for today, a coup may take place. So, a deception is undertaken.
While sneakily avoiding talk of the full extent of the trip a casual claim of an 8km cycle to the Avarua bike shop is claimed. Groans are elicited and quelled by a throwaway comment of drink before at Café Salsa in town. When we arrive, Café Salsa has apparently been renamed the Lucky Rooster and we all collect an iced coffee or peach tea to cool our jets. Cafes in New Zealand will often have a sparrow darting about eating the leftover crumbs, Raro continues to surprise as a full-size chicken ghosts in, leaps on a table and claims a large chunk of garlic bread. Same, but different.
Zipping to the well-equipped (and previously undiscovered on Day 1) Ride Rarotonga bike shop on the western edge of town is relatively straightforward and then we tease a trip to a vague café further around to draw the team on.
After another 6 or 7 kms I casually point out to Nate that we have accidentally ended up on almost the exact opposite of the island to where our accommodation is. Without spotting the lead he excitedly comes up with the idea that we should keep going and complete a full loop. “What a good idea…” I say.
So, on we go.
Pizza at Vaima on the Beach (expensive) and a frankly huge ice-cream at Wigmores continues to fuel the legs of the team. Max is large enough that it’s not much of physical challenge to cycle all this way (though he will claim otherwise with great theatrics) but it’s a reasonable stretch for Nate. They both handle the journey with aplomb. From this point it’s a relatively straightforward 10 km burst back to the house and the lap is complete.
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
― Sun Tzu
