Day 28 Alofi, Niue

What a fantastic day….  I went ashore on the first tender with Ed, Becky, Robert & Bronwyn.  We rented a car and began exploring Niue.  This is a very special island.  The people are very friendly and the island incredibly beautiful.    We left the car rental and first made a stop at the market before heading out of town.  We left Alofi and headed north for a clockwise trip around the island.  Our first stop was Peniamina’s grave who brought Christianity to the island.  The we went to our first cave at Palaha Cave, beautiful place after a steep and slippery climb.  Next up was the spectacular Avaiki Cave.  This coral island has a very rugged coastline filled with caves, chasms, pools and all manner of beautiful scenery.  Then we headed to the Limu pools where the clarity and color of the water was amazing.  What a great place for snorkeling.  After exploring the pools, we went to the Matapa Chasm.  Again, the beauty here was amazing….  We continued traveling around the island stopping here and there.  The most bizarre place was the Hikulagi Sculpture Park where sculptures were maded with everyday items that were headed for the trash…  The day was fabulous jut too short. Out day in port was short, from 7:00 am until 1:30 pm.  I would love to come back with a longer stay.  This island has a lot to offer and I would love to explore it more.  The only thing I saw that was a bit unsettling was the huge number of abandoned homes that were in a serious state of decade.  The reason, I guess, was the huge population drop that Niue has had over the years.  Great Day!!!!