Heiva

It's officially started! The heiva, our annual cultural celebration has begun. It kicked off on friday with the raising of the flags and a parade headed by Miss Rurutu, complete with decorated floats and torch-bearers, followed by a much-anticipated fireworks display. I packed two warmly dressed and impossibly excited little girls off in the car with papa friday evening, as I stayed home to man the kitchen..... Heimana succumbed to sleep before the fireworks display began, but Matotea was enchanted!

Saturday it was the fruit-bearers race and the stone-lifting, and I got to go along too.

Tonight the tarava, traditional song competition......thursday the horse race, counting down!