We set out to explore this little gem in the pacific and had great fun climbing down into caves with stalactites and stalagmites, exploring coves leading out to shallow low tide pools and trooping through the ancient forest with its jagged coral based floor.
On one of our walks I very nearly walked on a Coconut Crab. I was so busy talking that by the time I noticed this big guy on the trail, I was almost on top of it. It sure gave me a fright. The Coconut Crab is a species of terrestrial hermit crab and is the largest land-living arthropod. They can grow up to one meter in length and weigh as much as 4 kilos. They make good eating and are often hunted to extinction but they seem to be quite plentiful on Niue.
And then Tarzan Jens was using a rope along one of the paths on our way to see the natural arches in the Tavala bay and he slipped and scraped his elbow, back and ankle. So we made a trip to the hospital to have it looked at since I wasn't sure if he would need stitches or not.
Niue has a population of 1,600 people. There are three doctors on call and 12 nurses. It was Saturday afternoon and I think the population must be relatively healthy as there was not much going on at the hospital. Anyhow, two lovely nurses tended to Jens' wounds and started him on some penicillin which is standard practice when a cut or scrape is caused by coral as the risk of infection is quite high. No stitches were required but just for the peace of mind I think it was well worth the $15.00 we paid for the service and medication.
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