Rarotongan Umu Dinner 4th installment

The only meal we had in the Resort we were staying in was a special Native Umu Dinner which is cooked in the ground rather like the Maori Hangi is but slightly different.
As well as the Umu dinner there was a show of dancing girls and drumming by the men, not a cheap evening by any means at $55 per person, but as we had never tried this kind on meal it was worth it to us.
When all the guests had arrived we were asked to get up and go for a short walk to the site where the umu had been put down in the ground. The pit is apparently one that is used every week and had a roof build over it even and small shed fulled with dried coconut shells and palm fronds.

Two men came and dragged off the tarpolin covers from a mound then lifted off some banana leaves and some palm fronds, by now we were down to the embers and burnt coconut shells.

 These  were scrapped off the container that held the meats all wrapped up tightly in tin foil, not very authentic! but keeps the meat clean and nice.

We then all trooped back inside and waited while the chef prepared the food for us. There was Pork , Beef and Lamb cooked in the umu and lots of salads of the Island prepared indoors; special Potato and Egg salad and cooked Taro leaves and and   raw fish, plus chunks of Taro and sweet potatoes, This was my plate full, more than  I needed! The Island people eat large portions, very large and so they are quite chubby.
After a time the Island show started with a loud burst of drumming and dancing girls on the stage in front of us. It was far too loud for Erle, he leapt from his seat and left with his hands over his ears. I stayed and quite enjoyed seeing all the young people dancing and wiggling their hips, I find the sound of the drumming exhilerating and uplifting but it just hurts Erle's ears.

That was our big night out in Rarotonga, We went out to dinner every night but to much smaller cheaper places all around the Island, but mainly at the small markets held at Muri Beach or the big Market held once a week in the township.