NZPhotographer Issue 26, December 2019

One way to understand a country’s culture is through its
cuisine. Generally, the Baltic’s are all about potatoes and
rye bread but each have their own unique dishes that have
been passed from one generation to another along with
accompanying stories. Some traditional dishes we tried
included Latvia’s National Dish – a stew made from grey peas
mixed with fried bacon and pork. We also sampled black
bread and the classic sauerkraut soup. Lithuania is known
for its potato dumplings – hearty, football-shaped dumplings
made with grated raw potatoes and rice boiled potatoes.
They are made in either a curd cheese variety served with a
sour cream-milk sauce or a meat variety. In Estonia, they love
to pickle things, and of course, there’s the blood sausage.
Religion is another fascinating aspect of the Baltic’s. While
Christianity is the main religion, it was interesting to see the
several denominations and differences between churches,
from Catholic to Lutheran to Orthodox and so on.
The journey through the Baltics, as we tried to encompass as
much as we could, certainly gave us a better understanding
of the region’s past. From the atrocities of the concentration
camps around Riga towards the end of WWII, to life under
the Soviet Union which is still remnant in the buildings and ruins
both the towns and the countryside. More recently, to the
fight for Sovereignty in the early 90s as the people peacefully
demonstrated by forming a human chain from Tallinn to
Riga and on to Vilnius, what famously came to be called the
“Baltic Way”.
With the Cook Islands, everybody knows that this country is
rich in beautiful lagoons, crystal clear beaches, and gorgeous
resorts. Many are mistaken with the idea that once they’ve
seen one country in the Pacific Islands, you’ve seen them all.
While it is true that the seascapes might be no different from
one another, their culture and traditions are very unique.
We immersed ourselves deeply in the culture of the Cook
Islands by attending their church service on Sundays. This is
not hard to do as most resorts offer this kind of experience as
part of their package but we went on our own. It was nice
to observe the locals dressed up in their best brightest white
or colourful outfits as they entered the sacred place. Women
wore a variety of headdresses like a hat and a beautiful
garland of flowers. When mass started, we let ourselves be
carried away with the choir’s angelic voices. After the service,
we were invited for morning tea in which the local people
bring food they prepare at home to be shared with others
after the service.
While on the island of Rarotonga, we were able to witness
a unique celebration called “NUKU” – a celebration of the
arrival of Christianity. Churches compete against each other
to put on the best show. Islanders dress up, sing, dance, play
music, perform some stage dramas and generally have a
great time.
We wouldn’t have been able to experience these
traditions if we had just stayed in the comfortable confines
of the hotel resorts – Yes, it is important to relax and enjoy
yourself while travelling, but it is more meaningful if you
learn a country’s customs and culture as you can then
also learn to appreciate your own.
ONE FOOT ISLAND, AITUTAKI,
COOK ISLANDS
F5.6, 1/1000s, ISO100
18
NZPhotographer