October 15, 2011

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18 39.76 S
173 59.33 W


Tonga. 170 Islands. 134 Uninhabited. We roll and toss our way to the hunched green furry backs of Tonga... lying low in the blue wind swept water, jungle rich islands rise from the deep emerald lagoons. We have not slept in 24 hours, except for those few minutes between ridiculous rolls that seems to kick you back into a blurry existence. We are determined not to use a drop of fuel... use every gust of wind, so even as it shifts and fidgets and slows... we change course and end up finding a course South of Neiafu, our Port of Entry. As we make our turn around a boiling blue reef, suddenly we are on a perfect broad reach with no seas... Volpaia is like a horse turned to pasture and charges forward with a grace and balance we have only seen with her... our Volpaia. She is so perfectly balanced, that she is cantering at 10-11 knots and below, it feels almost as if we are at a calm anchorage. Barely a movement. Brett passes out below. His body demands it. Colby is at the helm with a smile that lights the cloudy day. We glide around the domed islands and between reefs. Colby asks me to take the helm saying "You have to! It is rising above our last day at sea! It is a perfect sail!" And he is right. I stand at the wheel barely making slight adjustments slaloming between islands fringed with fancy white sand skirts and caverns while watching storm petrels play with the wind along with us.

The port of Niafu is famous for it's 'big city' entertainment.. such as 1 laundry, 1 Internet cafe, a backpacker/bar/grill and a smattering of other craft shops, hardware stores and Kava clubs. We dropped anchor in deep water, feeling the shock of still water. Our bodies are still moving but Volpaia is resting peacefully in her new stable. The sun is setting and for the first time, our crew is not chomping at the bit to go see, do, explore, find a beer, celebrate land! Nope. We can't clear in until tomorrow and that is perfect. We have an early dinner and early to bed. We slept hard.

We spend the next day checking into the country and taking Volpaia to the spa. We are slightly convinced our Customs agent is actually the King as he looks exactly like the King printed on their money 😊. We see the health inspector, the immigrations officer, our Majesty, King of Customs, and the Quarantine officer. Some are dressed in traditional dress, wearing a long tupenu (skirt) with a kiekie around their waist (a traditional woven and decorated waist-band that signifies their respect for one's elders and for the royal family) We are now in Tonga! We then wash and massage and polish and tuck and clean until she feels bright and shiny and I am sure a bit fancy. The 6 therapists work in passing rain then head to shore to see the 'big city' (or single downtown strip of shops and restaurants). We have a Maka to celebrate landfall. Cyrus and I buy a round of this royal beer then we head down the street where we meet local Tongans and others who have made Tonga their home. As we watch the waterfront and the many boats anchored here, we are saddened as we see the burnt remains of our favorite crew restaurants/bars called the mermaid. Too bad their family feuds and lack of funds will probably never see it's rise from the ashes. (there is no insurance in Tonga). And then continue up the road to see what Friday night is like in Neiafu. On our way up the streets we see a club in full swing. A Kava Club.

Most Tongans do not drink alcohol, but they drink Kava. They have Kava clubs in each community. The women serve the men (yes, I loved that)... which I found out when I asked the Customs agent if I was allowed to have Kava. (some countries I have been in do not allow women to drink it .. or they can drink it.. or in Vanuatu, I could not buy it, but could drink it as long as I was in the city and hiding from view for the most part) So it was a fair question, and they said 'Yes, you can drink. But the men will be served. They are served by the womens". I am assuming this means for me, it will be self-serve, or I get a doggie coconut shell of it out back or I have to become a server? I have no idea, but yes, I shall find out. The best part is that you can drink for the evening with 5.00 Pa'angas (the Tongan currency) and the money goes for different things depending on the day. For example. On Wednesday nights here, all the money goes for school supplies for the children, fuel for their busses and if a child loses their parents, they are covered by the community.. they will never have to worry about school supplies or buses or anything.. they can continue their education. Each day, the money goes for different community needs and a day or two of course... to the farmer growing the kava. We will check it out another night.. it does not draw us in just yet.

We met people from all over the world and as they told their various colorful stories of how they drifted to Tonga and became lodged in their jungles & communities. The characters are bizarre, strangely dressed and all have a touch of rogue in them. Each character is so strange & intriguing, I am sure their memoirs would be best sellers. We absorbed and planned for our Future. Mina, our new Tongan fruit-selling woman-friend will be picking us up at 10am. She wanted to show us a nice overlook or beach (which we hope to do) but most importantly, we spoke with her today and she is picking us up at 10am to go to her house where we will learn how to prepare Traditional Tongan foods that we will cook in the ground. As it cooks, we will explore a bit, then return to her family Tongan feast. We are providing the fish we caught on our way and she will prepare the rest. We will be feasting with her, her husband (also a health inspector), and her 4 children. A Tongan Feast we shall have! I hope to share a new in-ground dining recipe in the near future!

I hope you are all feasting well this weekend. We wait till Monday when we can re-fuel then we head South down the chain to wards New Zealand~

Brooke

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