Tongatapu and Nuuafou

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Tonga is a group of Polynesian islands, a paradise in the Pacific.

On the main island of Tongatapu, people smile (the gold in their teeth flash) and say hello on the street. After a week some would even know my name. This is a beautiful place; the sea, the walkway, kids swimming, the cool breeze, the palms, the ships off shore all add to the atmosphere. The shops open late and close early, and on Sunday the streets are empty, - huge bars on protect the doors and windows.

Musical bells call congregations to church. The services are famous for the singing - even the preacher does his sermon in a sing song voice. The high soprano of the ladies contrasts with the low voices of the kids playing in the aisle. On another Sunday we took a drive around the island to visit the old king seat, bat caves and oh yeah the beach.

We stayed at the International Dateline Hotel. It is a comfortable place built in the 1960s for the kings coronation. Before my trip I was looking through back issues of National Geographic (they have an excellent set of CDs which are very useful) and they had an excellent article which contrasted the ceremonies in Tonga and Iran.

Lobo, James Taylor and hyms on the radio. All day wrestling, evangelists, and movies on TV. The nation comes to a stop for a rugby game.

We tried to fly up to Nuuafoo on Royal Tongan Airlines, but the gentleman at the airport office 'resold' our tickets to someone with a bit of extra cash so we had to find another way. (I could not complain too much - I spent the 12 hour wait reading under a baobob tree. These RTA pilots, expats temporarily in Tonga remind me of ship captains out of a Joseph conrad story.

We ended up getting a ride up to Nuuafoo with the Tonga Defense Services in their immaculate Beach 18. The airplane was outfitted with a GPS navigation system which
was a bit of a surprise since the Polynesians populated the pacific by steering by the stars. Another lost art. One of the restaurant owners in Tongatapu said when we went to Nuuafou, we needed to prepare to go back in time.

Nuuafoo, also refered to as Good Hope or tin can island (mail used to be put in tin cans and floated to the island because it was hard to land the boat, and swimmers were eaten by sharks) Very few people live on this donut shaped island. It is a volcanic island with the center blown away by a subsequent eruption. In the middle of the island is a
very deep freshwater lake. We went for a swim in the crater at the kings camp site with the disconcerting smell of sulfer nearby. The island is very quiet. Horses and solar panels are used for transportation and electricity. No restaurants, no stores, but Tevita's sister, one of the local teachers kept us fed on roast piglets and coconuts.

On the way back we stopped at Vavau to 'work' for a few days. Vavau is a postcard place with a fantastic view of the lagoon, fishing, diving, and yachts.

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Photos

Beach 18 at Vavau Airport
If RTA will not get us there, this aircraft will.

Old Royal Site
Not sure what this is, but it is on the $5 dollar bill.

Cemetery on the Beach
Colourful with a great view.

Taking a break
It was hot!

Huge Freshwater Lake
In the middle of the pacific

Tevita (translates to David)
The grass skirt is a sign of submission to authority (of the king).

Palm trees

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