Did you know that the Kingdom of Tonga is the very first country in the world to see the dawn of every new day? The reason, of course, is that it sits right on the dateline. That is a little tidbit of information we got when we were handed the Tonga Free Official Guide when we got off of the tender boat in Neiafu, Vava'u this morning. We were on the first boat there, along with a hand full of guests, most of whom were President's Club members. It is fun to watch the set-up and the first landing, since nothing is ever 100% planned until we get to the pier. This is one place that the tides can affect where we off-load. Last year, getting off was OK. However, upon our return, the tide had gone out, and we almost had to sit on the cement pier to access the roof of the boat. Hope they have a better plan today.
There were seven tours offered here today, even though our stay was rather short. All aboard was at 2:30pm. Four of those excursions did a short land tour, then offered swimming for an hour or so. They ranged from 2 to 5 hours for $55 to $170. Snorkeling equipment was not available on these tours, so you had to bring your own. Later on, we heard reports from friends that did one of these tours. The land portion was fine, but there was no swimming due to the low tides. Some folks even abandoned the tour, and took a taxi back to the pier. Not happy campers.
The other three tours were adventure/water trips, 3 to 6 hours from $170 to $400. The most expensive was a fishing trip, catch and release. Wonder if they had any takers?
The island of Vava'u is much different than our stop yesterday. This island is raised and mountainous, made of coral. Whale-watching seems to be the number one attraction here, as many shops offer boat tours to see and swim with them. Snorkeling must be the next activity to see sea turtles, manta rays, tuna, marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo, and even whale sharks. Since all of the islands of Tonga spread out over 700,000 square kilometers, there is a lot of ocean to hunt these creatures.
As for us, we followed the same path we took last year. The craft market and produce building were busy already at 8am. Even chicken was turning over hot coals, putting out the most delicious aroma. These folks really like to eat. We walked through the market, looking at the whale bone carvings, most of which were very expensive. Some vendors were also selling pendants made from cow bone, and did advertise it as such. A three-piece peach color shell creation was a nice souvenir from here.
Making our way up the steep road, we kept to the sidewalks, which led to the church. That was about the highest point in town, and had a commanding view of the scenic bay below.
We passed the high school, and many country-type homes along the rambling road. Commonly seen were the pigs and some piglets running loose. Seems everyone has a few on their property. In between the houses, were a few resorts, some of which had fallen into ruins. From the looks of some of the buildings on this ridge, it is possible that strong storms pass over here often. Last year, we saw a huge tree that had crashed through a roof. The tree has since been cut, but the home was not repaired yet.
Continuing on, we passed some cows, goats, and more pigs. Eventually, we found our way to a lagoon that connected to the sea. We recall there was a beachfront with a place or two to sit in the shade. As soon as we turned the corner, we found a mom and her little boy sitting on a blanket. She appeared to be watching the rest of her family foraging in the low tide. The water was down so low, that you could walk to tiny islands nearby. It was a good place to rest up and drink some water.
Going further, we saw the vanilla plantation. It was there that we ran into a couple from Oregon (also from the ship) that used to live in Daly City, close to where we used to lived. Funny how you meet folks when you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We told them how to find the plantation, and they were on their way.
That's about as far as we cared to walk, so we headed back. If we planned it right, we should be back to the pier by 11am, and back in time for a dining room lunch. By then, the town was flooded with passengers. Even though this is the second largest city in Tonga, it is far smaller than Nuku'alofa.
Accessing the tender boat was tricky, having to step on a tire on the pier face, then into a big step into the boat. It took about 20 minutes to get back. A few fancy catamarans passed by us, as this bay is a haven for the boaters.
Lunch was nice and cool in the dining room. It certainly was not crowded. We ordered the tomato bisque soup and one turkey burger and one chicken pesto panini. We must have consumed five glasses of ice tea each. Strawberry ice cream and peach pie finished the meal.
We used the rest of the afternoon to work on reports and photos. Sail away was once again on the promenade deck, but we went to the back. We have been lucky to see Denise and Howard from Concord at every sail away. They share their exploits with us, always a pleasure for us to know about the tours they have done. We can all learn much from each other.
By 4pm, we were clear of the islands, and now headed east towards Niue. Tomorrow will be another Friday, since we will be crossing the International Dateline once again, thus we have two Fridays, both the 28th of October. Good news for the staff that has to change the days of the week carpets in the elevators. They got a day off from that job. The clocks will need to be turned back 24 hours tonight.
Dinnertime found six of us there. We got to hear about the Murder Mystery Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill from John and Annie who attended. They had us all laughing as they described the tiny servings of each course. They did admit that the wines flowed freely, and some folks had way too much to drink, and became disruptive during the play. We have never gone to one of these special dinners, mostly because we don't drink wine. If we understand it right, there is one price of $85, whether you drink the wine or not.
Showtime was Australian Peter Cousens, a musician or singer. He has been on many of the cruises we have taken.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS Many thanks to NMLady for letting us know what that peculiar vegetable was. Never would have guessed it was a bitter melon.
Arriving to the Port of Refuge at Neiafu, Vava'u
Look, ma, no hands……..
Taking the very first boat to shore
A short stay today
Souvenir tables on the dock
Off-loading at the boat ramp
Marketplace setting up
The band was from the local high school
Treasures
Artistic tapa fans and whale bone pendants
Here comes Kainoa, the Location Guide
The produce market
Good shelter in the heat
Veggie and fruit market
Selling taro root
Rotisserie chicken sure smelled good
The largest roots we have seen
Fresh tomatoes
A large assortment
Garlic and tomatoes
The best bananas
Whale bone carvings (asking $400 Tongan dollars)
Jewelry set we bought (not $400)
Baskets and clothing
Island fruit
More souvenirs
Selling outside the market
Wood carved whale
Opened early
Healthy foods
Melons and bananas
Don't even want to know what's in these bottles
Clever baskets made from palm leaves
Elderly lady making these baskets
Huge shade tree
Very pretty setting in the port
Local shops
Town was just waking up
The view of the bay up the road
Tourist information center
The Amsterdam as close as it can get
This is what it is all about…..the whales
Screen printing t-shirts
Another lazy dog
Old tree
Frangipani bloom….fragrant
Catholic Church
Very cool inside with a cross-breeze
Possible convent on the church property
Church property
The Basque Tavern…nicest place in town
A haven for pleasure boaters
Many types of boats
Port of Refuge
Little piggies taking a walk
College, but really the high school
The main road out of town
Paradise International Hotel (not opened)
Gardens everywhere
Hotel
View from the hotel
Native flowers
Empty pools at the hotel
Great view, too bad it is closed
Beautiful
Perfect palm
More coconut palms
Damaged house from a fallen tree
Never got fixed
Saga palms can get huge
A bar and restaurant
Fancy paint job
The only bouganvilla we saw
Front yard pig
Two story home
Very rural
Even had a dentist here
A serious spider
Tropical palms
Homes along the road
One of many roadside snack stands
Goats
A new home recently completed
Flame tree
A sow with hidden babies in the grass
