Hi
Sorry again for not writing a log for a few days, it is the frantic social life when we arrive in port!, coupled with the need to fix things and buy things. After about a week of constant toil, the toilet situation has now been fixed, after removing enough limestone from the pipe to form a whole new reef. We have now been able to start doing other things like cleaning the deck etc.
We arrived in Tonga at night, with bad weather brewing. We somehow managed to get into the sheltered anchorage at night, despite the GPS chart showing us as being on land. Very difficult to negotiate all the narrow channels through the little islands, but we did it and moored up to the dock at about 2am - to be woken and told to move at 7am as tenders from a cruise liner were going to be coming in. Found a mooring buoy further up and went ashore in dingy to check in. The weather really closed in after we arrived and there has been constant rain for several days. However, the little town is quite delightful although looking rather ramshackle. There are pigs and hens running around everywhere, and suckling pig is a regular dish. We saw two corpses lying in the water next to our evening restaurant venue - curing in salt water prior to roasting. Quite put me off, although I did manage to try some. We had a really good party the night after we arrived, with free and v good barby given by tourist office, followed by traditional dancing and presentations. The market in the town is great for fruit and veg and much cheaper than we have been used to. There are several little bars in town and some serve Kava - which we decided not to sample (usually only men are offered it). It has an anaesthetic effect and turns your mouth numb before doing the same to your senses! The internet cafe, in picture, reminded me a little of the Portminster Cafe, although the sea view is different.
We have now moved out of town now and are spending about a week cruising around the lovely quiet anchorages where there is excellent snorkling, and hopefully we will spot some humpback whales. They pass through here usually around July, so we are a little early.
Cheers for now
J & M
Tonga 107