Thursday 12th June
Forgot to mention before that since arriving in Tonga we have heard wonderful singing from St Joseph’s Cathedral above the yacht club every morning at about 6.30am – apparently the choir practices there every day. At 8.30am there is also a daily net, broadcast on channel 26, which is run by Baker, an American who sailed here in 2001 and never left. It’s a great source of information and networking, and starts off each day with a very thorough weather forecast. It’s very well organised and a great idea for cruising areas like this. We’re starting to get very comfortable in Neiafu, Port of Refuge!
Just as we’re getting up, the lobster man arrives. As Ian is otherwise engaged (!), Annie goes to do the negotiating and thinks she’s got a good deal for 3 lobsters and a couple of loaves of bread. We have a quick breakfast then Ian runs Annie to Tallulah Ruby. It’s a morning for lots of important jobs, except for Annie , who goes diving. Ian and Stewy do gas, replace the topping lift, get petrol for the outboard, then shop for fruit and vegetables at the market. The diving is excellent, a good mixed team – James, Elizabeth, Kuko, Paul and Annie. – they see lots of new things and Annie decides she must go diving more often as so many things get done when she’s away. In the afternoon it’s another drive round the island with Jens and Johanna. We visit a little beachside restaurant where there’s a training day going on - young women are being taught very old basketry and weaving crafts which they will be exhibiting at the local market tomorrow. We meet the local man who has arranged it, and the trainer, and agree to attend the function the next day. At another village stop, we meet an old woman who is weaving traditional mats with her daughter and granddaughter. Annie buys a mat and takes lots more photos, again agreeing to sent them on when she gets home. The villages have very simple ramshackle houses but everyone is smiling, there are lots of lines of washing out and the school children are all smart and spotless. The school buildings look new and well maintained, as do the numerous churches. Everywhere is very lush, and there are several plantations where taro, banana and other crops we don’t recognise are growing. There don’t appear to be so many flowers here as on other islands but there’s lots more bird-life and many large and colourful butterflies. The roads are poorly maintained and we worry that the car won’t survive the trip. Remarkably it does, although not without a few lights flashing here and there and a few scrapes and bangs along the underside! For dinner, Tallulah Ruby crew come over to JDI3 for our joint effort of lobsters and fish. It’s a tight squeeze of 8 round our table but we manage. While enjoying what Annie mentions was such a bargain lobster, Ian says “what do you mean you paid the lobster man ?!– I paid him yesterday”…… Unfortunately it didn’t occur to him to tell Annie this morning so lobsters not such a bargain after all, but delicious all the same! After our own Tongan feast we’re all tired but must go to the kava night in the Bounty bar as Lawrence has arranged it especially. It’s an interesting evening – the famous brew is served by a beautiful Tongan girl in coconut shells (the Kava) from a huge carved bowl. You can have as much as you like and some of the locals - and some of the Arc crews – are going at it big style. There’s all sorts of scary stories that it’s very strong, it makes your legs stop working and it’s hallucinogenic – none of which happens to us ! We have a taste – it’s not as awful as we were told, but none of us take to it particularly – could be something to do with one of the ingredients allegedly being saliva! Nevertheless,we enjoy the new experience and learning something – apparently we have to present kava to the chiefs in the smaller islands of Fiji – we’ll have to stock up!