A few more pictures of the Tongan flavor that we have enjoyed tremendously.

All the yachts in Vava'u Harbor

Old but still running.

Street entertainment.

Different groups dancing.

More dancing.

Beautiful wares for sale.

School pupil singing Ave Maria

School band playing for the people at the fair.

Catholic Church on the hill seen from our yacht

Touring a place called A Taste of Tonga It is all about what you do with coconuts. This first picture is about disposing of the coconut shell after they have taken out all the meat.

They are put in theses barrels heated with fire and come out as charcoal.

Showing us the charcoal.

He is grinding out the meat out of the coconut which comes out as shredded coconut.

You can see the shredded coconut.

The shredded coconut is then put into a drum which is ground down to a pulp and the cream is extracted and comes out as coconut  liquid . The liquid is then processed and comes out as pure of the pure coconut oil and coconut cream, nothing goes to waste..

That bucket is full of coco.nut liquid .

Then here is the pure coconut oil

The view from the owners patio.

We treated to ginger tea and cheese made from the coconut. How wonderful yes wonderful.

NEIAFU, VAVA'U, TONGA

September 24, 2012

There have been no recent posts because we haven't gone anywhere since arriving in Neiafu.  In the beginning we were waiting on a shipment of our "meds" from the States and then we started on various projects.  The Volvo Penta engine needed some attention: an injector pump, heat exchanger repair and leak on turbo charger seal.  This has now been addressed and we are getting ready to sail out to all the beautiful outlying islands in the area

Right now, Neiafu is in the throes of sponsoring their 4th Annual Vava'u Regatta.  There are all kinds of activities going on and it's fun to participate or be onlookers.  This town is made up of mostly expat Aussies, Kiwis and a smattering of other nationalities along with the ubiquitous American and German.  The town is a step back in time to the days when Phyllis and I were travelling backpackers.  There is very little of Tonga's archaeological past to be seen.  The missionaries did such a thorough job of cleansing that nothing really remains of the remote past.  Most of the music is 70's, 80's and pop.  The Tongan language and dress are very much alive and used.

If I could make an observation, on very limited exposure, I would say that there is far more artistic creativity and energy in French Polynesia.  Also, the fabulous ruins and temples of the past were very much evident.  In no way do I mean to denigrate the Tongans a lesser status than that of other Polynesian societies:  they are charming, helpful and friendly.

We have spent so much time here because we can't sail for New Zealand until the end of October. The southern part of Tonga and Nukualofa is not as beautiful as the middle and northern parts.  So we'll hang out here and then sail to Ha'api in the middle group around October 10th.

As we move around the outlying islands, I'll come up with some observations to post.

We were invited to share in a Tongan feast with the village of Utulei , The pictures are backwards , sorry.

Boy scaling the coconut tree for coconut.

Ladies and children from the village singing to us.

Children showing us their dance.

This is a tapa blanket, one of a typical craft.

Showing us the weaving  for the thatched roofs.

More beautiful crafts.

The drinking of kava which is a local drink made from a root.

Straining the kava after it has been pounded to a pulp and diluted.

Pounding the kava root

The beginning of the kava ceremony.

Boat ride to the village for the Tongan feast.

Friends that came with us  to the feast Corriane and Wolfgang

Pictures of Nui

Solstice anchored in  Alofi, Nui.

Back in the saddle again.

This place is called Matapa Chasm where the Nui;s traditional kings use to come to bath.

Talva Arches

The coral forest you have to trek  through to get to the Arches.

Looking through a hole in the cave, you can see a fisherman fishing on the reef.

Just beautiful pools water.

Some of the trek down to the Arches.

Stalactites and Stalagmites.

Just beautiful water in these pools.

An opening inside the cave.

Mass of jagged coral pinnacles where a passage leads off to the edge of a chasm . At  the foot of the chasm there is a beach of fine golden  sand and palm trees.

This is  the chasm with the coconut trees that rise up to almost the top of the chasm.

The ladder that takes you down to the beach with the coconut trees.

It was amazing site.

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More of the trek to get to the chasm, should  of had this picture before. 

Breaking water over the reef.

Just a beautiful place to watch the waves coming in.

Bob Marley flag that someone stuck in front of a memorial commemorating the men that lost their live in the first world war., Who knows!!

The bay of Alofi, Nui whee we were moored

What used to be.

Trek to the coral forest, amazing to see things growing there.

Beautiful plants that grow amongst the coral.

We were amazed at the color of the water.