AUGUST 28, 2014
LEAVE BORA BORA FOR MAUPIHAA, FRENCH POLYNESIA
We officially checked out of French Polynesia yesterday
because Bora is the last place we could do this. It is almost exactly four
months since we arrived in the harbor of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas, however we
have one more island to visit before we exit French Polynesia for good. We will
sail twenty hours to a place that I will describe as a sandbar with palm
trees…it is called Maupihaa. Theo and I debated whether or not to visit there
at all because the pass to enter is very narrow (and our catamaran is very wide)
with a strong current. In the end we decided it was worth a try…Et Voila!
Our overnight sail was lumpy and loud with two squalls…not
bad. We took one reef on the mainsail and that got us through just fine.
Around 8 o’clock in the morning we were four miles outside the pass. It was a
grey morning, but we had been told that the pass was “beautiful and flat”.
Thank goodness because we could not wait to anchor.
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| The crazy, narrow passage into Maupihaa |
Beautiful and flat?? I do not want to know what this pass is like
when it is rough and stormy (dark and stormy?). It was frightening and Theo was
white knuckling it the whole way through. Our catamaran is about 26 feet in
width and this pass did not leave room for ANY error. Thankfully, one of the
other boats anchored inside the lagoon offered to guide us in with their
dinghy. Once we finally entered, there were no markers. There were the usual uncharted reefs and
Bommies with 20 knot winds. Once we navigated the Bommies and anchored we were
very happy to see six boats that we knew from other locations during our
travels. We were greeted by them and made arrangements to have a bonfire on the
beach around 4 o’clock that evening. We talked for hours at the bonfire. Some
of the boats had been in Maupihaa for three weeks! Wow… they told us the family
(yes, one of the two or three) that lives here is very welcoming and fun to spend time with.
Later that evening, Theo and I talked about how important the people you meet
are to this whole cruising adventure. It is important to interact with the
people who live here and the people on the other boats that are sharing the
experience with you. Bora was pretty, but not too friendly (except for the
Matira Beach Restaurant). Apparently, other boats had fishing poles and other valuables stolen in Bora
as well. It ruins the place when this happens. We are so happy we came to
Maupihaa before leaving French Polynesia for good.
AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
MAUPIHAA
We are anchored at the Southern end of the island because it
is more protected from the wind here. It is raining and... COLD! I have not been
cold for four months and I welcome it. Theo had made coffee, so I ran down to
our stateroom and grabbed a cashmere scarf that was a gift from Christina and a
grey beanie that was a good luck gift from Rosie. I cuddled up with Isabel and
drank my coffee while it rained around me and I was so happy. As I was sitting around doing nothing, Theo
was working on a project. He is constructing a new fishing reel using materials
he found on the beach last night. An Australian couple at the bonfire gave him
the idea. They had heard that our reels and poles were stolen, so they showed
us a man-made reel that was on their boat when they purchased it. Theo’s wheels
began turning immediately! He took a
plank of wood from a beaten up boat that he found on the beach, an old broomstick and some pipes as well… he
is obviously not one to give up! Once he completed the reel, we wound some line
onto it and attached a lure. We jumped in the dinghy and rode back and forth
along the reefs hoping there would be at least one fish to catch for lunch. We
caught a small grouper! I am so proud of my husband, but I have to wonder how
he will feel when we return home for the Holidays. He hardly wears a shirt or
proper shoes anymore. He now climbs trees, husks coconuts, and the other night while
we were eating a chicken dinner, he was hurling the bones from the cockpit
dining table into the water. As I am writing this he is urinating off the port
side of the boat. I am hoping he will snap out of it when we get back to Orange
County.
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| My happy island boy! |
When the winds calmed down we moved further north to an
anchorage that was close to the family’s home. We were excited to meet them.
Theo and I loaded supplies that they might need into a bag and went onshore. We
brought pasta, crepes with Nutella, fishing lures, a new journal to use as a
guest book and dog food for their five dogs. Once onshore we were greeted by
the son, Hio, and his oldest sister named Faimano. They were all smiles and
welcomed us like we were old friends. They introduced us to their mother,
Adrienne, and their two other sisters, Puaiti and Karina. We were invited to
dinner for that evening and when I asked what I could prepare for them, the
girls giggled and said PASTA! I could do
that….this was going to be fun!
Dinner was a fantastic time. Most of the boats from the
anchorage were there and everyone brought a different dish to share.
Unfortunately, Marcello, Adrienne’s husband was not there. He had not been
feeling well, so one of the boats that was visiting the island offered to take him to
Maupiti where there is a hospital. He
will stay there for a while. Once in Maupiti, the boat decided ( since they
were out anyway) to continue back to Bora for more supplies (Beer). Now that's
a beer run… an overnight sail! It was
wonderful getting to know Hio and his sisters. One night, during a dinner at their home, they were telling stories and
Hio held up his hand to show us his index finger which was wrapped in a
bandage. One of the other cruisers went on to explain what had happened to him.
Somehow Hio got a hold of an air gun and tried to make the barrel bore larger
to fit 22 caliber bullets. When he fired it, it exploded and made a hole in his
index finger. He could have lost his eyes and hands altogether, or worse.
Everyone scolded him and told him to NEVER try that again. Hio just gave
everyone his big smile and pretended to be blind and catching lobsters with his
feet…. his spirit is amazing, but that was a frightening story. He is a very
lucky young man.
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| Dinner with Hio and his family |
The next day, Hio called Theo on the radio and asked him to
come to shore. When he arrived, Hio gave him a Coconut Crab and two lobsters
(he was not supposed to hunt with his injured finger). When he got back to Et Voila, Theo radioed
the anchorage to meet on the beach for a lobster and crab barbecue with Hio's family. This is what cruising is all about. The people
you meet make it so fun. I made more pasta and everyone else contributed their
favorite dish as well. One of our friends made a huge jug of something very
strong to drink. I did not taste it, but Theo said it was almost too potent to
swallow. I asked his wife what it was and she told me that it was pure grain
alcohol, but her husband did not dilute it enough tonight! She said, “He is a
chemist, we do it all the time”. Theo kept dousing the bonfire with his drink
so it would light up like a volcano… simple pleasures.
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| Sara, Faimano, Puaiti and Adrienne |
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| Hio, Theo, Gustof (the chemist) and Isabel at the bonfire |
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| Hio and his Coconut Crab |
I spent a lot of that evening talking to Faimano and her
sisters. I asked how she learned English so well and she told me that she
taught herself using a dictionary. She spoke beautifully. While we were
talking, Theo walked by and the girls started giggling. They told me that
during the first few days of meeting us they could not remember Theo’s name, so
they nicknamed him Triple X (XXX?). Anyway, they explained that this was a movie
they really liked and he looked like the main character. I don’t know this
movie, but I am guessing that the main actor is bald… I’ll google it when I get
a chance. I asked Adrienne if she was
going to go to Maupiti to visit her husband in the hospital, but she just
scrunched up her face like there was a bad smell in the air. She said
“Maupiti….NO! Here”, and she pointed to the sand on the beach. This is her
island and she is very content. I asked them about Maupiti and Bora Bora. They
said that the people are not warm to them when they visit, so they do not like
it there. I understood very well.
Hio is also very content and proud of his island as well.
Theo and I were wondering why people leave Maupihaa at all. This IS paradise.
When we asked Hio, he said that most boats leave because they run out of
supplies and want to go get more. He also explained that everything you need to
survive on the island is on the island. You would need nothing from the
outside…and he means NOTHING. Not even clothes are a necessity for him. They
live with solar panels for energy, no generator. They do not have refrigeration
or a freezer. He has a VHF and an SSB radio (which had an ants nest
inside). Hio is so great. He can climb a 7.5 meter
coconut tree in 3 seconds…we saw him do it! He has been climbing since he was 6
years old. He walks around with a machete and cracks coconuts and cuts trees to
get fresh hearts of palm. He even took Theo and some other men spear fishing.
They caught 15 fish while they battled the frenzied sharks that were circling
them. He explained to Theo that once you spear the fish, make sure to hold it
high up out of the water, then slap the top of the water really hard with your
other hand to scare off the sharks. Hmmm. Theo was swatting them like flies
with his spear gun. In the end they had to get back on the dinghy quickly
because the sharks were jumping out of the water to get the fish on the
spear. I am very relieved I was not there to see it.
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| Three seconds! |
Theo and I love to walk with Isabel along the beach. She
walks in the water so she can pounce at the various fish that she finds. She is
incredibly serious and focused about her hunting and can do it all day! Once, she saw a shark and tried to attack it. Thank goodness the shark swam away.
Isabel has no idea what she is dealing with. One morning we noticed that there
were tracks from the ocean, up the sand and into the bush. We followed them and
saw a turtle nest… sea turtles were nesting!
We decided to come back that evening after dinner and see if we could
spot one. We knew it was a long shot, but well worth a try. We went with two
other couples around 9 o’clock pm. About 10 minutes down the beach, just as we
turned a corner, we were shocked to see a giant green sea turtle just emerging from
the water! I will never forget the feeling I had when I saw her. I could not
believe it was really happening before our eyes. I was so, so grateful. We
watched in silence as she heaved her body up the sand. She was about 400
pounds, so this was a very difficult thing for her to do. She would go forward
a few times and then stop and rest. Just hearing her breathing was enough for
me. It was about half an hour before she
reached the bushes, then she proceeded to go pretty far in. Once she started
digging the sand where she wanted to lay her eggs, we all settled down on our
bellies to watch. She was about five feet away from us. She worked for another
half hour, but she hit some roots in the ground and decided to find another
spot to lay her eggs. She was working tirelessly. After a few hours, we
reluctantly decided to leave and let her finish in peace. I do not have any
photographs, because the flash on my camera would have spooked her. I will
never forget this experience…ever! The next morning, we jumped in the dinghy to
go find where she finally laid her eggs. She had dug two holes before she dug a
third to finally make her nest. She must have been working until the early
hours of the morning before she finished and returned back into the ocean. Incredible.
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| Turtle tracks emerging from the ocean and up the beach |
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| Our turtle's final nest as seen the next morning |
Later that day we
went snorkeling with most of the other
cruisers in the anchorage. There are remains of a wreck just outside the pass.
The SMS Seeadler was a 83.5 meter WWI sailing ship that crashed onto the reef on August 2 ,1917. We
got into our dinghies, dropped our anchors and dove in. It was truly
spectacular. I was swimming back to the dinghy when I heard what sounded like a
child crying. There were two young girls in our group so I thought something
might have happened to one of them. I popped my head up to look, but they were
swimming around without a care in the world. I kept swimming and continued to
hear the sound. I got out of the water and asked someone if they had heard it.
They said, “Yes, it is a whale”. A few
minutes later I saw one of the women pointing. I turned and saw a Humpback
Whale breach out of the water. He jumped three times before diving down again.
This place is magic.
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| Snorkeling at the Seeadler wreck |
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| More remains of the Seeadler |
We decided that Maupihaa is where we wanted to spread
Mambo’s ashes. There could not be a more special place than this, so we walked
the beach until we found a spot that he would have loved and said goodbye
again. We miss him and we will miss this Island. It is so peaceful here and I
don’t know if we will ever visit again. I made one more bowl of pasta for the
girls and we gave Hio some of our steaks from the freezer. We said our goodbyes,
signed the guest book and left paradise.
LESSONS:
-Sharks are scavengers…once something is wounded, you can
count on them to show up… just slap the water with your hand to scare them off.
-Theo can build or fix just about anything.
-A whale’s song sounds like a child softly sobbing.
-Don’t stand or sit under a coconut tree. I have mentioned
this before, but it should be repeated. One night at dinner on the beach I sat
down. Faimano looked at me and then looked up high in the air. I followed her
gaze... I was sitting under a coco tree full of ripe nuts. Fact: Every year about 150 people worldwide are killed by a falling coconut.
-Do not play with guns.
-Nothing is perfect. There are nonos in Maupihaa…little s#!*heads.
QUOTES: “Every human being’s essential nature is perfect and
faultless, but after years of immersion in the world we easily forget our roots
and take on a counterfeit nature” – Lao-tzu
“The nice thing about rain is that it always
stops…eventually” – Eeyore
SEPTEMBER 9 – 16, 2014
Passage from Maupihaa to Niue
We reluctantly left Maupihaa , but we feel very fortunate to
have been able to spend so much time there. We have shared so many precious
and unique experiences with other sailors, and in the process we have nurtured
new friendships. We are now sailing 915 nautical miles to Niue. We left
together with another boat and are trying to stay close, communicate by radio
and keep a watch on each other. So far, the wind is steady and we are sailing at
6+ knots. If the weather stays like this, we will arrive in Niue in one week. I
had an overwhelming feeling of relief when we exited the passage in Maupihaa
and raised our sails. I wasn’t sure what brought this on, but after thinking
about it for a while I understand why. We have had so much stress dodging dangerous
reefs in strong currents, watching out for Bommies and just trying not to hit
anything in general. There have been quite a few vessels that ended up on reefs
here just recently. Now that we are on the open ocean again, there is not much
to be concerned about… it is not likely we will hit anything for at least one
more week! This is a good feeling.
Long passages are boring. We read, talk, fish, cook, eat,
sleep, adjust sails, play with Isabel, and every once in a while we will clean
something. We alternate 3 hour watches, which means we don’t even sleep at the
same time while we are underway. I asked Theo the other day if he is bored of
my company. He paused (a bit too long in my opinion), but I am sure he realized
this was a dangerous question to answer and he wanted to say the right thing… if
possible. He finally said “No… I am not bored. It’s just that we are together
all the time, so we see and experience the same things. There isn't much to
report to each other at the end of the day”. This is true, but I do know one
thing that we both agree on. This would not be enjoyable if we didn't have each
other to share it with. That is what it’s all about… to be with someone you love
and not know what each day will bring, but go through the adventure together.
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| Isabel keeps Theo company while he rests after his night watch |
We put Theo’s handmade fishing reel in the water… It is now
known as the “Magic Reel”. He attaches it to a bungee cord and then places the
reel on a stern step. When the reel falls one step down, we know that we got a
bite. We caught a Wahoo and we were so excited… In the past we have caught Tuna,
Mahi and Bonito, but never a Wahoo! Later on we hooked another Mahi Mahi. We are so happy to be able to fish again!
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| The "magic reel" and a Wahoo |
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| The "magic reel" and a Mahi Mahi |
During the last few days of sailing the wind just stopped,
so we decided to motor until it picked up again. This has been such an unusual
passage for us. There has been no rain or squalls during the night and that is
a first. There was only one day that was a bit lumpy and uncomfortable, but
that is all. This has been our best sailing experience so far. We will arrive in Niue early in the morning on
September 16
th. It will be our 25
th wedding anniversary!
SEPTEMBER 16 – 22, 2014
NIUE
Niue is affectionately referred to as “The Rock” and is one
of the largest coral islands in the world.
It has steep limestone cliffs along its coast, few beaches and no
harbor. On land the coral has produced many stunning caves, caverns and arches.
The surrounding ocean is crystal clear, with visibility up to 230 feet. Niue is an independent nation in free association with New
Zealand, so the inhabitants have dual citizenship. The languages spoken here
are English (YAY!!) and Niuean. The currency is the New Zealand dollar, but
there is no ATM in sight. Niue’s economy suffers from geographic isolation,
very few resources and a small population. To make matters worse, in 2004,
cyclone Heta hit Niue with 30 meter waves and winds that caused massive
destruction. Since then, many of the inhabitants have moved to New Zealand in search
for a better life. The population used to be around 2,500 and is now somewhere
in the 850 range. The people here are extremely kind and always smiling and
waving. There is no crime as far as we could tell. Cars are left with keys in
the ignition and no one seems to lock their homes. There is a jail here, but
there is nobody in it and the police station closes at 5 o’clock during the
week and all day on Sunday.
We moored our boat early in the morning and went to shore to
check in. We were greeted by a tall concrete wharf with a large, rusted hook to
attach to our dinghy and haul it up. We had never seen anything like this
before and were concerned, because our dinghy is around 400 pounds! We managed to raise it to the dock, and using
what looks like a huge spatula, scrape it up and drag it into a dinghy parking
spot. We had been told to wait at the
wharf and customs would meet us there. They finally arrived and we all sat at a
picnic table overlooking our boats and filled out the paperwork to officially
check us into Niue. This was such a relaxing experience and the customs
officers were so friendly, so I casually asked about bringing Isabel on shore. The officer said “ If we see her on shore we
will have no choice but to euthanize her.” Okay, this was no longer a nice man.
Just try to take my dog from me… you will have to put us both down! I want to
fly her home. This is getting crazy…
After customs we checked into the Niue Yacht Club which is a
room with a few tables and a well stocked library. They had Wi Fi (it was so slow…like
watching paint dry) and cold drinks. Theo and I are now NYC members and have a
card to prove it! It was our anniversary, but we were so tired that we just
went back to the boat and took a nap. We woke up around dinner time, made
popcorn, ate it, then went back to sleep. We were just happy to be in Niue
after one week on the ocean.
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| Our very casual customs check in |
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| Theo scooping up our dinghy with the "spatula" |
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| Jack, Theo and Phil getting dancing lessons after a dinner buffet |
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| Our cruising friends on Et Voila. Our get togethers are nicknamed "Whiskey and Weather" (A lot of whiskey and a little bit of discussion about upcoming weather conditions) |
We rented a car for the next few days with our new friends
Phil and Sara from the sailing vessel Lochmarin. We let Phil drive since he is from England and accustomed to driving on the “wrong” side of the road.
Together we hiked, explored caves, swam in translucent pools of water and
lunched at various places around the island. Having a car here for three days
is ideal because there are so many stunning caves to explore and pools to swim
in. When we hiked to Togo Chasm, it was like being on another planet. Coral
spikes coming out of the earth like a dense forest. Eerie and unique…we had
never seen anything like it before. Niue now has one flight coming in from New
Zealand a week. Thankfully, this brings tourism to this gorgeous and friendly
atoll. It is a lovely spot and a must see if you are cruising.
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| The spectacular pools of Niue |
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| A tiny rock pool in the center of a coral platform during low tide |
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| The Limu pools |
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| An immense cave |
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| The alien landscape of the Togo Chasm |
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| The only way in and out! |
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| Happiness! |
We left Niue on Monday September 22
nd. There is a
big swell coming in and the mooring has become a bit uncomfortable to stay… not
to mention that boarding our dinghy at the dock was becoming dangerous! We are
traveling for two days to Tonga. We have sailing vessels Lochmarin and Chara
close by. We have crossed the international dateline, so in a matter of seconds
we were one day ahead. Theo continues to catch fish with the magic reel and we
are very excited about our next destination…Tonga.
QUOTES: “Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may
never happen… keep in the sunlight.” – Benjamin Franklin
THE NIUEAN LANGUAGE:
Most Niueans speak English, but it is always nice to know a
few phrases if you encounter the older generation…Also, it is great fun to sit with friends after a
cocktail and practice saying these phrases out loud.
-Fakaalofa Atu! – Hello!
-Fakaalofa Lahi Atu
- Great greetings to you
-Fakamolemole – Please
-Fakaue Lahi – Thank you
-Fakamolemole La – I’m sorry
-Kia Fakamonuina ma I he Atua a tautolu oti Tukulagi! – May
the Lord’s blessings be upon us all everlasting!
-Fakaholo Fakasekiseki
h e po neke mapela e tau uga! – Be careful of Coconut Crabs
(Ugas) when driving at night!
SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 14, 2014
TONGA
I was doing my watch while Theo got some much needed sleep.
It was 5 o’clock in the morning and pitch dark outside, but I knew we were
rapidly approaching the island on our Port side. I stared at the radar and
could see the huge red blob that was Tonga. I went outside, but only saw blackness.
This is a feeling that I do not care for… knowing there is land close by and not
being able to see it freaks me out. I made coffee and went up to the flying
bridge for a glimpse of anything at all. I could not wait to see just a pinch
of daylight so I could orient myself and relax. Finally there it was, just as
the radar had indicated, but I was happy to see it with my own eyes. I suppose
I still don’t have much faith in electronics.
Tonga is the only island in the Pacific that was never
colonized. It is a Polynesian country of over 150 islands, but only 36 are
inhabited. The language is Tongan and English. Currency is the Pa’anga (of
which we have zero). With its numerous anchorages, clear water and Humpback
Whales… this is cruising paradise.
As I write this we are waiting for customs officers to clear
us into the country. So far two have come on board… two more to go. This is a
very strange experience for us. It is customary
to offer them refreshments and snacks, so I have hot tea, juice and cookies
on the dining table. So far they have helped themselves, but Theo and I noticed
that they just hang around and sit quietly, even after we have finished the
paperwork! We played this waiting game (If I wasn’t so tired, I would have
giggled) because we didn’t know what else to do. They didn’t talk, so we didn’t talk. Did they
have a late night? Are they resting on our boat before continuing back to work? Finally, one of the officers
said “So, Wanda, do you have any fish for me”? Oh really… he wanted a bribe! Okay, that is fine with me,
but seriously, I cannot read minds…especially a Tongan mind. I just arrived
after all! Thank goodness he came out and said what he wanted or he would have
hung around all day. I gave him what was left of our frozen Wahoo and he was
gone. Two more officers are coming on board. There goes our Mahi Mahi. What a
weird experience… welcome to Tonga!
The highlight of our sailing adventure so far has taken
place here in Tonga. We were fortunate enough to snorkel with Humpback Whales.
This was one of the most incredible moments of my life. Once we dove in, I
looked up and saw a male, female and her calf. They were just floating there
and I was completely mesmerized. They did not stay long because the role of the
male escort is to keep the female and calf safe and moving along… he is like a bodyguard
and will put himself in front of anything that is a potential problem. Then we
watched from the boat as one lone whale breached and frolicked about. It was
like he was doing a happy dance! At one point, he was floating on the surface
on his back and rocking side to side with his enormous flippers slapping the
water! We did not swim with him because he was a bit too playful. Next was a
magical encounter with a mother and 2-3 week old calf. Her head was underneath
the baby and gently nudging it to the surface for air. At one point, the mother
went down deeper with the baby, and as we watched on, the calf just floated to
the surface right in front of us. We felt so, so grateful to be with them and
share such a special moment. It was the best day ever.
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| The playful lone whale |
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| Humpback yoga? |
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| The male escort and female diving deep |
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| Male, female and calf |
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| The mother with her 2 - 3 week old baby |
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| We were so fortunate to see these breathtaking moments |
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| Saying goodbye |
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| The best day EVER!!! |
I woke up to the church choir singing and chickens crowing.
I never know what I will hear in the morning. Sometimes it is dogs, goats,
birds or even crickets. We went to shore and the town was bustling with energy.
It was market day and the produce was a welcome sight. Theo and I have been
enjoying the wi-fi access here and the many shops and restaurants. Neiafu is
very cruiser friendly and even has a net in the morning informing us of all
that is happening during the week. There were Tongan feasts, sailboat races, visits
to local schools, cricket matches, a pub crawl and even a girl’s night out! We
had been enjoying it all, but after a while we decided to chill out and visit some
of the other many anchorages in the Vava'u Island group.
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| Entering the morning outdoor market |
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| Fresh produce...Yay! |
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| The children are always ready to smile for a photo |
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| Girl's Night Out |
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| Entering a school |
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| They performed for us...look at their costumes! |
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Dancing after the performance...the parents prepared an amazing buffet lunch for us.
|
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| Such enthusiasm...I want some of their energy! |
We anchored in a cove called the Blue Lagoon. The water is
of so many various depths that it is every shade of blue and light green that
you can imagine. Many boats do not stop here for the evening because it is not
well protected and a bit “rolly”. We stayed anyway because we were completely alone
and our location was spectacular! The next morning, I walked into the galley to
make coffee and realized that our boat was unusually still… much too stable in
fact. I glanced at the water outside and saw that there was not much of it. I
grabbed the portable depth gage and it read 3 feet. We were beached! I woke
Theo up and he was so excited… beaching the boat is an advantage of having a
catamaran, we just had never done it before ( Okay, we did it by accident, but
we were so happy)! Theo walked all around and under the boat to scrub the hulls…he
even changed the zincs. After lunch the tide came back in and we sailed away.
What a fun experience!
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| Et Voila sailing...a great photo taken by Chara |
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| The Blue Lagoon |
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| Theo scrubbing the hulls in 3 feet of water |
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| The boat was balanced on the keels... the rudders and saildrives were not touching |
We visited a few other anchorages and they are all beautiful
and relaxing. Our favorite was anchorage #11 which is Tapana Island. There is
not much there… a small floating houseboat called the Ark Gallery and two
restaurants. La Paella is a Spanish Tapas restaurant and it was highly
recommended to us, so we made reservations to go with our friends Bob and Joyce
from the sailboat Chara. The four of us walked up a trail and eventually saw
what looked like a house with tables set on an open patio. As we approached, we were welcomed by a very sweet dog and a
friendly goat. The atmosphere, food and company were unbeatable! As we watched the sunset from our table, giant
fruit bats flew by our table and landed heavily in the trees surrounding the
restaurant. We enjoyed a fixed menu of never ending tapas as the dog slept
soundly by Bob’s feet. We were about to pay and roll ourselves down the dark trail
when the owner told us there was going to be musical entertainment in a few
moments. A group of men that had been smoking and talking in the corner (including
the cook) took their places in front of our table. There was a vocalist with
his guitar and the other two men were the keyboardist and percussionist. They
began playing and were really good!
What happened next was surreal and I will do my best to
explain, but it is one of those times that you just have to be there. As soon as the music started, the dog woke up
and started dancing around… he was scooting and twisting on his back with his
tongue hanging out! Just when we thought it couldn’t get any weirder, the goat
walked into the restaurant and stood staring at the musicians and the dog.
Joyce and Bob got up to slow dance to Hey Jude, but the goat started repeatedly
butting Bob in the leg with his head. This went on for a while… unfortunately,
the goat began eating the dried palm leaves that made up the walls of the restaurant,
so he was chased outside by the cook. It was an unforgettable time for all of
us. If you find yourself on Tapana Island in Tonga, this is not to be missed!
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| A bit blurry, but here are the musicians, the dancing dog and the black and white goat on the left. |
We also sailed to an anchorage called Port Mourelle on Kapa
Island. This was a calm anchorage with great water. We drove the dinghy to
Swallow’s Cave and snorkeled inside. It was the perfect all around place… until
it wasn’t. I was preparing dinner on the boat and got overheated by the stove.
I decided to jump in the water to cool off, but eventually I began feeling
electric shocks all over my body. I swam back quickly and climbed out. I looked
at Theo and told him what happened. My loving husband said, “Oh yeah, there are
jellyfish… but they are really small”. I was not happy… I was the opposite of
happy. I am tired of being stung by things!!! Now I have itchy, red, swollen
welts all over me. ENOUGH!!!! (Yes, I am complaining).
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| Approaching Swallow's Cave |
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| Snorkeling inside the cave |
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| Sea Snake |
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| Theo wearing his traditional Tongan "skirt"...Orange County, here we come! |
We are back at the
main port of Neiafu and we will be checking out of Tonga soon. As soon as we
see a good weather window, we will sail from here to New Zealand. We have a
slip reserved for Et Voila at Marsden Cove Marina. We have also made
arrangements with a pet transport agency to help us get Isabel back to Los
Angeles from New Zealand. We are taking it day by day and slowly everything is
falling into place. All is as it should be!
LESSONS:
-Look before you jump into the water.
-Goats, pigs and dogs… they all have their own unique
personalities. I can’t eat animals anymore.
-Always wait for good weather… there is no rush.
QUOTES:
“Size matters not” – Yoda
“The first 40 years of childhood are always the hardest” - Anonymous
“It is better to travel well than to arrive” - Buddha
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