--Sorry in advance, I gave up trying to place the pictures on the right and left because it wasn't working and was just screwing up the text and makng it all jibberish and mixed up! I give up...from now on I officially succomb to blogger powers that be and will have my pictures in straight lines down the left hand side and stop trying to fight it!--
***I absolutely LOVED Tonga. I went to main island of Tongatapu and stayed in the village of Hofoa which is a few villages (and km) outside of the main town Nuku'Alofa.
I couchsurfed (stayed) with a very nice guy, Enrique, who is in Tonga as a Peace Corp Volunteer. I also spent loads of time around the corner, at his neighbors Alexis and Andrew who are also PCVs.
I'll go through my week in a (hopefully) orderly fashion, with some explanations and descriptions of what I did and some pics. This will be a super long post but hopefully you'll enjoy it!
MondayI arrived in Tonga to see the airport was loaded with people waiting for loved ones. On the way into town it was amazing to just look out the windows of the 'shuttle' and see such a different environment and knew I would love Tonga from that first few minutes! I met Enrique at the PC office and he took me around town to show the me 'important' things. -The Royal palace (which is undergoing renovations for the Coronation in August), the Royal Tombs, the market (pics to come later) and showed me a couple stores. We eventually made our way to the bus stop and piled on with all the other Tongans. Getting on a bus in any Country can be an experience, especially with a huge bag, but this was definitely a Tongan experience!! I dropped my stuff off, came up with a slight outline of my week and then headed to meet the neighbors. They also
had two couchsurfers staying with them. As it turns out they were cooking so we ended up having a big, home cooked meal. There were not enough utensils to go around so the 'hosts' ended up using serving spoons. We spent the rest of the night playing cards (BS, with three decks, and I won) and talking!
TuesdayAfter a lil sleep in (930ish) I woke up and Enrique and I decided to bike to the blowholes. That was entertaining because I'm out of shape and was riding a one speed beach cruiser, not exactly the most comfortable of bikes. Luckily Tongatapu is mostly flat with only slight inclines. It was a leisurely bike ride where I really took in the surroundings (vast numbers of coconut trees, crops, houses, etc) and eventually we made it the 15 km to the coast. It turns out it was the wrong time of day so we decided to stay and play cards to see if the tide was coming in. After doing that for a couple hours and a nice picnic lunch of pb sandwiches we got back on the bikes. (The blow holes never got much bigger!) I wanted to see the Mormon temple as Tonga has a large population of LDS. Its right next to the Mormon High School (where the English only sign is at the bus stop). We then passed a quarry and the friendly Tongan let us go in and look at it. We were passing a field on a dirt row and there was some music coming out of the bush. I figured someone was just playing their stereo really loud... but it turns out people were actually playing/blasting live music. I wanted to go see them so we turned around and met this guy names Siua who walked us into the bush in front of his house. I met the guy playing the keyboard and guitar and found out they were playing gospel music. We biked back to town and went to the PC office. Alexis and I went for ice cream and then biked the scenic way back to A&A's house for the evening. We decided that we wanted some coconuts and they tried to climb the tree...not getting far at all (I didn't attempt, I know I'm too accident prone)! One of the guys in the Rugby field sent one of the younger ones over to climb for us and he managed it in two seconds flat and kicked down loads of them for us. We then attempted to hack them open with a machete. It was loads of fun, entertaining and lots harder than it looks (I have a new found respect for Survivors now), haha! We ate coconut and drank the 'island sprite' and found out their cat loves coconuts! I went over and watched the village Rugby team practice. There were some cute neighborhood kids there. Again we had a huge meal contributed by a little of everyone. While hanging out that night (after deciding on the beach for the next day) we decided we would try to make Kava. As no one had the proper utensils required we used a strainer and sock to filter the Kava...very Palangi of us. It was fun times though.
WednesdayOn cue, it was a gorgeous day and perfect for the beach! We headed out, again on the bus, to Kanokupolu (or Ha'atfu?) which is supposedly the best surfing beach on the island. Now, important to note is that Tonga has reef lined beaches which are PERFECT for snorkling. We all sat in the shallow reef and talked eventually getting out to partake in another picnic of PB and bread and left over rice! After lunch I snorkled and saw some gorgeous fish! Then it was time to head to Cory and Joe's house (two other PCVs). I hung out with them for a bit then they walked me to the resort where I would be watching the dinner show. I met up with Sarin and Helene at Liku'alofa. We had some cocktails and beers, saw a great sunset and eventually it was time for the show. Dinner was a Tongan feast style umu and the dancing was great. They did a variety of Tongan and then showed neighboring Pacific Islander dances. More drinks and some music and the night was over.
ThursdayWhen I had met Siua at his house on Tuesday he said he'd give me a tour of the island, and I took him up on that, especially since Helene and Sarin wanted to see the island as well. He met us at 10 on the clock (not very Tongan of him, we were expecting to have to wait!) and we were off. It turned out to be an amazing tour! He took us to the three corners, literallly, of the island. We went to and saw: the 'religious rock' thats not there any more (they are re-building the monument/rock thing--how very Tongan), the Blowholes (where the tide was in and they were HUGE), the lookout where we were going to climb down to an amazing sandy beach until I sprained my ankle (Seriously, it happens once a year!), 'Anahulu Cave, the Royal Estate with more gorgeous beaches, Ha'amona'a Maui Trilihon, and this great white tower thing in Niutoua, fishing pigs, flying foxes (bats) and I'm sure I'm forgetting so much. Ok, besides hearing great stories from a local, we got to go places like the white tower that most people don't know about. In getting there we ended up having to really off road it and knocked part of the van off, then backing out, ran into a tree and smashed the back lights! It was great and we found out it was his friends car...only in Tonga is that alright! haha! It was great fun!! Because the speed limit is so SLOW and we spent time chilling on different beaches just talking and hanging out it took us about 6 1/2 hours to tour the whole island (its not that big)! Siua came back to get the girls to take them to the airport and I hung out again at A&A's house for the night until it was time to do Kava. I wanted to Dua (i'm sure I'm spelling that wrong), serve kava, because its the only way females can go to the Kava circles. It was an interesting night and loads of fun. I didn't take an pictures because I felt a little stupid about it because I ended up being an extra one and they were nice enough to let me sit in and help part of the time.
FridayI slept in a little and decided I was going to walk to town and explore a little more. I got ice cream (what better breakfast after sweating so much on the walk in!) and sat at the Talamahu market and people watched. Eventually I decided to walk through the market and almost bought a purse made out of Tapa. I explored some shops and was hungry so I went to a cafe. I read the little Tonga tourist guide and it said the national center had Tapa demonstrations after 2 so I thought, hey, I've got no other plans, I'll take the long walk out there! Yeah, turns out they lied and it stopped at 2!! So I took the long walk for nothing! I didn't want to waste the walk so I went to the museum-gallery thing there. It was neat and I got to read a little history and see some of the Royal family stuff. I walked all the way back into town and then out to Hofoa! Not sure WHY i didn't get on one of the million buses that past me, I was really just enjoying watching and looking at everything. That night some people came over to Enrique's to celebrate a PCVs birthday. I wasn't too into partying or drinking so I just sat and watched everything. I went to bed after taking a migraine pill (not sure if the dust and stuff had got to me or it was the period!) and was out like a light for the next 10 1/2 hours!
(oops, I didn't take any pics This day!)
SaturdayI got woken up by Enrique because Siua had called. He wanted to hang out with one of his friends. They came and picked me up and asked what I wanted to do. I really wanted to go to Pangaimotu. They drove me to the dock and hung out with me while I waited for the boat. I went to the little island and spent the day relaxing on the touristy 'palangi' island. It was chill and ended up being perfect because I could see the black clouds over the main island while we had sun. I snorkled, had lunch, walked around the island, and just laid in the sun for 5 hours. I caught the boat back and Siua and his friend were there to pick me up and take me back to the house. We were going to go out that night, I was all ready and waiting and A&A's house... but it turns out they got a flat tire on the way home so we weren't able to. Instead I just hung out and talked with the PCVs all night. Oh, and I did laundry in a very funny machine!
SundayAnyone who wants to go to Tonga must udnerstand that Sunday is Gods day. Literally, nothing is open (except the bread store, a chinese restaurant and the palangi tourist island trips! We bought food the night before to cover what we wanted to eat on Sunday! A&A and Alicia and Bobby were cool enough to go to church with me. It was the big Weseylan Church conference so we hitched (another, very Tongan thing) into town just in time to see a loaded church. Literally people were crammed in and standing and sitting all around the outside of the church. The music and signing was amazing and I could listen to it all day. After church was a feast. What a great Tongan experience. Walking through the rows of tables we eventually got asked to sit down, and after some prayers (i think?) and other talking the free for all began. Tongans eat with their hands so that was neat to see after hearing about it all week. People were tearing into the pigs, and other dishes. I quickly snatched the coke from the basket (what you have to do if you want something) and tried some more Tongan food (what didn't have meat in it!)! It was a great experience and I'm glad I got to see and participate in a real feast (instead of just the touristy one, even though there were loads of tongans at that). We then spent a little time chilling at the PC office and napped (hey, I hear thats what everyone does on Sunday afternoons)! After a quick stop to buy some cheesy bread (again, the only place I saw open in town) we went to their friends house to play Cranium. We spent the evening play the game (my team wone once!) and then got a ride, Tongan style, all crammed into the car back to the house. We all went to sleep pretty early that night!
MondayI woke up super sad that it was my last day but decided to make the most of it! I still had loads I wanted to take pics of decided to call Siua to see what he was up to. He was trying to fix the car so he said he'd come get me when it was done. I waited awhile (i'd woken up early) and eventually started walking into town. I got a ride after a few mins and went back to the Market. I took pictures, bought a purse and a couple postcards and eventually Siua found me. He drove me to a cemetary and another cool place (that if the tide was out we could've walked across to) and then dropped me back off in town. I went looking for a shirt to buy and to find something for Bella and Oscar. I didn't find anything for them that wasn't sold at one of the Chinese shops...and something I could get here, so i didn't get anything. I really wanted this shirt that was died by Kava but it was 40 Top and decided I'd already bought my purse and against it... i never wear tshirts anyways! I had lunch at a Cafe (I needed something besides bread that I'd eaten most of the week) and then headed back out to Hofoa. I got a ride from someone in the village when I was already most of the way there. I took a couple pics and then decided I was really bummed that I hadn't seen Tapa. It was the one thing all week I'd wanted to do. I decided to follow the sound of the pounding and ended up walking up to someones house. They didn't speak English too well but let me watch for a few mins. Then the nicest lady came aroudn the corner and explained to me how they make Tapa, showed me the trees it comes from and then said she was going to paint one and said I could come watch. I helped her lay out the Tapa Cloth an watched so eagerly. I felt like a little kid as I was just amazed by it. They use these little acorn looking things as brushes, and its all natural (from the brush, die, what they make the cloth out of, paste to put it together and even the hammer things they pound it with). Ske kept asking I wanted to do some and I was scared I'd mess it up but after she'd done the design I decided I could color some in. It was awesome to be able to help! I didn't do too much as I had to leave to pack up my stuff! Siua said he'd take me to the airport like he did the other girls after going out. We went to Ambassador bar, I had a drink, the three guys smoked and then we left. We ended up going back and exchanging cars (long silly story about girlfriends and wives not seeing cars at their houses, etc!) and having a great laugh about that! Then we headed out for the 40 min ride to the airport! I said goodbye to Siua cuz he was awesome and if I go back I've totally got to see him again!!! I checked in and had to go to what I could tell was the screening of only Palangi's bags! The security gaurd dude was really nice and I ended up eventually talking to him more. I got on the plane and froze on the way home. I swear the door was leaking freezing cold air. I didn't sleep much because of that!
Tuesday Then I got off the plane, through customs and biosecurity and got McDonalds as I was starving, I'd only had a bowl of beans for lunch! I tried to sleep but at 3 am the stores in the departure part of the airport were all opening (when I just wanted to CLOSE!) and a huge loud group sat right behind me. I maybe slept on and off for an hour til 530. I went out to catch the Airbus....and thought it was going to take me to Sky City. Turns out I went to the end of the line and the driver looked at me and asked where I was going! I told him and they said they don't go there anymore, they changed their route the prior week. Why he didn't tell me that when I paid and told him where I was going, I'm not sure. So he dropped me off on the closest corner, I stopped to by a Starbucks Chai Latte and walked up the hill 3 blocks to Sky City. I got a good 1 hr nap on the bus to Thames in nasty weather but the heater was on!! When we got there it was pouring and I hoofed it to where Carl works. Turns out he wasn't there (he'd gone to Rotorua for the day) and so a coworker drove me (I was soaking wet) to his moms, who didnt answer the door, so I dropped my bags in her backyard and went to the drycleaners (his parents business that his sister manages). She asked if I wanted to make some money since I had nothing to do that day, of course I did! I worked from about 10 to 2:30 (with lunch) and made $55! Yay, then Jeanette (carls mom) took me to her house where I read a magazine and napped for 30 mins until Carl picked me up a little after 6. I got home at 7! So ends the vacation!!
Random Info I learned about Tonga-Palangi is a white person or tourist
-They have wild dogs, pigs, chickens, roosters, cats, and other animals that all run loose (and occasionally all chase each other), make noises at weird hours and then are eaten (ok, only the pigs and sometimes dogs).
-a million people pile into cars, backs of trucks, etc.
-its easy and common to hitchhike (hand down not thumb up) or people will just stop and ask if you want a ride
-the same sound is used to ward of dogs (and animals), get peoples attention, hit on women and about three other uses (think of clearing a throat, making a weird scary scratching sound... not sure how else to describe it)
-rats are in all the houses (not so great if like me you HATE rodents) I saw on in Enriques and heard it running through the roof a few nights and then once at A&A's heard it as well
-animals are not treated like (how we would consider) pets very often, unless its by a Palangi
-Tongans want to marry Palangi's... ask you to find them girl/boy friends, to marry them, etc. With little shame
-No one has water heaters so showers are cold
-Tongans are the friendliest people!
-The headnod is still a totally appropriate way to acknowledge someone (or hit on them)
-While its not 3rd world its defienetly not first world. I would say its somewhere between 2nd and 3rd world
-I got hit on ridiculous amounts... and unlike some places where they are intimidatings Tongans made me just laugh!
-People say 'BYE' when they pass you (it has something to do with how they translate) and by the end of my week I was saying it too.
-Houses are sometimes beyond anything that as an American we would expect to live in but Tongans do it (with whole families) and gladly
-Education is in Tongan (with English taught a little) until high school grade when everything (books, etc) is in English
-Lice are rampant (and I heard huge, in size) and its common to see girls going through their mothers hair picking them out
-villages were all decorated for a contest to win $5000 Top (in effort to clean up Tonga for the coronation in August)
-Men wear 'skirts' and I can't remember what their proper name is, or the thing they were over them. Basically, I love the traditional Tongan Clothes!
-Houses in mourning are draped with black and purple
-All the red and white flag, village decorations, I saw were home made, cut out of old clothes and sewn onto tape or strips of material
-Banana and Coconut trees are everywhere! Along with loads of other crops!
-fale kaloas (sp?) are little shops on the side of the road, usually with bars around it that you walk up and tell them what you want, pay and they hand it out to you bagged up. They are mostly owned by Chinese now.
-Lots of downtown Nuku'alofa was burned down in the riots 2 years ago and they are just now starting to slowly build some things back in the empty spots (and i mean a couple!)
-hitting is used in school as discipline (and at home, and often)
-PCV (peace corp volunteers) are great people and totally willing to show you around their 'home' and tell you about the PC even if its not all great!
-Again, Tongans are super friendly! I can't state that enough!!
I'm sure I'm forgetting loads of what I learned, observed, etc. If you have any questions I'd love to hear them. I had such an amazing time, loved being in the sun and getting a tan (I came back to freezing cold, stormy weather!) and really want to go back. I would've extended my trip except for a stupid online class I'm starting this week, for the heck of it! I can't wait to go back and know its a place I will be heading back to eventually, next time I want to see 'Eua (which is renound for its beautiful hiking, lookouts, etc), and Vava'u which is more touristy and expensive but I hear has great diving (so incentive to get certified) and where all the Yachties go.
The Kingdom of Tonga is such a great place... you should all go!!! (its like Hawaii, but cheaper!)****
