Tongan Letters...#2

A peaceful morning at the Reef Resort 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   Mark Twain

My favorite quote by Mark Twain was the main reason we left our comfortable home and sailed off into the sunset 1/12 years ago... and then... returning to Tonga to care take the Reef Resort, just to see what it's like to actually LIVE  on an island!

It's been a little over one month, now. Our island “job” was planned months ago when we sailed through the Vava’u group and met the owners of the Reef Resort.  They needed a vacation and we volunteered to come back and “house sit” for three months.

Flying over the "Coral Garden", photo by Doug Wagner

 We are living the “dream” as they say, living on a remote island away from the bustle of town and people. The only way in is by boat to the main town of Nieafu, not far, but far enough away to be quiet and lonely and yes, a little bored!  We have “toys” to keep us busy; an inflatable dinghy with outboard to take us snorkeling on the many coral reefs that surround the islands, a larger travel boat for schlepping the groceries and beer and two stand up paddleboards.  We have many chores to attend to as well; feeding the dog and three cats, checking on the five fales (guesthouses), keeping the electricity going via solar power and generator and keeping the pigs off the property! We really are very busy! I even hand wash my clothes reserving a big load to use the washing machine.  We have oodles of books and movies and music on CDs but we just can’t bring ourselves to watch TV when there is so much natural beauty to watch!

Relaxing at the Reef Resort...

So here we are…in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on an island in Tonga.  On Kapa island to be specific.  Managing a closed resort. It’s a little like being on a sailboat.  Alone and self contained. We have to be self–sufficient, trouble-shoot  any breakdowns.  Like today, the gas-powered refrigerator is not staying cold.  John pulls it apart and checks the thermostat…it is out. What to do? There’s no buying a new refrigerator here.  It might take months to get from New Zealand.  Luckily, we are able to borrow a small electric cooler used in one of the guest cottages.   Gotta have cold beer!  (We ordered a new thermostat to be air mailed).  Similar breakdowns happened while we were sailing.  Things we took for granted at home, like working appliances...when not working are major problems on an island.   It’s a little like camping, though; we do have some great luxuries here, like solar power, Polynesian furnished rooms, great showers and high-speed internet!  So, it’s not all that bad!

Our living room with a view!

We have to manage our use of energy.  We have ten solar panels that fill a bank of batteries. That is our power source.  If the sun doesn’t shine one day, our batteries kick in draw down amps.  We need electricity for the cooling fans, the refrigerator and washing machine and lights, but we usually go to bed when the sun goes down, so don’t really use the lights.  This all adds up to energy used.  We use diesel fuel to run the generator to top off the battery bank.

Our beached boat...

Once a week we go to town, for groceries and fuel if we need it.  Some times we take a village neighbor if they need a ride. Into the travel boat across the channel to our parked car, schlep the diesel and gas containers into town to fill up and then schlep all fuel and groceries back to boat.  Hopefully, the boat is not “high and dry”! The boat must be anchored just right off the beach depending on the tides…anchor too close and you will have a beached boat at low tide! It happened one time!  We paid several strapping young men to help push the boat back into the water!

Our friend,  Doug Wagner comes to visit...

Loading up Doug's luggage for trip back to the island...

First day out on the SUP's

Our friend Doug Wagner came to visit and stayed for two weeks! We had a great time.  He helped with our many maintenance chores, even vacuumed the main living fale, which was over-the-top in my opinion, but made Doug happy!

Goodies from the US of A

He brought many "goodies" for us (chocolate and tequila) parts for the outboard motor and school supplies for the neighboring village. We made a special dinner every night and, lobster was served often.

Ready for these big boys?

Is three lobsters too much for one person?

Haniteli and research botanist identifying plants.

On Sunday, we went to a Tongan feast at Ene'io Botanical Gardens where we enjoyed a roast pig complimented by other Tongan foods. We met some local people and walked the gardens with Haniteli, the owner who was getting his plants identified by visiting botanists. 

Roast pig Tongan style!

One LONG day we spent at customs receiving a large package...a dinghy ordered by the resort owner.  We all got to see how frustrating the procedure of duty and customs is in Tonga. It’s antiquated and slow. Too many “chiefs” and not enough forward motion!  Doug was a real trooper to waste some of his vacation time with our “busy” work.

The new ride!

In the end, it was worth it as we opened the package and assembled an inflatable dinghy and got to use it for our next day snorkeling adventure! What an improvement over the clunky travel boat we had been using!

Nice, but slow and fuel guzzling boat we used before the dinghy arrived...

 We explored many reefs and Doug was able to swim in the Swallows Cave and the “Coral Garden” a popular dive spot mentioned in the guidebooks as THE spot to snorkel!   We didn't join him this time as the tide demanded a "swim-in"through breakers and I'm just not up that hardy of an adventure!

Swallow's Cave

Colorful fish, photo by Doug Wagner

Large pancake looking, Acropora latistella

Lov'in it!

March 8 2014

I visited the Otea Village, our Tongan neighbors on Kapa Island and delivered the school supplies that Doug had brought; pencils, notebooks and colored paper.  They were most appreciative. The teacher had 17 kids in one class room. It is festive and looks like fun! She said they could use English reading books for ages 5-13 years old.  Maybe I can get my USA friends to send some?

Otea village school children

Looks like fun!

One room school house in Otea

Otea village women weaving a mat

Another Tongan meal was made for us by our neighbors, Sione and Ana...roast pig in the wild!

Roast pig captured and cooked by Sione

 Sweet  one year old, Helen and Ana

Skirting the storm...

Most days it rains…the weather changes daily. Puffy white clouds turn into dark thunder squalls, the faucet turns on and it pours, then its over, the sun comes out and a cooling breeze clears the sky.

Yesterday, we went exploring out to a far reef near Fanua Tapu pass.  We saw the storm clouds on the horizon, with dark rain coming our way.  But it looked like it was moving slow and would pass to the south of us…we continued our snorkeling on a undiscovered reef…look what I see? A back-tipped reef shark! Our first sighting in Tonga! Nice to finally see a shark. It’s proof that the reef is alive and healthy with a complete eco system, including sharks.

Black-tipped reef shark

Today, I’m laying low sheltered from the sun, staying indoors…seems I sunburned my lips to such a degree they erupted into cold sores (herpes simplex virus)…bummer.  Not much else to do here if not snorkeling or swimming.

I’m reading a good book…and looking out to the water…waiting for my wounds to heal..so boring…

Got a good collection of Tongan shells going...

March 13 2014
Lips are still blistered, though slowly healing…might as well go snorkeling.  I protected my lips from the sun wearing a bandanna like a bank robber. Looks silly!

Protecting my blistered lips from the sun!

We snorkeled the “Coral Garden” today! This is the famous dive spot mentioned earlier, that Doug swam into. It's problematic to get into in the wrong tide.  You either walk over dry reef(on a low tide) or swim through breakers to the drop-off(on a high tide)…well, we just dinghyed on the ocean side at high tide on a calm day and dropped an anchor in the calm swells...perfect!

Awesome multi-colored corals...not captured by my camera!

 Our anchor is non destructive as it's made of dive weights on chain so it won't catch on a coral head and break it.  We dropped in over a beautiful carpet of multi-colored corals…as good as everyone says! It is a blanket of many different kinds rolling softly down into deep blue water of a pass.

Corals are many!

 Lots of fish, too and our pleasant surprise of a black-tipped reef shark swimming by to check us out!
Again, a shark sighting is my note to end the snorkel session.  Even though, reef sharks are generally “harmless”, I still feel they are “checking us out for possible food. Still it was good to see the shark as it means this is a healthy reef with plenty of fish. Back in the dinghy, we “beat” our way back around Nuapapu through the “washing-machine”  confused waves caused by bouncing off the sides of the islands making for an uncomfortable ride back to our home on Kapa island.

Sunset after the storm

The days come and go, the rains come and go...and the pace of living on an island slows the mind and body.  The heat keeps physical activity to a minimum. I say tomorrow, "I'll go paddling...and the day slips away...as I sip chilled coconut milk in the shade.
Malo.