Month: June 2017
Spend – Neiafu
When you can’t decide which souvenirs to buy, and you want to support the local economy, buy ’em all! Malo ‘aupito, Neiafu!
Immerse – Pacific: The Ocean of the Future, by Simon Winchester
I never intended to be totally nerdy about this trip, but I do have that tendency. It wasn’t helped by seeing this book about the Pacific on the bargain table at my local bookshop the day before I left and feeling it was begging to be squeezed into my backpack even though I had a well-stocked Kindle all set to go. Well, it turned out to be a perfect case of serendipity since it is rather isolated here and extremely windy, so reading is a must. And although I am also reading novels, I find narrative style non-fiction to be a great way to focus the mind.
Simon Winchester’s book is a beguiling read, wide in scope and full of variety. In some editions this was published as “Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World’s Superpowers”, which gives a more useful idea of its content, but is overly long and no doubt had publishers screaming to the author “we’ll run out of ink and there’ll be no room on the cover for your name!” I’ve learned about the huge extent of the nuclear testing and the impact it had on people and the environment. I was furious reading about the shocking treatment of the Marshall Island people.
Luckily there was a lighter side with an eye-opening chapter on the development of surfing. Also fascinating is the story of Sony and how Japan became a leader in electronics. Reading about the handing back of numerous Pacific countries from the many European countries and the US brought home the chilling arrogance of Empire building. Tonga, for example, had been under British Protection since 1900 and gained freedom in 1970.
With the unrelenting wind, it has been apt to read about weather patterns and why the Pacific is becoming increasingly cyclonic. It relates back to the sun, of course, which links in with my other nerdy interest.
This is the kind of book I’ll keep on the bookcase and dip back into now and then. It tells a story of an astonishing part of our planet, numerous stories actually. You can read any chapter in any order, or use the excellent index to find snapshot information. It has proven itself a perfect travel companion despite its size. Best of all, it encourages me to be calm and still.
Hitch – Pangai, Vava’u
It is quickly apparent that it is difficult to go walking in Tonga, as you always get offered a ride. This is of course wonderful as you get to meet and chat with the locals. But if you want the exercise, forget it!
Today I am lucky enough to walk several kilometres before an offer comes so I get to walk through the delightful village of Pangaimotu. The highlight is the beautiful smiling school children who are leaving the school at lunchtime and greet me with cheery “hellos” and “byes”.
Walking in the heat to an unknown destination has all the dusty feel and smells of my travelling past. I am back in France, Greece and Israel where I wandered the back roads in a similar fashion.
My lift comes just when I need it. It is hotter than I’d expected and I have just wrapped a sarong around me to protect my Celtic legs. A local is collecting his mate from the opposite side of the island. He asks where my partner is and when I say I’m here alone, he laughs and says “Ah, you’ve left him at home to earn the money!” I don’t correct him, and for a few seconds enjoy his fantasy. I say I’m looking for a nice beach to relax on. He tips me off about the nearby resorts and drops me between two of them. So I find myself wandering into the very sweet and tidy Tongan Beach Resort with white raked sand and fales. Picture postcard perfect. I order a Popao (a light, crisp Tongan beer) and drink it from a fale on the jetty.
Two lovely Kiwis pick me up on my return journey. With them is a beautiful young Tongan woman who they are signing with as she is deaf. She is eating small oranges and gives me one to try. She warns me through signing and gestures that they are rather tart. They are, but I like that. The Kiwi couple are from Dunedin and are volunteers for the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
I arrive back at the Villa, delighted at my short adventure, and recognising that it is the unexpected interactions which are making this such a special time. The activities I might have done if I’d been feeling energetic and the weather had been less windy, would pale in comparison.
Savour -Vava’u
So here I am lying on a beautiful rope woven daybed on a verandah of the guest house. The wind is blowing. The coconut palms and other pretty green trees are swaying. It feels wild and raw, just my thing. And there is absolutely nothing that I should do or must do. Opposite the verandah is a vanilla plantation. YUM! And there is a view of the choppy ocean and more lush islands. This place is three kms from the town of Neiafu so feels remote, much like the feeling of being at our family bach on the Thames Coast. Works End! I shall go exploring later in the day once my headache passes. 
Explore – Nuku’alofa
I’m enjoying a morning of wandering, and wondering, in Nuku’alofa, the main town. Wonderful to see the palace, such a revered part of the Kingdom. In fact I’m writing this from a picnic table nearby and can see its balconies clearly. The pace is so relaxed, and this takes a while to adjust to, but I’m sure it’s how we all should be living. A very light shower a few minutes ago came with a colourful delight. 
Depart – from Aotearoa to the Kingdom of Tonga
The holiday begins with a nice chat with the Uber driver who tells me he is from Fiji. A further chat about my holiday in Tonga then he launches into a full on discussion about alcohol, including how he can drink a whole bottle of whisky without getting a hangover. He tells me to buy Jim Beam on my way home so that he can pick me up and see what happens if I have a whole bottle. I had to protest of course. I prefer the real thing from bonnie Scotland.
So I arrive at a busy airport in good spirits, hoping that the holiday will continue in this friendly and hilarious fashion. I’m very early because that’s me. I collect my Tongan pa’anga and note that this is the first nugget of purest green on this adventure. And not so pure green is what I would be if I ever did as the Uber guy suggested.
Nuggets of Purest Green 