Tonga: Vava'u, Neiafu Harbor

Tonga...when I was young, I didn't even know where Tonga was. And unlike highly publicized Tahiti or Bora Bora, when I did learn where Tonga was I still didn't know what it looked like.

It turned out that Vava'u, in the northern part of Tonga, looked much like Washington's San Juan Islands. The contours of the scattered islets--covered to the waterline with green---looked like home, with a different colored filter: the water was South-Pacific-Blue and the trees were light coconut palms rather than dark evergreens. And like the Pacific Northwest, there were whales! People come from around the world to see the mother & calf humpbacks that feed here this time of year. We had a couple of pairs swim near our boat our very first morning. Welcome to Tonga!

Il Sogno towing Second Wind into Neiafu

It was an ignominious entrance, however. The morning we arrived, our transmission failed, so some cruising friends towed us to the customs wharf and then to a mooring buoy. A few days later one of our two alternators failed as well; what timing! Once again I was grateful that Art is such a good mechanic, able to pull apart convoluted systems, diagnose problems and fix them.

In Seattle a part would be available across town, but here parts are flown via circuitous routes across the globe, and a two week wait is minimal. We ended up stuck in Neiafu for 16 days.  On the one hand, we were quite disappointed, since we'd had visions of a month lingering in the lovely island anchorages we knew were scattered everywhere around us. On the other hand, it was fortunate to have problems crop up here, rather than out in the middle of the ocean. Most cruising boats had been laid up somewhere along the way already, so I guess it was just our turn...

Anchorages are best, but Neiafu was a very enjoyable harbor; we had cultural experiences that would not have happened if we had been in isolated coves elsewhere. Some tastes of Tongan life:

Extremely well protected, Neiafu is a mecca for passing cruisers; almost everyone, regardless of ultimate destination--Australia or New Zealand--moors here for rest, repairs, and as a base for exploring the outer islands in the Vava'u Group. (Many other boats were undergoing major repairs too, from rudders to refrigerators--including at least 2 other alternators!) This photo shows a couple of local fishing boats, their small boat harbor, and dozens of cruisers.

A terrific feature of Neifau was the fruit & vegetable market. Local stores didn't carry many staples, but the market was always well stocked with local produce. These are all typical scenes: produce sold in homemade baskets (their equivalent of large shopping bags) or stacked in colorful piles, everyone from young children to old women involved.

Tonga is definitely a third world country. Government offices are tables set up in abandoned warehouses on the wharf, almost all buildings are dilapidated, and houses look like hovels. To Western eyes it seems like poverty, but there is no poverty of spirit or attitude. All the Tongans we encountered were extraordinarily cheerful and friendly, pleased to initiate conversations and involve us in their activities.

Many homes look like this

Many others are nicer--though they all have free range pigs!

         


                                                                                                                                 

Roosters and chickens overran every country we visited, but in Tonga they were joined by piglets everywhere. We figured that was because roast pig is the centerpiece of every Tongan feast (apologies to vegetarian readers).

                                                                            

Traditional dress still is still worn every day by many people, and by nearly everyone at church. Both men and women wear long skirts, and weavings are worn around the waist. With black clothing--the most traditional--wide mats (!) are tied with a black sash. Some women and most younger people wear more colorful garments (still skirts for males), and the woven belt has panels in various designs hanging from it. Each mat and belt is unique, and the variety is spectacular!

The most common forms of transportation are old vans and open-bed trucks. The low sides make it easy to load piles of goods, but most often they load piles of people!

The other form of transportation is homemade wooden boats. The boats are used for fishing, but also to transport families from the outer islands into Neiafu for shopping. We saw 14 people squeeze onto one small boat, headed to another island; it sure looked precarious! These kids are using their boat for an afternoon's entertainment in the water.

          

     

High school students at a boarding school
(small islands have primary schools, but older students gather at Neiafu)

Preschool students

All students wear uniforms, different from school to school. Many of the churches have their own schools, but the public school is considered the most prestigious.

This photo shows students from a different high school (different uniform)
hanging out at the mall, Tonga style. "Shopping Center" means a center for shopping--e.g. some household and hardware items, not just groceries, in the one small store.

We were happy to learn that music is taught in all the schools; it's clearly highly valued (as it has been everywhere in Polynesia).  Tongan singing was different from anything we had heard so far--still with equal multiple parts, but more symphonic in character. There were exciting dynamics and rhythmic pauses, antiphonal passages and intriguing harmonies--and it was often accompanied by a large brass ensemble (even in church!).

This student band plays at the Methodist church and evening events, and parades down the street to welcome honored visitors. They are extremely well trained and sound fantastic!

"String bands" are for entertainment, often with a bowl of kava at a gathering. They consist of a mixture of ukuleles, guitars, banjos and a Tongan bass--a homemade instrument consisting of a box with a hole in it, slabs of wood for neck and fingerboard, and one fat string (that is literally just a length of string). We were amazed at how proficient
the bass players were!

 Dancing is more reserved than in the previous countries we've visited. Women generally dance solo, with subtle and graceful hand movements. Note the shiny arms, covered with coconut oil: when people appreciate the dancing, they come up and stick small bills directly onto the dancers!

         

In many countries we have visited, it's common to see men who have been raised as women, usually when there have already been several boys born to one family. This is a widely accepted practice; here is Brian, dressed and dancing as a woman.

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On one of our last mornings in Neiafu, the "yachties" headed to New Zealand were treated to a dance performance by a school with connections to Whangarei (NZ). What a treat to cap our stay! Tonga, "the Friendly Islands"--so called by Captain James Cook when he first visited in 1773--more than lived up to its name.