Looking at Photos on the Blog

Just a reminder - the photos in the blog are mostly hi res and you can see a blow up if you double click on them.

Tonga Photos III

Dinghy dock leading up to the Aquarium Cafe. I spent many hours and days on the internet here. Run by a great couple - Ben and Lisa. Highly recommended.

The famous Mermaid restaurant and bar, also known as the Vava'U Yacht Club but never called that. This is THE place for live music and hanging with other cruisers evenings. Almost got closed down when they played music during official mourning period for the late King.

View of the harbor from the shore line road. Maggie Drum is in the distance but it would be harder than finding Elmo to tell you.

Tonga Photos II

Pete the Meat is a real person. He is a somewhat eccentric ex-cruiser from New Zealand who saw a need for importing quality meats. He also sells potatoes and cheese. He and his native Tongan wife, Happy, knew Maggie Drum from the 90's when it visited Tonga with the previous owners. Pete and Happy owned a resort on one of the smaller islands then but it was a difficult business so they moved to Vava'U. Happy owns the land where the infamous Full Moon Parties were held.

The main, and only, gas station in "downtown" Neiafu. They don't do windows.

The veggie market in Neiafu. The baskets in the foreground have taro root and other staples, including Kava kava roots for making the narcotic drink. Supposed to taste like muddy dishwater but we have not tried it yet. You have to drink it for hours to have any effect and then it is not much. More hype than reality, but it is very popular with the locals where it is an excuse to sit around and laugh. The Tongans are big laughfers.

Other view of the market. Inside they sell more veggies and crafts made on the islands.

View of the main drag. This is the outside of the largest grocery store in town on a Saturday morning. Everyone comes to town on Saturdays.

The large Catholic church on top of the hill. It is the largest landmark from the harbor. You can clearly hear the singing from there on the boat on Sundays, Wednesday nights and other nights. Unfortunately, you can also hear the bells at 4am on Sunday mornings (and at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc). The bells aren't as bad as the roosters though, who don't seem to know that dawn is only one time each day. They crow all night long and all day long and are VERY loud and obnoxious.

View of remote beach on north side of Vava'U. I took a buggy ride there a couple of times through the old coconut palm plantations and farms.

Tonga Photos I

The Vava'U, almost International, airport. It has one runway and several airlines who stop there. They only go to Tongatapu (the capitol where the real international airport is) and to the Hapa'i group of islands just south of the Vava'U group.

This is our favorite plane that goes from Vava'U to Tongatapu. It went out of service for a major overhaul in New Zealand just after I left on it this last time. It was built during World War II. I think the pilots were born before then. They check the fuel with a stick they drop into the wing tanks. It is a safe and reliable airplane though. The other, newer airplanes broke down a lot but this one never did.