Tag: South Pacific

Posted on

China and the Mormons are buying the South Pacific

Tongatapu, Tonga

Did we mention that the ferry that we’re on replaced the one that sank with 27 people onboard a few months back?  The ship was unsafe and everyone died.

We found this out at about 1 am while chatting with the bridge team.

Our voyage was thankfully uneventful and we arrived the next day on the capital island of Tongatapu.

We spent a week there and first off: Best Chinese fried rice ever!  No idea why, makes little sense, but dude, you’re talking to two people who lived in the Bay Area for years so it’s not like we’ve not had good Chinese.  If you ever get to Tonga, go to the Chinese restaurant next to the hotel in the capital facing the water on the main shore road.

Speaking of friend rice, Tonga is also a perfect example of something we’ve been meaning to bring to your attention for quite some time now:  The Mormon church and the Chinese government are buying the South Pacific one village at a time.

Continue reading “China and the Mormons are buying the South Pacific”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailBattle Fortress: South Pacific Default ThumbnailChristmas in the South Pacific (part 2) Default ThumbnailWelcome to the Kingdom Default ThumbnailTonga’s 3rd Gender
Posted on

Back on the Surface

Vava’u, Tonga

Like we said, Vava’u is a cruising paradise and there are just some things you need a boat for:

Just in case you thought the water was nothing but frolicking baby whales and amazing coral, we found out that Tonga waters also play host to hundreds of jellyfish that “come up” at night.

 

Continue reading “Back on the Surface”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNemo’s home Default ThumbnailThe Friendly Islands Default ThumbnailSwimming with Baby Whales Default ThumbnailNational Population – 1300
Posted on

No Turkeys in Tonga!

Vava’u Tonga,

It’s an odd feeling to be in a place where the holidays you grew up with are not celebrated – or even recognized for that matter.  Also, the cruising world being what time becomes more…fluid, which is not made less complicated from the occasional forays over international date lines.  Short of it is the below conversation has actually occurred more than once:

Tiffany: Greg, what month is it?

Greg: Very funny.

Tiffany: No, seriously, what month is it?

Greg: uh……

Hey look, the weather’s consistently the same and for all intents and purposes we’ve been in “summer” ever since we left Mexico.  So, it can be confusing.  Keeping track of the month can be difficult enough so individual days we’ve pretty much all given up on.  The massive restrictions on Tongan business on Sundays are actually helpful because we all know which day Sunday is at least.

Also, there’s no Tonga Turkeys that we could find but we muddled through with a bit of island flair

 

Continue reading “No Turkeys in Tonga!”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailTonga has BACON! Default ThumbnailTonga’s 3rd Gender Default ThumbnailWelcome to the Kingdom Default ThumbnailPirates!
Posted on

Swimming with Baby Whales

Vava’u Tonga,

Like Niue, Tonga is favored by the humpback whales as a combination bordello/nursery for the production and raising of young until they get enough blubber to survive the cold of Antarctica.  Unlike Niue, Tonga is one of about 3 places in the world where you can actually get in the water and swim with whales.  Yes, swim.  With whales.  How close you ask?  Well check out this video of a baby whale breeching 30 yards away from the swimmers!

 

Continue reading “Swimming with Baby Whales”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailWhale Sex Default ThumbnailStill Walking on the Wild Side Default ThumbnailHow exactly do trees grow on coral? Default ThumbnailBack on the Surface
Posted on

Nemo’s home

Vava’u Tonga,

Not only is Vava’u a cruiser’s paradise, the islands and barrier reef of this group make for some fantastic diving.  One does feed into the other.  In order to get to the dives sites you have to be able to traverse the water between the islands, which means hiring a dive boat or bringing your own.  This keeps a limitation on how many people actually get to the sites which in turn keeps the dive areas in pristine condition.

 

Underwater Tonga was unique in that among all the islands we’ve seen, in Tonga the coral really steals the show.  With colors including lime green, purple, red and every hue in between not to mention varying in size from the size of a hand to well larger than a human, the coral in Vava’u was a sight to behold.  Most of it was close enough to the surface and received enough sunlight to really bring out the beauty lying just below the surface.  The crystal clear water everywhere you went didn’t hurt either.

Continue reading “Nemo’s home”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailBack on the Surface Default ThumbnailAnd the UN was right! Default ThumbnailThen we swam under the island! Default ThumbnailLand, Sea and Air Critters
Posted on

The Friendly Islands

Vava’u, Tonga

Tonga is made of several island chains and we’re in Vava’u, the Northernmost group.

With over 30 anchorages all within a day’s sail of each other in addition to being partially enclosed by protective reef islands and some of the most gorgeous natural landscapes we’ve seen so far, it is no wonder Vava’u is a cruisers paradise.

Continue reading “The Friendly Islands”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailNemo’s home Default ThumbnailBack on the Surface Default ThumbnailNeedles, Haystacks and Islands Default ThumbnailOverly Friendly Locals in Polynesia
Posted on

Tonga’s 3rd Gender

Vava’u, Tonga

…cont from previous post

So yes church.  Any discussion of Tonga would be incomplete without church.  Did you notice the flag?  Go back and take a look.  We’ll wait

Now what is the one identifiable symbol on the Tonga flag?

Yes, Tonga is a Christian nation.

Continue reading “Tonga’s 3rd Gender”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailTonga has BACON! Default ThumbnailChina and the Mormons are buying the South Pacific Default ThumbnailWelcome to the Kingdom Default ThumbnailPirates!
Posted on

Tonga has BACON!

Vava’u, Tonga

What would a real Polynesian country have?

Well, pigs.  They have a lot of pigs.

And unlike their fellow Polynesian countries, corrupted as they are by European influences, Tonga actually uses their pigs for their highest truest purpose:

Tonga has bacon!

No, not euro/Canadian inferior bacon.  Real bacon.  Bacon bacon.  The only actual freaking pig product that deserves the title of bacon and that’s freaking bacon!

 

Continue reading “Tonga has BACON!”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailOnly one thing smells like bacon and that’s BACON!!! Default ThumbnailTonga’s 3rd Gender Default ThumbnailNo Turkeys in Tonga! Default ThumbnailEaster & Bacon
Posted on

Welcome to the Kingdom

Vava’u, Tonga

Of all the different nations of the South Pacific Tonga is unique in that it is the only one to have never lost self-governance.  While every other nation out here has at one time or another (and most are currently) subject to the protection / governance / colonization of a foreign power, Tonga has always remained their own country.  They can trace their monarchy back to its founding and the different chiefs of islands before that.  Considering there was an age of time where colonization was what the West pretty much DID, it is impressive simply that Tonga is, in fact, always and still Tongan.

What it also means is that if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you blended modern times with ancient Polynesian culture all you need do is look at Tonga for your answer.

Continue reading “Welcome to the Kingdom”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailThe Upside to Colonization Default ThumbnailTonga has BACON! Default ThumbnailTonga’s 3rd Gender Default ThumbnailThe many hazards of landlubbing
Posted on

No Flux Capacitor required!

Talking to you from…

THE FUTURE!  (cue Sci Fi music – dun dun duuuuuunnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!)

Those of you that have been following along may remember that Tiffany and Greg earned the most auspicious title of “Trusty Shellbacks” by participating in an equator line crossing ceremony a few months back.  What you may NOT know is that “Trusty Shellback” is only the most well-known of a plethora of unofficial awards that celebrate assorted feats of nautical daring-do.  For example, both of us also hold the “Order of the Spanish Main” for sailing in the Caribbean.  (No Black Pearls, though there were some drug runners) and Greg holds the coveted “Order of the Ditch” for successfully navigating thorough the Panama Canal and is also a “Plank Owner”.

There are certificates for all kinds of feats from circumnavigating the globe (Order of Magellan) to sailing in the Arctic Circle (Blue Nose) to crossing the Equator & Prime Meridian at the same time (Emerald Shellback).  But the reason this matters today is that today, or, more accurately for you, tomorrow is that day, whichever it is, is the day we cross the International Date Line and become members of the Empire of the Golden Dragon!

 

Continue reading “No Flux Capacitor required!”

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailFirst! FIRST!! Default ThumbnailTonga’s 3rd Gender Default ThumbnailTonga has BACON! Default ThumbnailPirates!