Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga
Not only did we lose Tuesday, May 16 altogether last night, but we ended up this morning in a whole new landscape. It was like we had been transported into a place like the San Juan Islands of Washington State, except there were palm trees and lush tropical forests instead of fir trees and madronas. We found ourselves winding our way through this maze of uplifted limestone islets on our way to our morning stop at Neiafu, the capital of Vava’u and the second largest town in the Kingdom of Tonga. There we were greeted by a fire-eating dancer of great courage and by lively music from a brass band made up of youth from the town schools, of which there are five. Most of us boarded buses for a 20 minute ride through the countryside to a vanilla plantation where we were shown how the vanilla plants (which are in the orchid family) are cultivated and the beans dried for sale and export. We were offered refreshment and music and treated graciously by the local people. And of course there was some shopping for local crafts. When we returned to the town, there was plenty of time to wander and to explore the shops and church and visit the wonderful craft and produce market down by the wharf.
A delicious lunch was served on deck while the ship moved 6 miles from Neiafu to the tiny island of Nuku, truly an island paradise for our afternoon of water sports and relaxation. Offerings were plentiful and the time spacious: snorkeling, kayaking, massage on the beach, glass bottom boat rides, Zodiac tours as well as a dive for the scuba folks. The water was clear and warm, the undersea life abundant and beautiful, and everyone had a glorious time on the island. In the later afternoon, Zodiac tours were offered to the swallow caves, which were deep grottos cut into the steep limestone cliffs of the islands. Our drivers maneuvered the Zodiacs into the caverns which were about 100 feet high and perhaps that deep and dripping with stalactites from the ceiling and some stalagmites growing up from the cave floor. In one of them, the top was open so we could see the trees and other jungle vegetation growing around the rim and filtering the light in a pale green sheen while blue light filtered in from the depths through the cave opening. A night dive was offered as a bit of frosting on the day for the scuba divers. At the evening recap, the lounge was abuzz with energy as we shared the wonderful adventures of this, our first day in the Kingdom of Tonga.
Not only did we lose Tuesday, May 16 altogether last night, but we ended up this morning in a whole new landscape. It was like we had been transported into a place like the San Juan Islands of Washington State, except there were palm trees and lush tropical forests instead of fir trees and madronas. We found ourselves winding our way through this maze of uplifted limestone islets on our way to our morning stop at Neiafu, the capital of Vava’u and the second largest town in the Kingdom of Tonga. There we were greeted by a fire-eating dancer of great courage and by lively music from a brass band made up of youth from the town schools, of which there are five. Most of us boarded buses for a 20 minute ride through the countryside to a vanilla plantation where we were shown how the vanilla plants (which are in the orchid family) are cultivated and the beans dried for sale and export. We were offered refreshment and music and treated graciously by the local people. And of course there was some shopping for local crafts. When we returned to the town, there was plenty of time to wander and to explore the shops and church and visit the wonderful craft and produce market down by the wharf.
A delicious lunch was served on deck while the ship moved 6 miles from Neiafu to the tiny island of Nuku, truly an island paradise for our afternoon of water sports and relaxation. Offerings were plentiful and the time spacious: snorkeling, kayaking, massage on the beach, glass bottom boat rides, Zodiac tours as well as a dive for the scuba folks. The water was clear and warm, the undersea life abundant and beautiful, and everyone had a glorious time on the island. In the later afternoon, Zodiac tours were offered to the swallow caves, which were deep grottos cut into the steep limestone cliffs of the islands. Our drivers maneuvered the Zodiacs into the caverns which were about 100 feet high and perhaps that deep and dripping with stalactites from the ceiling and some stalagmites growing up from the cave floor. In one of them, the top was open so we could see the trees and other jungle vegetation growing around the rim and filtering the light in a pale green sheen while blue light filtered in from the depths through the cave opening. A night dive was offered as a bit of frosting on the day for the scuba divers. At the evening recap, the lounge was abuzz with energy as we shared the wonderful adventures of this, our first day in the Kingdom of Tonga.
