Tongan Tidbits

The wind is still blowing like crazy and rain flies through from time to time but the temperature is quite comfortable and we are enjoying getting to know a little about Tonga. The local customs are sometimes a little confusing but the people who live here are very friendly and happy.

Chris & I enjoyed taking a short walk up the hill from the anchorage area today to see something besides “downtown” Neiafu. One of the more disconcerting things is that they drive on the left side of the road and the roads are only about a car and a half wide. This can make walking a bit treacherous if you (I) can’t remember to stay on the “wrong” side of the road. The homes here are quite different from those we saw in Samoa. First and foremost they don’t plant the relatives in the front yard. I suspect that is because only the King, members of the Nobility or the government can own land. The yards aren’t much to speak of but that could have something to do with the pigs, chickens and stray dogs (which, by the way, are a Tongan food group) roaming around foraging for food. Also, Tongans aren’t real big on flowers. The only native flowering plant here is Frangipani. There are Hibiscus, Poinsettias and a few others but all were imports and are more prized by the Palangi (white people) than the Tongans.

This country is rife with very unusual customs and restrictions. Some come from the influence of western religions but much goes back way before that. Here are just a few interesting little factoids: The royalty, the nobles and the commoners all speak totally different languages. The members of the royal family and the nobility are somewhat able to communicate but the common people don’t have a clue about what the big wigs are saying.

Rank is very important here and Tongans will avoid speaking to each other until they know which one ranks higher. This is NOT easy to establish. Here are a few of the basics: Members of royalty are the highest rank (this one is pretty straightforward). Nobles are next highest and commoners are lowest (again…makes sense). Men are higher than women…BUT…within a family, sisters are higher than brothers. Relatives on Dad’s side are higher than relatives on Mom’s. Older people are higher than younger. From here it gets very muddy

Tongans have the largest body mass of any other race in the world and they consume 3500-5000 calories per day! No skinny fashion models here.

It is not appropriate for people of the opposite sex to touch each other (hold hands, put arms around each other, etc) in public but it is totally acceptable for people of the same sex to do this.

Tongans do not do anything on Sunday except eat, sleep and go to church.

The clothing restrictions are the most interesting. Women must cover their shoulders and their knees so shorts and tank tops are out. Men are not allowed to go around without a shirt on. Swimsuits are NOT allowed at all (when Tongans swim, they do it fully clothed and usually not in the sun…they do their best to avoid sun). Also, they wear woven mats of all different shapes and sizes and, while they aren’t exactly figure flattering, they are a definite status symbol.

Even though the Tongan people have some unusual traits (and, really, who doesn’t?), they are some of the nicest, happiest, least stressed people I have ever met. I am really enjoying this lovely country and her people…even if I do wish I could wear a swimsuit from time to time!

Note: The photo at the top of this entry is the Governor of Tonga and his wife.

Just the news

We are now in Vava’u which is a beautiful archipelago of islands that is a part of the Kingdom of Tonga. This is truly a cruiser’s paradise. Island after island with pristine beaches and world class sailing and snorkeling. Pretty much anywhere you go is a day trip or less and when you arrive it is another perfect anchorage that you may have all to yourself. There has been a big regatta here which started Friday so we have been enjoying the events. Saturday was a race to another island where a party was held on the beach. Yesterday we came back here as Dietmar had to catch a plane this morning to return New York to work a bit. While he is gone Suzanne, Chris & I will be checking out a few more island anchorages. Far and away this is the most beautiful place we have been to so far.
Chris & I were especially excited to discover that “Julia Max” was here when we arrived. We hadn’t seen them since they left Mexico last Spring. They were leaving for Fiji the next day but the 4 of us got together for lunch and did some catching up. It was great to see them again. Just to prove what a small world it is, we went to a relatively new restaurant here called the Giggling Whale which is owned by a man named Sandy who also has a place in Banff, Canada. Turns out I had met Sandy at a ski show in Portland a few years ago and he & my friend, Mary, know each other quite well!
Last night, we had a birthday party for Dietmar on the boat so Chris & I had a chance to meet more of the cruisers. Late in the evening it began raining and has been steady ever since. The swap meet that was to be held today was postponed but the traditional Tongan feast scheduled to take place one one of the beaches this evening will still go on. We plan to attend but if the rain doesn’t let up I believe Suzanne will be going with the “Follow You, Follow Me” crowd and Chris & I will hunker down on the boat. We have very few warm clothes and totally neglected to bring raingear so we are pretty weather dependent when it comes to outside activities. It does, however, seem to be letting up some so we have our fingers crossed.
I have been getting sporadic reports on the situation in San Carlos after hurricane Jimena went through. It didn’t hit San Carlos but they got winds of 50mph or so and record rainfall of 26” in 24 hours. I understand the storage yard where Faith is had as much as 4’ of water going through it at one time. The office sent an email to all the boat owners explaining that only 4 boats were substantially damaged and if you didn’t get a personal email about it, your boat wasn’t one of them. I am happy to report we did receive one! Still, they are now doing a boat by boat check to look for any damage or water that may be inside. We have also heard from friends who were and are there about what the conditions are like. We are also watching the local forum, and Chris has asked some of his Tucson friends who will be going down to check on their boats to take a look at Faith as well. It is a rather helpless feeling to be this far away from her but know there isn’t much we could have done had we been there. I understand the devastation from the flooding is pretty bad. The main street is washed out and about the only way people can get around is with 4WD or walking. The power and water was out for a while but I believe they are starting to get that put back in place. We’ll be happy to hear something more concrete once someone has a chance to look at the boat first hand.
More to come about Tonga in the days ahead!