Oct 13-19, 2014 Vuda Point, Fiji
End of our first week in Fiji. I love this country, even though the marina is not quite as pictured. Their brochure and website talk about a hotel with swimming pool, apartments for rent, extensive landscaping with fruit trees, supermarket, laundry, extensive repair facilities a large, hurricane safe marina…. All is technically true, but more as a work in progress than a reality. the supermarket is a small store. Half of the marina is a mud flat although the completed half is fine. The laundry is one machine that never seems to get my clothes clean. But still, the people are wonderful. The restaurant is very good, as is the breakfast cafe. Wifi is impossible, slow and hard to connect on the boat. We get 1 hour per day free and so far have not even been about to use that.
Now that we are tied into our space, we need to deal with getting on and off Rhapsody. It is not a problem at mean tide but high and low tides are very difficult. Rhapsody has a low freeboard but a high clipper bow. This means that at high tide the bow is about 4 feet above the dock. To get on and off we have to go onto the bow pulpit, climb over the railing and step onto the small platform. This is done while pulling on the dock line to get close enough to reach it with one foot. Eventually we found a board which could be lashed across the bow to give us a bit of a toe hole on the outside of the railing. So first climb over the rail and balance on a 1’6” bit of wood. Then pull not the line to move the boat in. Then quickly step onto the platform. The minute you let go of the line the boat starts to move away again. I finally found a big plastic bucker that I could use as a step stoop. Getting back on is the reverse and low tide is a whole other problem (Pictures will be on Facebook soon). Of course this is even worse when you are carrying laundry, groceries, trash, computers or anything else.
Many of the boats here seem to be empty. This is known to be a safe hurricane harbor so lots of people leave their boats here and fly home All around the marina are boats which have been pulled out of the water and embedded into pits in the ground for hurricane safety. We have opted to keep Rhapsody in the water and stay aboard. If there is actually a hurricane, called cyclone here, we will go next door to the hotel for the duration.
Yes there is a nice hotel next door. There used to be a connecting gate but something happened and now the gate is locked, so cruisers need to walk down the road about half a mile or climb around the rocks to get around the fence. Other than the marina and the hotel, there is nothing here. We are way out in the country. A bus come by every few hours and goes into the next big town, Lautoka. It is also possible to get to Nadi and Denerau by changing busses on the main highway. Definitely a slow pace of life here. The first trip to town was a delight. The bus stopped at every driveway, even if they were only a hundred meters apart, to pick up school kids. It wandered up and down the back roads, picking up and dropping off for almost an hour before we got to town, 7 miles away.
The town of Lautoka is small, packed with small stores mostly run by Indians. This is Diwali season and there are sales everywhere; saris and jeweled skirts and wonderful fabrics and jewelry and fireworks and lights. Prices are good, especially compared to Tahiti but the selection in the grocery stores is limited. Once again it is hard to find ground coffee or old fashioned oatmeal or granola. There is a huge vegetable market and a good meat market, but since we have no refrigeration it is hard to really take advantage of it.
Mostly this week has been lazy. We spent several days just reading and evenings in the bar. Fiji has several brands of local beer for $3-$4. Tuesday night is half price pizza night. Wednesday and Saturday are movie nights. Thursday is happy hour. Friday and Sunday feature live music, quite good actually. Interestingly enough, there is a different crowd in the bar and restaurant every night, not just cruisers. Even though it seems like we are miles from anywhere, we must be close enough to town for the locals to come for dinner and to watch the gorgeous sunsets.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Tonga to Fiji
Oct 4, 2014
Tonga to Fiji
This was the best passage of the trip and the one that comes closest to the promised trade wind sailing. There was rain the night before and cloudy in the morning but it was not raining. The weather forecast seems OK, as far as we can tell. We are a few days from the full moon. There is a prediction of 20-25 knot winds for a few hours on Wed. morning but we should be OK. It is Monday morning and we are planning on 7 days to go 700+ miles and probably an extra 1/2 day to get through the reef and up to the marina. We have almost never done more than 100 miles per day, usually less.
Once away from the islands of Tonga the weather cleared. We hoisted jib and mizzen. The main sail is double reefed because of the rip but we probably won’t actually use it. We seem to do just fine with jib and mizzen. The wind picked up to about 15 knots. Seas were relatively smooth . We were on a reach and just flying along at 6.5+ knots. Perfect. And it kept up like that all day, all night and most of the next day. Darn, this has thrown our schedule completely off. We have just done 2 days passage in one day. If we keep up this pace we will get there on Friday, which we just found out is a holiday. There is no chance we can make it by Thursday morning, even at this speed.
Suddenly on the weather reports we started hearing about 3-4 meter swells for the next week days in the Kandavu pass, just where we had planned to go. Since Fiji is covered with small atolls, reefs and islands, Alan had decided we would play it safe and sail the southern route and then turn north to Vuda Point when we had cleared most of the hazards. Now it looks like that was not such a good idea. In fact, when we checked in with Gulf Harbor Radio weather they said, “If you are not too far away, you should turn back and wait a week”. Would have been nice if they had said that several days ago. We are not going back but we can change our course. We have plenty of time. If we get in among the islands they should smooth out the swells. So we turn right and head due north for about 24 hours. Still beautiful sailing weather, despite what the weather reports are saying. Easy swells, perfect wind, good speed and the auto pilot is working! This is how it should be. We officially crossed the 180 degree line so our position is now east not west longitude. The date line actually takes a jog around Tonga so we had already adjusted the calendar.
Once we turned west again we were quickly in among islands. Now we really need to keep a close watch. The charts on the iPad are good but not infallible They show patches of shallow water and barely covered reefs everywhere. The weather holds good. Some clouds but not enough to cover the moon. 10-15 knot wind We weave our way through lovely islands with small villages. I wish we could stop but the immigration rules in Fiji are very strict. No stopping until you have officially checked in so we just keep on trekking
Of course it does not last. On Saturday the wind drops altogether. We decided to take advantage of the lack of wind to heave to and drop the jib to stitch up another tear. This time we caught it while it was still just a few inches long. Out comes the needle and thread and leather palm. I am getting disgustingly good an mending patched sails. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that the fishing line was out and while we were stopped it wrapped itself around the prop. So Alan went overboard with mask and snorkel and got it untangled, although we lost another lure. While we were at it, we decided to run the water maker. Suddenly there was the smell of something electrical burning. The engine is not on so it is not that. It seems to be coming from the electrical panel. No fire but somehow we have managed to fry the electrical system. Luckily the engine battery was not affected so the engine still starts. But for some odd reason the stove won’t light without power so dinner is cooked on sterno. It actually works pretty well, although it takes longer to get hot.
We are almost to the waypoint where we will turn to head through the reef and up the coast to Vuda Point. Now for the waiting game. It looks to be about 20 miles to the marina once we are inside the reef. Customs only works from 10-12 so the plan is to heave to just outside and head in at dawn. The question is, how close should we get before we heave to. If we stand well off we will have to get started again in the dark. If we get too close we run the risk of drifting onto a reef in the night. Eventually we pick a spot and heave to. Alan goes straight to sleep. I am up every hour all night checking our position. Finally I decide that it is dawn and time for Alan to get up. I manage to make coffee and oatmeal on the sterno and we set off into the dawn.
About 9:30 we make radio contact with the marina and are told to tie up to the orange bout and wait for the medical officer to come on board. Two hours later we are still sitting there and getting nervous because custom is supposed to close at noon. Finally he shows up, gives up a guck once over, fills out some paperwork and asks for money. Now this is a problem because since we haven’t been ashore yet we have no Fiji money just our reserve US dollars and he does not know the exchange rate. Eventually we settle on an amount and we are cleared to enter. Once inside the marina, we directed to a dock where 2 smiling young men are waiting to grab lines and tie us up. As soon as we are secure our dock hands pick up guitars and serenade us with a welcome to Fiji song. We are here!
Next aboard is the biosecurity inspector. Again a lot of paperwork is filled out. We don’t have any fresh fruit of vegetables left so only our honey is confiscated. Again the problem of payment. Again the official seems at a loss to know what to do about the fact that we have no Fijian money. Finally Alan is directed to an ATM ashore. Payment is made, papers are stamped and that is done. Two down, two to go. Customs and immigration are in an air conditioned office just off the dock. Two very bored young women. More documents inspected and papers stamped. Now we find out that our exit papers from Tonga were never properly stamped (remember all that confusion with the gas truck?) Eventually they decide that it must be OK and we are officially stamped into the country.
It is well after noon by this time. We are hot, tired and hungry and most of the marina staff is at lunch and right next to the dock is a lovely restaurant with cold beer and smiling staff. After lunch we take a walk around the marina to check it out and pick our spot. The marina is a round basin and the boats are tied in bow first just about a foot apart. There are no separating docks, just a small utility platform sticking our from the cement wall to step onto. We pick a spot reasonably closet to the bathrooms and let the office know we are ready. We put out every fender we have. One young man joins us onboard and another guides us from a skiff. When we get to the right spot there is a crowd of people waiting to pull lines. Two lines are tied from the stern to a mooring ball and another two are tied to iron rings set into the concrete wall Lines are adjusted back and forth until the tension is right and here we are. There is a small boat with 2 young frenchmen on board on one side and a large boat which has just been bought by a young Chinese couple on the other side. All around are friends we have met over the past two years sailing. Some people will be staying here with us. Some leave their boats in the pits and fly home. Most will be here for a week or so and then head to Australia or New Zealand for the season.
It is a lovely place with very friendly people. I am really glad we will be staying here for the next 6 months.
Tonga to Fiji
This was the best passage of the trip and the one that comes closest to the promised trade wind sailing. There was rain the night before and cloudy in the morning but it was not raining. The weather forecast seems OK, as far as we can tell. We are a few days from the full moon. There is a prediction of 20-25 knot winds for a few hours on Wed. morning but we should be OK. It is Monday morning and we are planning on 7 days to go 700+ miles and probably an extra 1/2 day to get through the reef and up to the marina. We have almost never done more than 100 miles per day, usually less.
Once away from the islands of Tonga the weather cleared. We hoisted jib and mizzen. The main sail is double reefed because of the rip but we probably won’t actually use it. We seem to do just fine with jib and mizzen. The wind picked up to about 15 knots. Seas were relatively smooth . We were on a reach and just flying along at 6.5+ knots. Perfect. And it kept up like that all day, all night and most of the next day. Darn, this has thrown our schedule completely off. We have just done 2 days passage in one day. If we keep up this pace we will get there on Friday, which we just found out is a holiday. There is no chance we can make it by Thursday morning, even at this speed.
Suddenly on the weather reports we started hearing about 3-4 meter swells for the next week days in the Kandavu pass, just where we had planned to go. Since Fiji is covered with small atolls, reefs and islands, Alan had decided we would play it safe and sail the southern route and then turn north to Vuda Point when we had cleared most of the hazards. Now it looks like that was not such a good idea. In fact, when we checked in with Gulf Harbor Radio weather they said, “If you are not too far away, you should turn back and wait a week”. Would have been nice if they had said that several days ago. We are not going back but we can change our course. We have plenty of time. If we get in among the islands they should smooth out the swells. So we turn right and head due north for about 24 hours. Still beautiful sailing weather, despite what the weather reports are saying. Easy swells, perfect wind, good speed and the auto pilot is working! This is how it should be. We officially crossed the 180 degree line so our position is now east not west longitude. The date line actually takes a jog around Tonga so we had already adjusted the calendar.
Once we turned west again we were quickly in among islands. Now we really need to keep a close watch. The charts on the iPad are good but not infallible They show patches of shallow water and barely covered reefs everywhere. The weather holds good. Some clouds but not enough to cover the moon. 10-15 knot wind We weave our way through lovely islands with small villages. I wish we could stop but the immigration rules in Fiji are very strict. No stopping until you have officially checked in so we just keep on trekking
Of course it does not last. On Saturday the wind drops altogether. We decided to take advantage of the lack of wind to heave to and drop the jib to stitch up another tear. This time we caught it while it was still just a few inches long. Out comes the needle and thread and leather palm. I am getting disgustingly good an mending patched sails. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that the fishing line was out and while we were stopped it wrapped itself around the prop. So Alan went overboard with mask and snorkel and got it untangled, although we lost another lure. While we were at it, we decided to run the water maker. Suddenly there was the smell of something electrical burning. The engine is not on so it is not that. It seems to be coming from the electrical panel. No fire but somehow we have managed to fry the electrical system. Luckily the engine battery was not affected so the engine still starts. But for some odd reason the stove won’t light without power so dinner is cooked on sterno. It actually works pretty well, although it takes longer to get hot.
We are almost to the waypoint where we will turn to head through the reef and up the coast to Vuda Point. Now for the waiting game. It looks to be about 20 miles to the marina once we are inside the reef. Customs only works from 10-12 so the plan is to heave to just outside and head in at dawn. The question is, how close should we get before we heave to. If we stand well off we will have to get started again in the dark. If we get too close we run the risk of drifting onto a reef in the night. Eventually we pick a spot and heave to. Alan goes straight to sleep. I am up every hour all night checking our position. Finally I decide that it is dawn and time for Alan to get up. I manage to make coffee and oatmeal on the sterno and we set off into the dawn.
About 9:30 we make radio contact with the marina and are told to tie up to the orange bout and wait for the medical officer to come on board. Two hours later we are still sitting there and getting nervous because custom is supposed to close at noon. Finally he shows up, gives up a guck once over, fills out some paperwork and asks for money. Now this is a problem because since we haven’t been ashore yet we have no Fiji money just our reserve US dollars and he does not know the exchange rate. Eventually we settle on an amount and we are cleared to enter. Once inside the marina, we directed to a dock where 2 smiling young men are waiting to grab lines and tie us up. As soon as we are secure our dock hands pick up guitars and serenade us with a welcome to Fiji song. We are here!
Next aboard is the biosecurity inspector. Again a lot of paperwork is filled out. We don’t have any fresh fruit of vegetables left so only our honey is confiscated. Again the problem of payment. Again the official seems at a loss to know what to do about the fact that we have no Fijian money. Finally Alan is directed to an ATM ashore. Payment is made, papers are stamped and that is done. Two down, two to go. Customs and immigration are in an air conditioned office just off the dock. Two very bored young women. More documents inspected and papers stamped. Now we find out that our exit papers from Tonga were never properly stamped (remember all that confusion with the gas truck?) Eventually they decide that it must be OK and we are officially stamped into the country.
It is well after noon by this time. We are hot, tired and hungry and most of the marina staff is at lunch and right next to the dock is a lovely restaurant with cold beer and smiling staff. After lunch we take a walk around the marina to check it out and pick our spot. The marina is a round basin and the boats are tied in bow first just about a foot apart. There are no separating docks, just a small utility platform sticking our from the cement wall to step onto. We pick a spot reasonably closet to the bathrooms and let the office know we are ready. We put out every fender we have. One young man joins us onboard and another guides us from a skiff. When we get to the right spot there is a crowd of people waiting to pull lines. Two lines are tied from the stern to a mooring ball and another two are tied to iron rings set into the concrete wall Lines are adjusted back and forth until the tension is right and here we are. There is a small boat with 2 young frenchmen on board on one side and a large boat which has just been bought by a young Chinese couple on the other side. All around are friends we have met over the past two years sailing. Some people will be staying here with us. Some leave their boats in the pits and fly home. Most will be here for a week or so and then head to Australia or New Zealand for the season.
It is a lovely place with very friendly people. I am really glad we will be staying here for the next 6 months.
Tonga, foodie heaven
Tonga, foodie heaven
The entire waterfront in Ni’afu is lined with restaurants and as we discovered, they are very good. Our first meal was Alan’s birthday dinner of lobster at the Beach House. Tucked under the main hotel, it has it’s own dingy dock. Alan did not even have to put on shoes to go to dinner! Happy hour, a different special every day, Lobster for $30, free wifi.
The Bounty Bar is mostly a bar with dangerously delicious rum punch and the coldest beer in the South Pacific. Food service is erratic here. Sometimes there is food and sometimes not, depending on the owner’s mood. But when there is food it is delicious. We had New Orleans Po’Boy sandwiches, rosy beef and jerk pork. And this is the only place in town that has crusty bread. He had to teach the baker how to make it. If you are quick and lucky, the bakery sometimes has extra loves in the morning.
We almost missed the Bella Vista because they charge for wifi but they announced a lobster ravioli special on our last day and we could not resist. Fabulous! Turns out the owner is from Italy. I never found out how he ended upon Tonga but the entire menu is delicious. Besides the ravoil we had seafood pasta and toccata
Another surprise was the Basque Tapas Bar. Who would expect a tapas bar in Tongs. Nothing over 10 pa’anga ($5) wonderful fried potatoes with aioli, stuffed mussels, etc. and free wifi
Aquarium is the cruisers hang out. It has a dingy dock and is the close to the mooring. And it has a place to dump trash, sadly missing in most of Tonga.Free wifi, live music and speakers several times a month. The pizza was so good we never got around to trying anything else
The last place we tried was a new Fijian restaurant tucked in behind the customs docks; curries, fish and chips, sweet and sour fish and more at rock bottom prices.
We ate out more in Tonga than we did anyplace else but we are online boat. As hurricane season draws closer the cruisers leave. The tourists come for the whale swims but that season has also drawn to a close. Soon the down will be empty until next season. It is still a puzzle how they all stay in business But I am very glad that they do.
The entire waterfront in Ni’afu is lined with restaurants and as we discovered, they are very good. Our first meal was Alan’s birthday dinner of lobster at the Beach House. Tucked under the main hotel, it has it’s own dingy dock. Alan did not even have to put on shoes to go to dinner! Happy hour, a different special every day, Lobster for $30, free wifi.
The Bounty Bar is mostly a bar with dangerously delicious rum punch and the coldest beer in the South Pacific. Food service is erratic here. Sometimes there is food and sometimes not, depending on the owner’s mood. But when there is food it is delicious. We had New Orleans Po’Boy sandwiches, rosy beef and jerk pork. And this is the only place in town that has crusty bread. He had to teach the baker how to make it. If you are quick and lucky, the bakery sometimes has extra loves in the morning.
We almost missed the Bella Vista because they charge for wifi but they announced a lobster ravioli special on our last day and we could not resist. Fabulous! Turns out the owner is from Italy. I never found out how he ended upon Tonga but the entire menu is delicious. Besides the ravoil we had seafood pasta and toccata
Another surprise was the Basque Tapas Bar. Who would expect a tapas bar in Tongs. Nothing over 10 pa’anga ($5) wonderful fried potatoes with aioli, stuffed mussels, etc. and free wifi
Aquarium is the cruisers hang out. It has a dingy dock and is the close to the mooring. And it has a place to dump trash, sadly missing in most of Tonga.Free wifi, live music and speakers several times a month. The pizza was so good we never got around to trying anything else
The last place we tried was a new Fijian restaurant tucked in behind the customs docks; curries, fish and chips, sweet and sour fish and more at rock bottom prices.
We ate out more in Tonga than we did anyplace else but we are online boat. As hurricane season draws closer the cruisers leave. The tourists come for the whale swims but that season has also drawn to a close. Soon the down will be empty until next season. It is still a puzzle how they all stay in business But I am very glad that they do.
Checking out of Tonga
Oct 1, 2014 Tonga
Time to check out of Tonga and head for Fiji. Our month is up and while it would be easy to get an extension on our visas, we are ready to go. The checking out process is a little complicated.
1. Call the fuel truck 24 hours in advance and arrange for delivery of duty free fuel
2. Sail over and tie up to the customs wharf, a solid and very rough cement structure with the landing area about 6 feet above the deck at low tide. We have to use the rat lines to get on and off
3. Walk up to the immigration office on the third floor in town and check out with them
4. Walk back to the harbor master yard and check out with them and get your duty free fuel certificate
5. Walk to the customs office and check out with them
6. Fill up with fuel and give the driver the duty free certificate
7. Report back to customs with an updated crew list to finally be checked out.
Besides watching the weather and the date our visa was going to expire, we need to plan our arrival time in Fiji. We get a 6 month visa there and want to be sure that it covers the end of hurricane season in March. Also, Fiji customs do not work on the weekends. If you accidentally show up on a weekend or a holiday there is an extra $600 charge. And besides all that we want a full moon because of all the small islands and atolls in Fijian waters.
We finally settled on Thurs, Oct 2 as our check out date. Now to arrange for the fuel truck. Since we can only hold about 150 liters as measured by the not terribly accurate “stick in the tank” method we need to find some one to share with. Luckily another boat was also getting ready to leave and just needed to fill up 5 jerry cans. Should come out perfect. Now to get ahold of Pacific Fuels. Repeated calls on the radio failed to get an answer. Someone said that while they have a radio, they really do not know how to use it and most of the time it does not get turned on. After a couple of days of calling with no response. one of the locals took pity on us and called them on the phone. Delivery was arranged fro Thurs after lunch, about 2:00. The other boat dropped off the jerry cans and also the money to pay for it. Cash only of course. We are trying to spend all of our Tonga cash without having to get more before we leave.
Wednesday night we went out for a last dinner at one of Ne’afu’s wonderful restaurants, Bella Vista, this time for lobster ravioli. Thursday morning we cast off and headed for custom dock at 7am. Alan wanted to be sure to get a spot, since sometimes boats are stacked 3 or 4 deep waiting to clear in or out. About 9:00 he set out for immigration and customs with all of our paperwork. I stayed on the boat to adjust the dock lines and fenders as the tide came in. He was back in about an hour with everything done, so I took off for a final shopping with the last of the cash. Just as we were finishing lunch the radio crackled and Pacific Fuels called, not to tell us they were on the way but to tell us that the truck had broken down and they did not know when it would be fixed, maybe by 4. Not looking good. Of course the truck was not fixed by 4, so we untied and headed back to get a mooring. Now we need to pay for at least one more night. Tomorrow is Friday and if the truck is not fixed by then it will probably be Monday before we can get fuel. We considered giving up on the duty free and just getting fuel from the fishing boat dock, except they were out too. In fact the whole town was out of gas.
What the heck, back to the ATM and then out for pizza and beer. Friday morning just a definite maybe and a promise to call by 2:00. One of the interesting things about using VHF radio for communicating is that everyone knows your business, much like the old party line telephone. By afternoon the truck still was not fixed so we were pretty sure it would be some time next week before we got our fuel. After dinner on board we headed out for the open mike night at the Bounty Bar where we were treated to a song written in our honor called “Tonga Time” and featuring several verses about the difficulties of getting fuel and checking out of Tonga. And there we learned that several people had seen the fuel truck pass about 4:00 so it must be fixed. Still, almost no one works on the weekend in Tonga so chances were that it would still be Monday when our turn came.
Saturday morning we were lounging around having a lazy morning when the radio came to life and Pacific Fuel said that the truck was fixed and we should be at the customs dock at 10: 00. Hoist and fold the dingy and tie it down, drop the mooring line and off we go again. Tied up at the wharf and waiting. Finally someone showed up. Not the fuel truck but a messenger to tell us that the fuel truck would be coming. About noon the fuel truck finally arrived and we finally started pumping gas. Luckily that we still had the jerry cans because by filling everything to the brim we managed 202 liters.
Now we have one last complication. We are supposed to turn in the crew list to immigration after we get the fuel. Alan tried to give it to them earlier and they would not take it and of course they are closed on Saturday. We finally decided to leave it with one of the locals to turn in for us on Monday so that we can get going. Since it is now well past noon, we will spend one more night on the mooring and take off early tomorrow, finally
The paperwork was turned in for us on Monday but there was one final piece of paper that we should have had stamped at that time. When we got to Fiji the customs officers were sort of confused as to why we did not have it. Luckily they stamped us into Fiji anyway.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
vanilla
Sept 20, 2014 Vanilla plantation-Tonga
One of the things that we never got around to doing in French Polynesia was to visit a vanilla plantation so when I met a man in a bar who invited me to help him pollinate his vanilla plants, i leapt at the chance. I know, it sounds like quite a pick up line but it was actually legit. 8:00 Sunday morning Ian showed up in his truck and we headed out of town, down dusty, bumpy, twisty roads through the jungle. It all looked alike to me and I have no idea how he could tell one piece of jungle from the other but eventually he pulled over and announced that we were there. Once out of the truck, he picked up a fallen palm branch and using a wicked looking knife carved a tiny stick, a little bigger than a toothpick which he handed to me. This was to be my pollinating tool. So equipped, we headed off to find the blossoms.
This was not neat tidy rows of vines growing on wooden trellises. This is overgrown jungle. Apparently much of Tonga was planted with vanilla and then abandoned and the jungle has taken over. Little by little Ian is clearing away the extra growth, leaving the vanilla vines and their supporting ficus trees. The plants twine around the trees and the trees provide just the right amount of shade. In order to force the plants to bloom, the tops of the trees are cut off allowing more sun to get in. This way the growers can control which part of their farm is producing and move from section to section in a steady rotation rather than having all the plants get ripe at once. The occasional palm tree provides coconuts for mulch and a hedge of pineapple plants is just getting started which will help keep out the wandering pigs.
Meanwhile we stomped through the jungle looking for blossoms. There are a pale yellow green, almost the same color as the leaves and not easy to spot. They can be above your head or almost on the ground or anywhere in-between. Aha! first blossom spotted. Now to learn how to pollinate the flower. Hold the stem carefully in one hand while bending the petals gently back to expose the throat. Then with the toothpick in the other hand, bend the lip down to expose the tiny pollen bud. Very carefully slide and roll the stick from the pistil onto the stamen, or possibly the other way around, and give it a little squeeze Gently remove the stick and let go of the flower, leaving it looking a little bedraggled. After a few tries I was judged competent to do it on my own. I am not so sure that I actually successfully moved the pollen from pistle to stamina every time but at least some of them worked. Each flower is ready to pollinate one day so you either get it or you don’t. Apparently if every blossom produced a seed pod the plant would die of stress so it did not really matter if i missed some or did not really get it pollinated right. In a truly natural setting there is a little bee that does the job of pollinating but vanilla is native to Mexico and when they brought it to Tonga they forgot to bring the bee along.
And so, for the next 2 hours we moved through the undergrowth looking for blossoms. Ian would point out a couple of large trees as markers and we would work our way along until we met up again and then he would lay out a new section. Little by little the blossoms became easier to spot and the pollinating went quicker. Birds sang and there were butterflies everywhere. I ducked under vines and climbed over them and went around big clumps of them. Sometimes there would be a single blossom and sometimes a whole cluster and then nothing for a long stretch. It was possible to sort of see the old layout of the rows and to imagine what it will look like in a few ears as the weeds are pulled out and the big trees removed. Finally ian declared we were don. We had done over 250 blossoms between the two of us. Wish I could be here to see the results but we will be leaving Tonga in a week or so.
So you see, sometimes it’s OK to trust a guy you meet in a bar on a tropical island, even if he has an outrageous pick up line
One of the things that we never got around to doing in French Polynesia was to visit a vanilla plantation so when I met a man in a bar who invited me to help him pollinate his vanilla plants, i leapt at the chance. I know, it sounds like quite a pick up line but it was actually legit. 8:00 Sunday morning Ian showed up in his truck and we headed out of town, down dusty, bumpy, twisty roads through the jungle. It all looked alike to me and I have no idea how he could tell one piece of jungle from the other but eventually he pulled over and announced that we were there. Once out of the truck, he picked up a fallen palm branch and using a wicked looking knife carved a tiny stick, a little bigger than a toothpick which he handed to me. This was to be my pollinating tool. So equipped, we headed off to find the blossoms.
This was not neat tidy rows of vines growing on wooden trellises. This is overgrown jungle. Apparently much of Tonga was planted with vanilla and then abandoned and the jungle has taken over. Little by little Ian is clearing away the extra growth, leaving the vanilla vines and their supporting ficus trees. The plants twine around the trees and the trees provide just the right amount of shade. In order to force the plants to bloom, the tops of the trees are cut off allowing more sun to get in. This way the growers can control which part of their farm is producing and move from section to section in a steady rotation rather than having all the plants get ripe at once. The occasional palm tree provides coconuts for mulch and a hedge of pineapple plants is just getting started which will help keep out the wandering pigs.
Meanwhile we stomped through the jungle looking for blossoms. There are a pale yellow green, almost the same color as the leaves and not easy to spot. They can be above your head or almost on the ground or anywhere in-between. Aha! first blossom spotted. Now to learn how to pollinate the flower. Hold the stem carefully in one hand while bending the petals gently back to expose the throat. Then with the toothpick in the other hand, bend the lip down to expose the tiny pollen bud. Very carefully slide and roll the stick from the pistil onto the stamen, or possibly the other way around, and give it a little squeeze Gently remove the stick and let go of the flower, leaving it looking a little bedraggled. After a few tries I was judged competent to do it on my own. I am not so sure that I actually successfully moved the pollen from pistle to stamina every time but at least some of them worked. Each flower is ready to pollinate one day so you either get it or you don’t. Apparently if every blossom produced a seed pod the plant would die of stress so it did not really matter if i missed some or did not really get it pollinated right. In a truly natural setting there is a little bee that does the job of pollinating but vanilla is native to Mexico and when they brought it to Tonga they forgot to bring the bee along.
And so, for the next 2 hours we moved through the undergrowth looking for blossoms. Ian would point out a couple of large trees as markers and we would work our way along until we met up again and then he would lay out a new section. Little by little the blossoms became easier to spot and the pollinating went quicker. Birds sang and there were butterflies everywhere. I ducked under vines and climbed over them and went around big clumps of them. Sometimes there would be a single blossom and sometimes a whole cluster and then nothing for a long stretch. It was possible to sort of see the old layout of the rows and to imagine what it will look like in a few ears as the weeds are pulled out and the big trees removed. Finally ian declared we were don. We had done over 250 blossoms between the two of us. Wish I could be here to see the results but we will be leaving Tonga in a week or so.
So you see, sometimes it’s OK to trust a guy you meet in a bar on a tropical island, even if he has an outrageous pick up line
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Tonga School Visit
Sept 14, 16, 2014 Matamoto, Tonga
We spent 2 lovely days in this quiet anchorage just off the village. Alan read completely through 3 mysteries while I visited the school. 20 kids, one teacher/principal. My task the first day was to talk to the older kids while the younger ones finished their exams. The second day the entire student body was waiting for me after lunch. We told stories, read books, sang songs and talked about their life, with numerous stops for translation and explanation. They have a small library full of books which have been withdrawn from New American libraries. Sadly, most of the stories depict a culture and lifestyle that is so foreign to them as to be meaningless. The teacher says that while they learn to speak and read English they often have no ides what the words really mean. There is an opportunity here for someone who can capture their stories and legends and everyday life and put them into picture books with lovely illustrations.
The drought is a huge problem here. The entire village depends on rainwater for drinking and cooking. There is a well but we were told that the water is not very good, “tastes like ocean water”. The tank at the school is almost dry. If it runs out they will have to close the school. The principal is hoping that they get enough rain to last through the exams, which are not until the end of November. The school has one of the few flush toilets in town but it has been put off limits to save water. The kids need to run home if they need to go. I suspect that lots of them just use the bushes. The problem is apparently the same throughout the islands. It seems a shame that with all the ocean water around, someone has not come up with small desalination plants that could be installed. Almost all of the cursing boats have water makers. It cannot be that hard to come up with a similar system for the schools.
After school we went for a walk around the village. There are 500 people living here, all related of course and 5 churches. Religion is very important to the Tongans. No one is allowed to work on Sunday. Even the restaurants putting on Tongan feasts for the tourists cannot have dancing on Sunday. The day is devoted to church services, 6 am, 10:00 and 4pm with a family meal in between.
Part of our tour took us along the beach. Noticing numerous clam shells, I asked if people here eat clams since I never see them in the market or on the menus. She said that the reason I don’t see them is that the people collect them and eat them themselves, usually raw. When I asked how to find them, she immediately offered to meet us at low tide to show us. Just about sundown we reassembled on the beach, joined by several of the kids from the school. I think they were somewhat bemused that we actually wanted to do this but they joined in with great enthusiasm. This is the technique; Walk along in ankle deep water, shuffling your feet in the sand and searching with your toes. When you think you feel a good one, reach down and dig around see if it is really a shellfish or just a rock. Mostly mine were just rocks but I did find about a dozen. The kids were really good at it and we ended up with a large bucket full of various kinds of shellfish just as it got too dark to see. Back at the boat, we scrubbed them and dumped them into a pot of boiling water while the pasta and garlic bread cooked. I pulled out our last bottle of two buck chuck and about 15 minutes later we had a feast. Yum!
We spent 2 lovely days in this quiet anchorage just off the village. Alan read completely through 3 mysteries while I visited the school. 20 kids, one teacher/principal. My task the first day was to talk to the older kids while the younger ones finished their exams. The second day the entire student body was waiting for me after lunch. We told stories, read books, sang songs and talked about their life, with numerous stops for translation and explanation. They have a small library full of books which have been withdrawn from New American libraries. Sadly, most of the stories depict a culture and lifestyle that is so foreign to them as to be meaningless. The teacher says that while they learn to speak and read English they often have no ides what the words really mean. There is an opportunity here for someone who can capture their stories and legends and everyday life and put them into picture books with lovely illustrations.
The drought is a huge problem here. The entire village depends on rainwater for drinking and cooking. There is a well but we were told that the water is not very good, “tastes like ocean water”. The tank at the school is almost dry. If it runs out they will have to close the school. The principal is hoping that they get enough rain to last through the exams, which are not until the end of November. The school has one of the few flush toilets in town but it has been put off limits to save water. The kids need to run home if they need to go. I suspect that lots of them just use the bushes. The problem is apparently the same throughout the islands. It seems a shame that with all the ocean water around, someone has not come up with small desalination plants that could be installed. Almost all of the cursing boats have water makers. It cannot be that hard to come up with a similar system for the schools.
After school we went for a walk around the village. There are 500 people living here, all related of course and 5 churches. Religion is very important to the Tongans. No one is allowed to work on Sunday. Even the restaurants putting on Tongan feasts for the tourists cannot have dancing on Sunday. The day is devoted to church services, 6 am, 10:00 and 4pm with a family meal in between.
Part of our tour took us along the beach. Noticing numerous clam shells, I asked if people here eat clams since I never see them in the market or on the menus. She said that the reason I don’t see them is that the people collect them and eat them themselves, usually raw. When I asked how to find them, she immediately offered to meet us at low tide to show us. Just about sundown we reassembled on the beach, joined by several of the kids from the school. I think they were somewhat bemused that we actually wanted to do this but they joined in with great enthusiasm. This is the technique; Walk along in ankle deep water, shuffling your feet in the sand and searching with your toes. When you think you feel a good one, reach down and dig around see if it is really a shellfish or just a rock. Mostly mine were just rocks but I did find about a dozen. The kids were really good at it and we ended up with a large bucket full of various kinds of shellfish just as it got too dark to see. Back at the boat, we scrubbed them and dumped them into a pot of boiling water while the pasta and garlic bread cooked. I pulled out our last bottle of two buck chuck and about 15 minutes later we had a feast. Yum!
Tonga whale swim
9/9/2012, Vava’u Tonga, Whale swim
Alan’s 71st birthday. It does not seem fair to wake him up at 6:00 but they are coming to pick us up at 7 to go swimming with whales. Right on time the boat shows up and off we go. After days of lovely calm weather, today is windy and cloudy, much like our dive trip on Rangiroa. We head out of the harbor and for 2 hours we circle the ocean looking for whales. One is spotted , blowing and leaping. just behind the boat we turn and race over to the spot only to have it disappear. We circle and wait. They can stay under water as long as 30 minutes. Eventually we give up and move on, only to have him leap into the air as soon as we have moved away, great twisting leaps with his body completely out of the water. I am actually glad that we were not right there when he did that. We turn and head back to where he was last seen and drop a microphone overboard. We can hear faint singing but it seems there is only one and he is moving on. Apparently the leaping is a sign that they are getting ready to move.
Back to cruising around, constant radio chatter with the other whale watch boats. We are looking for a family group that is “settled”. There is a strictly enforced system of dives. If one boat finds a good group of whales the other boats can sign up to be next but only one at a time. Each boat must wait until the previous one is finished and moves on. We would like to find our own whales. We leave the outside of the islands and move inside, still looking. Eventually, more than 2 hours after we set out, we spot what looks like a good group of whales. We are told to gear up and be ready to go in. Our dive guide goes over check it out. At the high sign in we go.
The water is very cloudy because of all the wind but the guide is pointing down and finally I spot it. The white outline of giant flippers right below us, moving slowly back and forth. Little by little my eyes get used to the water and suddenly I realize that the baby is coming up right beside us. We have been warned not to try to follow the baby, just to stay still. We gather together as much as possible given the rough water and the 20’ baby rises up for a breath of air and a good look at us. Wow! there are no words. Just amazing to be in the water with something that big and gentle. Mama is down below and daddy is not far away, keeping a close watch. Our group of 8 is divided into 2 dive groups and eventually our time is up and we climb back into the boat while the other group has their turn. On our second dive the male stands upright for ages just looking at us as the baby comes up. Then the male comes up to breathe. He is huge and right next to us and we can see two pilot fish on his belly. It looks like he is going to oft me right out of the water on his back but I guess he has a better sense of space than I do because of course he does not actually come that close, Alan says he was at least 8 feet away. The most spectacular moment of the day is when the three of them swim off together, so slow and graceful, so magnificent, mama on one side, daddy on the other and baby safely in the middle. It is hard to imagine ever hunting such magnificent creatures. It seem such a gift of generosity that they allow us to share the water with them.
This water is much colder than back in French Polynesia. With the cold wind that is blowing and the cloudy sky Alan and I are both shivering by the time we break for lunch. Our little boat leaves the whales behind and anchors off a beautiful deserted beach of white sand. Lunch is served up, including a birthday cake for Alan, and we all eat and relax and get warm. As usual, people are amazed that we are 71 years old After lunch we set off again to look for more whales. This time we are unsuccessful so instead we go cave diving. To get into the first cave, it is necessary to dive down about 3 feet and swim underwater for another 10 feet before coming up in the cave. Swimming underwater is not a problem for me but diving down is. I float. I have always had a problem getting down and it is even worse with a wetsuit on. I try 3 or 4 times but it is obvious that is am just going to bounce up and scrape along the roof of the tunnel. Eventually I give it up and head back to the boat to see if he has any weights. Of course he does not, so I just wait until everyone else is finished. The second cave we visit is above water so it is not a problem. The walls of light tan stone rise above up 50 feet or so to a hole where we can see trees and blue sky. The rocks are all eroded into wonderful shapes like pillars in a cathedral. i can almost hear organ music playing. Our third cave is also above water but it has a secondary cave inside that is just barely below the water. This one I can do. Again it is beautiful inside with the light coming down through a home in the roof and bouncing off the bottom. There ae fish everywhere and even a sea snake.
It is finally time to head back, a perfect birthday! We had invited on of the other swimmers back to see the boat. She had mentioned that her uncle used to sail and she wanted to learn how so we though a tour of Rhapsody would be fun. When she and Alan got to talking it turned out that her uncle who sailed was actually the owner of Stormvogel, a very famous and very beautiful 72 foot ketch. Of course Alan knew more about it than she did so now she is doubly inspired and is going to contact her uncle to see if he wants to go sailing again.
The day ended with a wonderful lobster dinner at the Beach House Restaurant watching the sunset. While we were waiting for our meal we surfed the net for pictures and articles about Stormvogel. Turns out she is still racing and winning so it looks like Mari may get to actually sail on her. Back at the boat, we ended the day with expresso and brownies. A perfect, perfect birthday.
Alan’s 71st birthday. It does not seem fair to wake him up at 6:00 but they are coming to pick us up at 7 to go swimming with whales. Right on time the boat shows up and off we go. After days of lovely calm weather, today is windy and cloudy, much like our dive trip on Rangiroa. We head out of the harbor and for 2 hours we circle the ocean looking for whales. One is spotted , blowing and leaping. just behind the boat we turn and race over to the spot only to have it disappear. We circle and wait. They can stay under water as long as 30 minutes. Eventually we give up and move on, only to have him leap into the air as soon as we have moved away, great twisting leaps with his body completely out of the water. I am actually glad that we were not right there when he did that. We turn and head back to where he was last seen and drop a microphone overboard. We can hear faint singing but it seems there is only one and he is moving on. Apparently the leaping is a sign that they are getting ready to move.
Back to cruising around, constant radio chatter with the other whale watch boats. We are looking for a family group that is “settled”. There is a strictly enforced system of dives. If one boat finds a good group of whales the other boats can sign up to be next but only one at a time. Each boat must wait until the previous one is finished and moves on. We would like to find our own whales. We leave the outside of the islands and move inside, still looking. Eventually, more than 2 hours after we set out, we spot what looks like a good group of whales. We are told to gear up and be ready to go in. Our dive guide goes over check it out. At the high sign in we go.
The water is very cloudy because of all the wind but the guide is pointing down and finally I spot it. The white outline of giant flippers right below us, moving slowly back and forth. Little by little my eyes get used to the water and suddenly I realize that the baby is coming up right beside us. We have been warned not to try to follow the baby, just to stay still. We gather together as much as possible given the rough water and the 20’ baby rises up for a breath of air and a good look at us. Wow! there are no words. Just amazing to be in the water with something that big and gentle. Mama is down below and daddy is not far away, keeping a close watch. Our group of 8 is divided into 2 dive groups and eventually our time is up and we climb back into the boat while the other group has their turn. On our second dive the male stands upright for ages just looking at us as the baby comes up. Then the male comes up to breathe. He is huge and right next to us and we can see two pilot fish on his belly. It looks like he is going to oft me right out of the water on his back but I guess he has a better sense of space than I do because of course he does not actually come that close, Alan says he was at least 8 feet away. The most spectacular moment of the day is when the three of them swim off together, so slow and graceful, so magnificent, mama on one side, daddy on the other and baby safely in the middle. It is hard to imagine ever hunting such magnificent creatures. It seem such a gift of generosity that they allow us to share the water with them.
This water is much colder than back in French Polynesia. With the cold wind that is blowing and the cloudy sky Alan and I are both shivering by the time we break for lunch. Our little boat leaves the whales behind and anchors off a beautiful deserted beach of white sand. Lunch is served up, including a birthday cake for Alan, and we all eat and relax and get warm. As usual, people are amazed that we are 71 years old After lunch we set off again to look for more whales. This time we are unsuccessful so instead we go cave diving. To get into the first cave, it is necessary to dive down about 3 feet and swim underwater for another 10 feet before coming up in the cave. Swimming underwater is not a problem for me but diving down is. I float. I have always had a problem getting down and it is even worse with a wetsuit on. I try 3 or 4 times but it is obvious that is am just going to bounce up and scrape along the roof of the tunnel. Eventually I give it up and head back to the boat to see if he has any weights. Of course he does not, so I just wait until everyone else is finished. The second cave we visit is above water so it is not a problem. The walls of light tan stone rise above up 50 feet or so to a hole where we can see trees and blue sky. The rocks are all eroded into wonderful shapes like pillars in a cathedral. i can almost hear organ music playing. Our third cave is also above water but it has a secondary cave inside that is just barely below the water. This one I can do. Again it is beautiful inside with the light coming down through a home in the roof and bouncing off the bottom. There ae fish everywhere and even a sea snake.
It is finally time to head back, a perfect birthday! We had invited on of the other swimmers back to see the boat. She had mentioned that her uncle used to sail and she wanted to learn how so we though a tour of Rhapsody would be fun. When she and Alan got to talking it turned out that her uncle who sailed was actually the owner of Stormvogel, a very famous and very beautiful 72 foot ketch. Of course Alan knew more about it than she did so now she is doubly inspired and is going to contact her uncle to see if he wants to go sailing again.
The day ended with a wonderful lobster dinner at the Beach House Restaurant watching the sunset. While we were waiting for our meal we surfed the net for pictures and articles about Stormvogel. Turns out she is still racing and winning so it looks like Mari may get to actually sail on her. Back at the boat, we ended the day with expresso and brownies. A perfect, perfect birthday.
Tonga
Sept 10, 2014 Tonga
Vava’u reminds me a lot of La Cruz. A bay full of boats at anchor with cruisers coming and going all the time. A morning net to exchange goods and services and ask for help. There is a small community of ex pats, that cater to cruisers mostly Kiwis not Americans, with bars, restaurants, laundry service, wifi, music, dive trips and repair services. The village itself is small and laid back. People are friendly. and mostly speak English often with a New Zealand accent. Unlike La Cruz, buildings are ramshackle. There are a number of burnt out shells of buildings and there is a lot of trash and graffiti. there are numerous dogs, a few cats and lots of pigs in the streets. There are not many flowers, at least not this time of year. This should be the start of the rainy season but the rains are late and sparse and everything is very dry. The bay is almost landlocked making for a very quiet anchorage. There are dozens of small islands just a few miles apart, most of them deserted although a few have a house or two or a small village. No big hotels or luxury resorts. The land laws specify that only Tongans can own land. Apparently they have tried a couple of times to bring in developers but it has not worked out. Meanwhile, the government seems to be the main employer. This is a very conservative and subdued country. Although we see western jeans, tennis shoes and t shirts, most of the men wear wrap skirts, often wearing the traditional mat over it. Women often replace the large mat with a fringed belt. The legend is that these mats were originally the sails from the boats that brought them here. Somehow it evolved into a mark of respect. Everyone wears one to church on Sunday and all government employees including teachers and preachers are required to wear them. If someone in the family has died, everyone wears black with a special mat for at least a week, longer depending on the closeness of the relationship. Since the families are all interrelated it seems that most people end up wearing black most of the time. Reminds me of Victorian England.
Shopping is a production. There is a small farmers market with vegetables and handicrafts, occasional eggs and fish. The vegetables are only so so, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and lots of taro. However the woven baskets, placemats and floor mats are superb. There are several small grocery stores, each one carrying different items. We end up going to every one to get what we want. Only one has decent bread and that is only because one of the restaurants taught them how to make it for po’boy sandwiches. WE need to get there early in the morning to get any. Ground coffee is extremely hard to come by. We finally found a few bags at the last store on the way out of town for $15/bag. Eggs are also hard to find even though there are lots of chickens around. There are freezers with New Zealand cheese, butter and meats at very high prices. Everything is in very limited variety and quantity. There is one local beer and it is reasonably priced so Alan is happy. Since there are a number of restaurants with reasonably priced menus, happy hours and free wifi, we end up eating out more than we have any place else.
Our visa is good for 30 days but we only expect to stay for 2 weeks. We will spend a couple of days here and then explore some of the other islands and come back here to check out.
Vava’u reminds me a lot of La Cruz. A bay full of boats at anchor with cruisers coming and going all the time. A morning net to exchange goods and services and ask for help. There is a small community of ex pats, that cater to cruisers mostly Kiwis not Americans, with bars, restaurants, laundry service, wifi, music, dive trips and repair services. The village itself is small and laid back. People are friendly. and mostly speak English often with a New Zealand accent. Unlike La Cruz, buildings are ramshackle. There are a number of burnt out shells of buildings and there is a lot of trash and graffiti. there are numerous dogs, a few cats and lots of pigs in the streets. There are not many flowers, at least not this time of year. This should be the start of the rainy season but the rains are late and sparse and everything is very dry. The bay is almost landlocked making for a very quiet anchorage. There are dozens of small islands just a few miles apart, most of them deserted although a few have a house or two or a small village. No big hotels or luxury resorts. The land laws specify that only Tongans can own land. Apparently they have tried a couple of times to bring in developers but it has not worked out. Meanwhile, the government seems to be the main employer. This is a very conservative and subdued country. Although we see western jeans, tennis shoes and t shirts, most of the men wear wrap skirts, often wearing the traditional mat over it. Women often replace the large mat with a fringed belt. The legend is that these mats were originally the sails from the boats that brought them here. Somehow it evolved into a mark of respect. Everyone wears one to church on Sunday and all government employees including teachers and preachers are required to wear them. If someone in the family has died, everyone wears black with a special mat for at least a week, longer depending on the closeness of the relationship. Since the families are all interrelated it seems that most people end up wearing black most of the time. Reminds me of Victorian England.
Shopping is a production. There is a small farmers market with vegetables and handicrafts, occasional eggs and fish. The vegetables are only so so, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and lots of taro. However the woven baskets, placemats and floor mats are superb. There are several small grocery stores, each one carrying different items. We end up going to every one to get what we want. Only one has decent bread and that is only because one of the restaurants taught them how to make it for po’boy sandwiches. WE need to get there early in the morning to get any. Ground coffee is extremely hard to come by. We finally found a few bags at the last store on the way out of town for $15/bag. Eggs are also hard to find even though there are lots of chickens around. There are freezers with New Zealand cheese, butter and meats at very high prices. Everything is in very limited variety and quantity. There is one local beer and it is reasonably priced so Alan is happy. Since there are a number of restaurants with reasonably priced menus, happy hours and free wifi, we end up eating out more than we have any place else.
Our visa is good for 30 days but we only expect to stay for 2 weeks. We will spend a couple of days here and then explore some of the other islands and come back here to check out.
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