Pangaimotu

Our last full day in Tonga began at 3:15am with our wake up call. By 4am we were loading our bags and then ourselves on the flatbed truck and heading toward the wharf in Eua. By 4:30am we had boarded a small boat full of cargo and more passengers than seats. The locals were kind enough to let us sit in the seats while they lined the floors, ledges and outer decks. Most slept during our 3 hr ride to Tongatapu. Unfortunately the pacific was extremely choppy this day and us palangis (Tongan word for white people) were quite sea sick. I was so sea sick that i couldn't enjoy watching the sunrise. At 8am we docked in Tongatapu and began our walk into town.



The red boat in the left hand corner is our transport from Eua to Tongatapu.
The following photos are of a few signs i found interesting in Nukualofa.





Malo e Lelei is Tongan for Hello. I love the way the phrase just rolls off your tongue.






There is a sign hanging from this tree which says Rainforest Square.


I was quite happy to see a Chinese take out!

After a big breakfast at Friend's Cafe, we booked a short motoboat ride to a nearby island, Pangaimotu. Here we spent our last day basking in the sun.


Here is a shot of the yachts off the coast of Pangaimotu.






I found a comfortable hammock to spend a few minutes!




I found a rope swing!




No vehicles need or allowed on the island, yet there are plenty of tires around.


It only took Laura and I 30 minutes or so to walk around the entire island. During our trek we came across heaps of starfish of all sizes and schools of fish kept tickling our ankles.



It was a wonderful day in a beautiful place!

the great coconut adventure

This day, we walked a few blocks down the road to the find the beach!
After a few hours and 10yr old Tongan boy named John jumped out of the bushes and sat with us. We visited for a bit. Then I walked over to the coconut tree, determined to climb it. However, John beat me to it.



yep he's scaling up the tree.












Next he showed us how to beat the green coconuts on the rock and crack it open to reveal the brown coconut we see in the stores.


then he gave us a sharp stick to puncture a hole in the coconut. We drank the milk and enjoyed the rest of our day!


Chris drank his fast and we opened it up to eat the fresh coconut.


The pigs came round and ate up our bits left behind.

Eua

Happy with the success of our tour of Tongatapu, we signed up for a tour of Eua.


This is an indigenous parrot found only on Eua. They are generally heard and not seen in the wild. But this one has been domesticated as a pet.


This stream is the fresh water supply for the Island.


Laura and I taking a break and watching the other people in our group climb around.


Laura, Chris and I


During our trek through the rainforest, this is what the path looked like. Can you tell where the road is?


this is the only street sign i spotted.


As you can see, you really had to look for it among the brush.


This is the road. We did travel down this road but we didn't get too far.


We spent 2.5hrs stuck in the mud. Us gals found a nice spot in the bush to sit and wait it out. Eventually they arranged for another truck to pick us up so we could finish the tour.


We found a lookout! Below is the rainforest, then the beach and coral reef surrounding the island.


Next, Laura and I followed our guide down a small cave to see a great view!






the view-always breathtaking.


Here is a photo of our truck and Laura and Mosi enjoying a dinner time snack.


Here is the view.


The view again.


This is a neat plant. When you touch the leaves they close up like a venus fly trap!


We hiked through the banyan forest to see another view.


Here is the arch.


Here is our tour guide Sifa and Laura having a bit of fun.


Laura and I and the Arch


We made it to the beach during sunset. Lovely!


Last but not least, we walked among the banyan tree.




With that we drove off into the sunset and back to the Hideaway.