Here we are in Tonga now 13 hours ahead of GMT in a sheltered bay outside Neiafu, the majority of the other BWR yachts are here.  There was a reception last night for us with Polynesian dancing and a Polonesian buffet.

The town consists of cafes and rather run down looking shops, a large very empty hotel on the water front.  The Tongans are very friendly, Wesilian Christianity and Family are very important in their society.  Many Tongans still wear the traditional rattan aprons wrapped around their hips.  Most accents are now New Zealand and some Australian when English is spoken.

We are sailing around to another island for a BWR dingy race under sail and a Tongan feast tonight of pig which has been cooked in an underground oven covered in Banana leaves similar to the one we had on Nuka Hiva.  Their are hundreds of islands around here and coral reefs some of the islands are active volcanoes.  Will send photos when I take some of Tonga and get back on the very slow internet.  Our Computer on the yacht keeps crashing so if you here nothing from us for awhile it is because it is down again.  It seems to recover itself every now and again so we suspect it is a loose connection.

A sign post on Nuie.  Pig to eat is for important feasts.  Hair cutting 

at the age of 5 as you enter school is an important occasion, similar to 

the Jewish coming of age.  Boys have very long hair until they are 5 yrs old.

Traditional canoe in Nuie still in use

The Kings bathing hole with fresh and salt water in Nuie

Donald in Kings bathing hole it was COLD

Another bathing hole under a cave

One of the fish in the bathing hole

Watching Charlie climb the rocks around the cave

A sea slug in the bathing hole

The cave in the cliffs over the bathing hole

Jonathan, Donald and three of the 'Miss Tippy' offspring