Now we are in Vava'u there is plenty of beer and even restraunts. Panic over. Actually this is one of the best places we have been so far. What a blessed relief. Except the sail here was bad and we are still getting over it.

 

We found a really good internet place and posted photos.

 

Being in town here is a bit weird. It seems that you are amonst a sect or something, because everyone is wearing black everyday. Even the white people who live and work here are in black. It seems so weird. Even Annie started wearing black! The only black shirt I have has a skull and crossed swords picture and reads "the beatings will continue until moral improves". I didn't think it appropiate so I wear green or blue t shirts. I must really stand out.

 

Here in civilisation we are eating nearly all meals ashore. The food is good and there is a large variety of dishes. No fun activties to report as we have lots of jobs to do on the boat (engine, sails, leaks, lots of laundry). I have been to 2 hardware, 2 automotive and several grocery stores. Thre are 2 banks here. There are several cafes (with great cappichino) and restrauntes.  There is a back-packers and some guest houses, tour operators (boats, island tours, quadbike) and dive operators and whale watching trips. The Moorings has 20 boats at their base here. An airport (Air Vava'u opreates a DC 3) and taxis. A container wharf brings in stuff from new Zealand. You can rent scooters.Of course there are several churches. If it weren't for The Tongans and everyone wearing black, you could be in a small coastal tourist town in Australia. Then you see pigs crossing the road..... There are roughly 50 boats here. We work on the boat then we go into town or vise versa to eat and buy supplies. But at the end of the day we end up at the yacht club for one too many beers. Which means we do the boat jobs a bit more slowly the next day. So we don't get as much done as we hope so we stay here longer. Eat and drink more, do more (slower) work on thr boat, stay another day.....and so on. The strong winds that made our bad trip down are still blowing so we are happy to be sheltered near the town. It would be windy out in the small islands. And we're just not ready for that. So here we stay.

 

As I pointed out in an earlier blog we are now on the same day as Australia. And only 3 hours earlier than Sydney.  For the first time since Panama  all the yachties are not all heading the same direction and have come from the same direction. There are people coming from the west! Suddenly we were a sub group, not THE group. It's hard to explain, but I feel like we are part of and conected to a larger world  now. From here the fleet splits.Some going southwest to New Zealand , some to NZ via Fiji and the rest west through Fiji, Vanuatu and Noumea to Australia.