Neiafu
Wayward Adventure
Sat 22 Aug 2009 06:01
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18:39.435s 173:59.676w
We had a great passage and
made it to Tonga quickly, but to first give some background.......
The Kingdom of Tonga is
the oldest and last remaining Polynesian monarchy and the only Pacific nation
never brought under foreign rule. Tonga is bordered by the islands of Fiji to
the west, Samoa to the north, and the Tonga Trench to the east. Tonga is
the first country west of the international dateline and as such, we are
officially one day ahead of all of you back home! Weird huh?! In all, Tonga is
composed of 171 coral and volcanic islands, 36 of which are inhabited. The
country is divided into four distinct and diverse island groups: The Tongatapu
group is farthest to the south, the central Ha'apai group, the Vava'u group, and
finally the extreme northern group of the Niuas.
Wayward
Wind delivered us safely to the Vava'u group after leaving Niue
and we are currently moored in the large protected harbor beneath Neiafu, a
well-known boaters haven as evidenced by the growing number of
cruisers that crowd the already crowded mooring balls and nearby bars.
The hillsides of the town host a multitude of weathered bars and
restaurants and Aaron and I have been more than happy to give into the
sounds of live music and the aroma of tasty (and relatively cheap!!) food for
the few days we have been here. It has been so refreshing to be able to sit down
and enjoy a simple meal and a drink without it breaking the bank as it felt in
all of the islands of French Polynesia where prices proved to be as exorbitant
as they were rumored to be.....needless to say, we are excited to be anchored in
a calm harbor with friends and good food close at hand ;- )
~LH
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