18:41.83S 172:59.91W

 

Today we enjoyed Sunday in Tonga!

It was like travel back in time some hundred years. The village, Pangaimotu, we walked 25 min to from the bay had 5 different churches.

Most of the Tongans go to church and they dress up in nice clothes. Typically they wear a nice dress an then the waist-mat on top.

Together with the crew from Two Fish and Mierra Nieida we did choose the largest church.

 

Once the ceremony started the heavenly sounds from their singing echoed between our ears and throughout the island.

We heard beautiful, clear harmonies and the whole church was like a choir. Some voices sounded out like a trumpet!

All different ages were gathered and sang together in this Sunday choir. A very special atmosphere!

The priest talked only Tongan language, except that we once heard him saying climate change in the speech..

Yes it would have been interesting to have subtitles!

 

Church, family and friends form the society’s core here in Tonga. It’s not a commercial country and money seems not to be a motivator.

First comes family, then Christianity in the Tongan life.

 

It is expected that visitors respect Sunday as a day of rest.

Erik just read in a book by Kurt Björklund who sailed the Pacific three times.

He wrote about an American sailor who got his boat lifted on the yard after himself.

This was a Saturday. On the Sunday the American started to work with his hull and was told first by people not to work, then by the police -which he told to leave where the “pepper grows”

-and he ended up in jail!

 

So after church, I promise we are taking it easy.

Just moved the boat around the corner, enjoyed some snorkeling and then a simple pasta pesto for dinner on Spirit.

 

Take it easy, it is Sunday!

 

Pia & Erik