Vava’u, Tonga has been awesome so far, and we’ve only scratched the surface. We arrived on Thursday just before sunset and picked up a mooring in a field full of boats that included our friends on S/V Disa and S/V Anima. After getting situated, we caught up with the Disa crew and learned that we endured 50 knots of wind on the passage! Ever since our anemometer broke during our rough passage around the western cape of Cuba, we have just been estimating wind speed, and in some cases, it seems that we underestimate quite a bit. In fact, since our cat doesn’t heel at a ~60 degree angle in such winds (like Disa did), we were pretty comfortable down below. Unfortunately, Disa had their genoa sail tear into two pieces during the heavy winds, and we later discovered that our friends on S/V Avel Mad blew out their mainsail on the same passage. I’m glad we we were sailing with only half of the jib. It looks like the conservative approach paid off.

Still ship-shape after the passage to Tonga

Friday we tied up to the dock to clear in with customs and immigration. It was a relatively easy process except that the health officer did not show, but we were cleared to go ashore anyway, just in time for lunch. Dallas and I first walked around talking to locals about the possibility of getting a propeller for our dinghy (no luck yet). In doing so, we found the Tongans to be extremely laid back and accommodating. Over our delicious and reasonably priced lunch of pizza and local beer, I read that Tonga is considered to be not only the land “where time begins” (as a result of its proximity to the international date line) but also “where time stands still.” While this may sound like the usual tourist spiel, it really fits with our experience of the local people, who do not seem at all hassled by tourists’ questions or anything else for that matter.

We continued walking and ran into the Disa crew at the market. Dallas went with Paul and Leo to the local hospital to track down the health officer and be done with the process of checking in. (Leo also went to have his ears checked out after free-diving too deep and having a problem similar to but worse than Dallas’.) Dallas reported that the hospital was very third world, with bathrooms smelling of urine. Immediately upon entering, the surgery room was visible, and at the time that they were there a woman was preparing to have a C-section. The lone doctor made an appearance 15 minutes later and checked out Leo’s ears before returning to the pregnant patient. Despite the conditions, Leo thought the health care was adequate and very cheap.

While they were at the hospital, I shopped for produce and handicrafts at the local market. There was a nice selection of fruits and vegetables, jewelry made of carved whale and ox bone, wooden carvings, woven baskets, and tapa. The vendors of the handicrafts were a bit competitive with one another and played the negotiation game (“I’ll give it to you for a special price…”.) Some people enjoy this, but I actually prefer to have an established price and take it or leave it.

Getting tomatoes for homemade salsa

I had a chance to observe the Tongan young people while waiting for the guys to return from the hospital. Being Friday afternoon, they still had on their school uniforms. Believe it or not, both the girls and boys wear skirts (tupenus). In addition, the girls all wear matching ribbons (particular colors seem to denote grade level), while the the boys wear woven mats around their waist, giving all of them a formal look. Unlike the U.S., it seemed that virtually all of youth were hanging out in small groups outdoors rather than chatting online or playing videogames at home.

Looking tough in their tupenus

Friday evening found us at the Mermaid Bar on the waterfront where we had a nice view of the weekly regatta. We enjoyed rooting on S/V Anima and chatting with other cruisers. A sizeable group of us walked over to Tonga Bar where we met and danced with locals to the mostly 80’s pop tunes. We didn’t want the fun to end, and almost the entire group of young cruisers participated in the 2 a.m. processional to the after-party that was held in a large building at the base of a hill a few blocks from the village center. We carried on dancing for another hour or so before piling in Martin’s dinghy to head back to our respective boats. Good times!

A few of the younger members of the cruising community

Tomorrow should be even better. Dallas and I are heading to nearby Mariner’s Cave for some snorkeling with Martin and friends in the afternoon, and tomorrow evening we will host the biggest party that we’ve had so far on Pura Vida to celebrate Tiff’s birthday! Vava’u seems to be the perfect place for the party, as many of the friends that we have met along the way are here.