There are 6 teen-aged girls in our main salon right now,
4 of them with guitars. They are working hard to find musically common ground. One girl is from Belgium, and plays Spanish/flamenco-type music. Andrea is from New Hampshire, Claire and Alex are from California, and then there are Molly and Jessie. Jessie has been learning guitar with Jim’s help. She is a determined and patient learner.
Jim left to go to shore, and I have been tucked into the v-berth, listening to the girls get to know each other. I find it odd that they are not talking about cruising at all; their conversation is peppered with talk of grandparents, pets, and weird teachers they have had to endure. A couple of them are crocheting; the others are playing different songs at the same time. I never thought our main salon could comfortably hold a gaggle of girls and instruments, plus a few deadly crochet hooks, but it seems to be working! This has nothing to do with anything, but did you know that a group of ravens is called an “unkindness”?
We have been experimenting with “umu” cooking, which is making a very hot fire on the beach, burning it down to coals, putting all the food wrapped in tin foil among the coals and covering the whole thing with banana leaves. In an hour, you have a moist, delicious meal. We enjoyed an umu dinner under the big Banyan tree last night, and invited everyone in Anchorage 16. We had fish wrapped in taro leaves, chicken, hamburger, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic and breadfruit, all cooked together under the leaves. Everything was yummy. For dessert, there were sweetened bananas cooked on the fire, papaya bread, and oatmeal cookies. There must have been 20 people under the tree, from all over the world. It was so interesting to hear the different conversations. It is fascinating to me that the truly memorable parts of this trip have nothing to do with the places you go, the things you see, or the events you attend, but it is the people you meet that stay forever in your mind.
The last of the “kid” boats has left Tonga and headed for Fiji. Molly and Jessie are beside themselves with sadness. We have heard that there is one boat we have yet to meet, that has two girls aboard. I’m sure Molly and Jessie will hunt them down. We have decided to stay in Tonga, and visit the three groups of islands, then hop down to New Zealand in early November. We have heard great things about Fiji, but there is also something to be said for just staying in one place for a while and really getting to know the people and different anchorages.
We found a good snorkeling spot in Anchorage #16. The water has been clear (and a little cold!), with lots of different fish. Jim and Molly went one day, and saw two octopuses and heard whales under water. Jessie and I weren’t that fortunate when we went the next day, but still had a great time. The weather is just now starting to behave itself, so maybe we can check some things off our “to do” list: swim with humpbacks, go for a scuba dive, go for a hike, and find that church in Anchorage #13. Then we will move south to the Ha’apai group of Tongan Islands, and see what we can discover there.
I have been trying to upload some pictures in the media gallery, but it has been painfully slow. I’ll keep trying, so check into the gallery over the next week or so!
~ Jeanna