Tonga

Ok so, Tonga. 

As moat of you may know, we were not completely enamored by Tonga. We had been expecting something similar to Rarotonga with the breathtaking, romantic arrival and we didnt get this with Tonga. 

Tonga is a Kingdom, never been conquered/colonized.

So we should have imagined it was going to be different in some ways. 

Looking back now, I think we both enjoyed our time in Tonga and it definetly had some good days. We got alot of rest which we needed and it was nice to unwind for a while.

We arrived to a crazy chaotic airport and taken by taxi to our hostel. On the drive in we were looking at each other mouthing 'what the hell?'. It was dirty, severly underdeveloped and there was no sign of white sand and blue waters. The town were were staying in was called 'Nuku'alofa' and was reccomended by the lads at Lonely Planet as a great spot to while away a few days, going between different coffee shops and visiting the Royal grounds, waterfront and beaches. 

It didnt quite live up to this expectation. It was like arriving to 'The Hood', bet down supped up cars, blaring music (all about that Bass!!!!). Gangs on corners and less that aestehically pleasing shop fronts. 

Luckily our accomodation (not far from the 'town') was quite nice. 

We just didnt have a good vibe about the place and were instantly reconsidering the amount of time we were to spend here. 

We had a few saving graces, a nice cafe called 'Friends', an adorable girl in the local shop called 'Susan' and plenty of books to keep us going. 

On our first full day there we decided to change our attitude and embrace Tonga and see outside the town and get around the island to see what it had to offer.....listed in the LP were such sights as '3 headed coconut', 'Flying Foxes', 'Fishing Pigs and a 'Land Bridge' so we thought ok this will keep us occupied! 

We rented a car for three days. On our first trip out we decided to visit the 'Blowholes' and try find a nice beach for a swin. 

While driving and me trying to read the map we quickly realised that there were no road signs, sign posts, nothing. It was all down to inner navigation and hunter gatherer instinct. We had to laugh. It was very Irish. We asked for diretions and were instructed to turn at the police station and go down the road that has a sign saying 'entry prohibited'. 

We eventually made it. Blowholes in fairness were pretty impressive and terrifying in their ferocity. 

We also attented an Island Night which was another nightmare to find but worth it. It was a great night. Island music, great food, sitting in a beautiful hut and then led to a cave for the fire show where they told us about the history of the Tongans and their culture. 

We took a 3 day trip to an island off Tonga called Ewa (A-wah) staying in a place called Hideaway. 

It was really relaxing, but didnt seem to be much to do on the island. Interesting here that its the first place in the world where the sun rises each day! Whales pass by quite close to shore certain times of the year too. (not while we were here though!) 

We sat and talked with locals each night over a yummy veg curry and tasted local honey one night from a local provider. Delicious. Not sticky at all and so smooth. Couldnt buy any as it would have been confiscated at customs :( 

We then went back to Tonga for a few days before we flew out to Fiji. 

Tonga is still hugely religious, mostly Christians, some Seven Day Adventists and alot of Jehovah Witnesses. Everything closes on Sundays. Only place to go is Church! 

Dogs are everywhere here too and are wild! Would be nervous walking to the town each night for dinner and would often carry a stick or a rock. 

Seems to be a bit of a dodgy vibe after dark too. Alot of gangs hang around, one night when we were walking for dinner we stopped into a store to get a drink and as we were at the fridge some guy (looked like 2pac, scarf and all) came up close behind us and said 'We dont mean you no harm, we wanna be your friend' with that he as grabbed by the owner of the shop, wallopde and kicked out of the store. 

Alot of the stores have rods in front protecting them. So you ask what you want and they hand it through the rails. Alot of the Chinese own the shops here and in 2004 they were all attacked in their stores. Locals were frustrated with how the Chinese were influencing the King and there was a lack of democracy. 

An interesting thing about Tonga too is that it is heavily funded by Chinese and Japanese. Word is that they have intentions for a naval base and whaling interests! They've built the roads, installed Solar Panels and are currently building an Embassy that is larger than the Royal Palace. Interesting to see how that will develop. 

Weve given it a bad rap and its probably not fair. We had some fantastic days here in Tonga and met some great people. Just wasnt one of our favourites!