Some pics from paradaisical Pacific

On the look-out for shallow reef in Vava U, Tonga.













Our welcoming committee in Havai island group of Tonga.. There is no TV here.. Just family, friends, school and incredible natural island paradise they live in. These kids are obviously enthusiastic, nice and unspoiled.. yet.. Today most finished the school exam given to all 12 year olds. In a few months they will travel to one of the larger islands where they will stay with family and friends to start high school.

A bouquet of flowers as found alongside every road. The woman, and some men.., wear a fresh one behind the ear. On the right side signifies your availability and the left that you are taken..

By the time I get back I will make a mean home-made bread.. I bake with gusto and varied success, as witnessed by Gloria and Cedric. Luckily their French and South American cooking is enjoyable all the time.

From backpacking, to travelling, adventuring to exploring

I gave up backpacking a long time ago. Going to and from hostel to campground to hostel with the same transport as all other travelbible carriers (Lonely Planet, etc..) does not really enrich the spirit, knowledge or provides for original local experiences nor immersion in local culture. Travelling is good. Adventuring into the chartered, but unknown is better and exiting. Now we are about to move into the realm of exploring as we are going to touch the untouched by taking the north of equator route to avoid the hurricane season, visiting the North Pacific Kiribati islands, Marshal islands, Caroline group, Salamon islands and an assortment of as of yet unknown island and nations as well as Papua New Guinea!

But first we will finish our South Pacific adventure in Fiji to we should be able to find some great diving and snorkling, as well as another original mix of races, cultures and unique flora and fauna - and in Fiji's case- some political turmoil. Also we can perform necessary repairs and maintenance and stock up for the next 4 month leg of the journey.

Vava U

We have arrived in Vava U, a northern island group of the Kingdom of Tonga. Very beautiful and know for its wales. Especially the humpback wales come from Antartica to breed and calve so with a bit of luck we will see some families mucking about out beyond the west and lee side of the island. Lee, out of the wind, because the trade winds always East to South East in the Southern Pacific. The wales sing their songs towards the reef or steep rock formation to echo and amplify the sounds to their brothers hundreds of miles across the ocean. Mostly the males sing to each other and to call the ladies... They sing the same songs which change over time and with outside influences from wales visiting from other home grounds... sounds familiar..

Last night we went to a Tongan dance and dinner on the beach at the other side of the island. Drank some kava for the first time. The musicians were far to fond of the plant root drink to share much.. but I got offered a cup after presenting myself properly.. unlike the women in our group who were really not welcome to sit down in the first place.. and certainly were not supposed to partake in the sharing of kava. Much to their chagrin of course. There are quite strict customs on who does what and says what etc..

One such custom is that people feel obliged to give possessions away when someone makes a favorable comment. So as I made mention of the truly nice flowers worn by an older lady this morning, she turned around and offered them to me for my wife (I was walking around town with Cedric's girlfriend). This is a sign we are slowly moving into the Melanesian cultural influence and are leaving behind more of Polynesia with every new island we visit.

One big decision to make soon will be.. New Zealand and Australia or north to Melanesian islands to Papua New Genuia to Australia. All to do with finding favorable winds and currents while avoiding the hurricane season.

Kingdom of Tonga to Fiji

Today we are leaving the main island of Tonga to visit the smaller atols and continue to Fiji where we arrive in a couple of weeks. Sofar the Tongan islands are small, green with white beaches and wonderful coral formations. The people are the friendliest sofar. On entering a village, we were ankered on the leeward side of the island and walked the 1 km across, we were invited to a tradional Tongan meal, of which all dishes are cooked in an underground pit above some hot rocks. The kids love the fishhooks with line we brought for them and we also gave some batteries and basic medicine to the family we stayed at. The exchange of gifts and friendlyness is the basis for the mostly barter economy. This of course provoked another exchange of various fruits to ensure our hapiness.. etc.. etc..

Walking around a deserted island in 10 minutes on bright white sandy beach around coconuttree laden island is one of the highlights sofar. Shortly after we topped up a perfect sunny afternoon with watching the tale of a whale.. admittedly some distance away.. but now I have seen one.. more are sure to follow!

Another few days with heavy winds and rain ahead of us to the nothern island group of the Kingdom of Tonga. We may drop in to say hi to the king if we can get past the Royal Guards ;)

Gales, ankerslippage and tonga sunday

We have arrived in Tonga after 10 days of rough sailing. Mostly cloudy with rain.. On our arrival the sky cleared up and we are having some nice sunny weather again.

Rarotonga was great but our 10 day weather enforced lay-up was getting to us a little. The island is great and the fridaynight an excellent way to let off steam. They know how to hit the bottle here.. late night scenes resemble 'the morning after' of Amsterdam Queensday. Cat the vet showed us around biking and hiking the island and it was nice to be able to converse with the locals as they have english as the secondary language and not french.

After all the hubbub and the lost radar unit caused by the gale on the way to Rarotonga, it seems we were rather lucky.. of the ships arriving after us, one had to come in with failed 3 GPS units and nativagation system (a mean feat of naviation), one lost the use of their engine and came sailing into the very small harbor and was only able to anker in time with the help of various dingies (4pk engines) being used as pushboats. Another we saved crashing into the quay as the anker slipped and mooring lines started to pop by throwing a 2nd anker from the dingy.. and the smallest ship, another 3 feet smaller than ours, came in completely drenched inside with all their electronics out.

Having arrived in Tonga, we got to hear of a dutch couple, crewing a ship to New Zealand who had lost the rudder and had to be towed in at the expense of 30.000 dollar.. Our neighbours at the mooring were thrown onto the side with mast in the water twice and are still drying their belongings, accumulated on a 14 year circumnavigation.

After all this, we almost crashed our boat into the other neighbour and rocky quay in the port of Tonga at the mooring when the 10 knot wind changed direction and the anker started slipping. Stupid you may say.. and rightly so.. Being alone on board, and trying to do right thing.. pffff, hauling in the anker, getting the engine going for forward thrust and having to let the backspring (line to quay) go slowly.. this was not going to be possible for me to do on my own.., going, going... oh oh.. of course I am in control and know what I am doing... eh... ok.. yell for help to the neighbouring boat!! This brought out the owner couple from their siesta who immediately rowed to the resque and together (me doing what they told me to) we saved the day with only a minute to spare.

Having arrived on saterday, the sunday provided well deserved rest and a stroll around town. We came to the right place for that. Walking around is a throwback to a dutch village in the 50ies. Massive and very full churches everywhere, with wonderful harmony voices (maybe not so dutch but you get the picture) and traditionally dressed Tongans inside. Literally everything is closed down for the day, and both radio stations are dedicated to ' god and tonga' (the proclaimed cornerstones of Tongan life) with the soundtracks of 'the sound of music' being the highlight.

To Nuie and then Tonga

Miss Polynesia and Miss mama-hu Polynesia ( miss grandmother)

Saved by the bell

The last few days the weather has maintained a somber look with new high pressure front coming in, as the 1048 is slowly moving away. Cedric says that in 20 years of sailing and instructing heavy weather sail courses, he never has experienced such a high.. So we are stuck in the paradise of Roratonga. We have met a nice volunteer vet who has shown us the island on a 30 km circumnavigation by bike. People are extremely friendly and open. Besides the islanders of course, which are typical polynesian, especially the new zealanders also known as kiwis are a breath of fresh air. Certainly after experiencing the stuck up toerists spending bucketfulls of money for a week in Bora Bora. They seemed to have gotten contaminated with a dose of snobbyness, probably thrown in for free.



The islands from here on to New Zealand will have even more variety of coral and fish species. Especially Tonga and Fiji are going to be great for snorkling and diving. After leaving the French Polynesian islands there is no more risk of eating poisened fish from the lagoons, so we can start fishing in the lagoon as well. The french deny it, but the nuclear testing done on one of their Tohomutu islands (still off limits) coincidentally occured around the same time in the 60ties and is limited to the area, is when the ciquatera desease developed.

Friday night tomorrow is partynight on the island, saterday night should also be fun but everything closes down at 12 at night in preparation for holy sunday. There are hundreds of churches on the island for up to 6000 people, so you might say they take religion seriously. Another reason for the really sociable people here to gather round, talk, sing and dance.


Gigantic news from Amsterdam. For some reason people at home are running scared of economic resession and have decided to freeze the real estate market. This was not expected nor planned forand becoming a nagging worry in the back of my mind. I am relieved to say that a solution has presented itself at the right moment and I continue my adventure journey carefree while the real estate agent does the impossible and shields me from the daily ups and downs of selling one's home.