Today our port stop is on Tonga.

Yesterday was a the great Gasby party on board the ship.  It was a formal night and most people dressed up.  The ship had a detective game which happened all day long:  A necklace was stolen, there were 9 suspects and clues were given out.  The guests had to figure out which person did it.  The ship even had a dance contest in the Crow’s Nest and Nana took 3rd place. We also celebrated 2 birthdays !

Now onto our stop today, the region around Nuku’alofa has been inhabited for over 3,000 years. The Tongan people developed a complex society with hierarchical chiefdoms, known as the Tu’i Tonga Empire, which exerted influence over much of Polynesia between the 10th and 16th centuries. King George Tupou I: In the mid-19th century, King George Tupou I unified Tonga under his rule. He declared Nuku’alofa the capital in 1851, establishing it as the center of administration and royal authority. World War II: During WWII, Nuku’alofa served as a strategic base for Allied forces. The presence of American troops influenced local culture and infrastructure development.

Our excursion today allowed us to explore the island.  We saw from the outside the Royal Palace, now used solely for ceremonial occasions. This white Victorian residence was shipped from New Zealand and assembled in Nuku’alofa in 1867.   Never colonized by the West, Tonga claims one of the last pure expressions of Polynesian culture. 

We learned about ancient Tonga at a village featuring local dances, demonstrations of local plant medicine and insights into their culture   We watched the making of tapa cloth, mat weaving and local food preparation.  They demonstrated the different paper skirts and Nana was picked to try one on. 

On Tonga’s western coast, we saw the Chief’s Whistles — widely considered the most spectacular blowholes in the entire South Pacific.  The rocks allow the waves to create large geysers close to the shore. 

We stopped near Tofoa to meet the flying foxes. These nocturnal fruit bats sleep suspended from trees, heads down, and wings folded. Bats enjoy a sacred status in Tonga and live a restful, protected life. 

Our tour end at a local handicraft store where local woman showcase handmade items. Nana found some bats and Papa found a wonderfully carved wooden hatchet. 

The entire day was very rainy. It even rained inside our bus. The buses were very old and not well kept up. We had rain gear but even with that we were soaked by the time we arrived back to the ship.  Interesting to note, the people of Tonga were very upbeat, happy, and religious. There are 16 Christian faiths here.