Yesterday we visited our last Fijian island and during the night left Fijian waters for quite a long voyage to the Kingdom of Tonga.We moved our clocks forward an hour and left the sunshine behind.Docking in Tongatapu island at 13.30.During the morning we had two good lectures on the submarine ecology and the birds,of the South Pacific.
Once docked and customs clearance obtained we headed out by bus for a cultural tour
Finally some locally prepared chicken and taro -quite tasty.Still a dull and overcast day but some lovely vegetation.
Then off to see a rather underwhelming bit of shoreline ,where Captain Cook had made a landfall in 1777.
Rather more exciting was a series of natural blow holes along the west coast,some spectacular eruptions.
A glance at the Royal palace
into which we not invited and back to the band and dancers wishing us goodbye as we boarded the ship.
Tonga appears to be more European in outlook,services and in its buildings but its economy is heavily dependant upon monies received from Tongans abroad in Australia,New Zealand and the USA.About 30% of GDP comes from exports of vanilla,squas,coconuts and bananas.Much of the private industry has been taken over by the Chinese who entered the country under a cash for passports scheme that ended in 1998.Our guide made it very clear that was very unpopular with native Tongans!Much of the monetary sector of the economy-particularly telecomms-is dominated/owned by the Royal family and other nobles.The population is only 108,000 and that is split between 4 groups of islands,in total there are 171 islands but only 45 are populated.But the top tax rate is only 20%.
A good dinner and an entertaining talk from one of the staff about his problems as an overland driver,and off to bed 05.00 start tomorrow
Once docked and customs clearance obtained we headed out by bus for a cultural tour
The first stop was at a centre dedicated to the Tongan way of life,introduced by the very pregnant young lady above.She spoke with a very cultivated English accent and wore a grass skirt,not made of grass,but of treated tree bark.We learnt that nothing was open on a sunday,but that a meal was set to cook in an oven of volcanic rocks,with the food wrapped in gently cooked banana leaves(makes them supple)and covered with more leaves and earth.On returning from church the meal is cooked,partaken of,and the rest of the day spent doing nothing.
The 'show'started with another Kava ceremony,mashing the Kava root above,and then went on to some short dances.
This was followed by a demonstration of sheet production-sheets of woven bark,beaten flat and coloured.
Tonga appears to be more European in outlook,services and in its buildings but its economy is heavily dependant upon monies received from Tongans abroad in Australia,New Zealand and the USA.About 30% of GDP comes from exports of vanilla,squas,coconuts and bananas.Much of the private industry has been taken over by the Chinese who entered the country under a cash for passports scheme that ended in 1998.Our guide made it very clear that was very unpopular with native Tongans!Much of the monetary sector of the economy-particularly telecomms-is dominated/owned by the Royal family and other nobles.The population is only 108,000 and that is split between 4 groups of islands,in total there are 171 islands but only 45 are populated.But the top tax rate is only 20%.
A good dinner and an entertaining talk from one of the staff about his problems as an overland driver,and off to bed 05.00 start tomorrow
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