Niuatoputapu, Tonga 9 Sept 2010 15.9413S 173.7692W
We are a day ahead of you now – we are the future:) We made landfall yesterday morning, and spent the day cleaning up from a roughish trip. Four very friendly customs, immigration and health officials, three of them women, came aboard to check us into the country. Then Frank went with them ashore to get Tongan Pahangas from the “bank” to pay the fees (the bank was easy to find – it’s the only house on the island with chicken wire on the windows). All the bank employees were women, I’m getting the sense that we are officially in a maternal society. Today Frank took off early to lend a hand as a day laborer (with the other men). This island was hit hard by last fall’s Tsunami (same one that hit Samoa), so there is lots of rebuilding, and few tools to do so. Apparently there is not a drill on the island, so the 3-4 yachts here in the anchorage are lending tools. Nine people here died (I don’t know the total island population yet, but it can’t be more than a couple hundred), and I understand there are many frightening survival tales. Provisions come infrequently by ship, and a small plane stops once a week. Needless to say, supplies are limited. While we’re here, we’ll do what we can to help, but I’m really wishing we’d stopped in Samoa to stock up and be able to share more – the tools alone seem to be most appreciated though.
Through it all, the people are incredibly warm, welcoming and upbeat. I’m really looking forward to getting to know these people and their still beautiful island.
xoxomo