Yesterday we spent the day in Vava'u in the town of Neiafu going to the market, checking on the dirt t-shirts we ordered, having the best hamburger in quite a while. While Bill and I were doing all those mundane things Matt was having a wild adventure. Matt, Bob, Moe, and Bev dinghied out to Mariner's Cave about 5km from the harbor of Vava'u. Good thing I wasn't there because I would have been Negative Nancy and worried the whole time. Matt tells the story much better than me but he won't write in the blog so here goes.
Apparently, one must the dinghy to the island of Nuapapu and anchor close to the opening of the cave. You dive down about 10-12ft in the near dark, swim about 25-30ft through the entrance of the cave, look up to the surface and then go up. According to Matt it is a fantastic experience and the cave has many stalagtites and stalagmites. Matt and Bob climbed up to the top of the cave and dove off the side into the center of the pool.
Think I should write a disclaimer and say this blog does not condone or encourage the actions of the participants. We are not responsible for any actions one may take which resembles the behavior of any of the participants. At any rate they all thankfully came back alive and I didn't know any of this until they returned.
Last night we ate at a restaurant called the Compass Rose and listened to some fantastic Tongan music performed by seven men who live in one of the local villages. They had great harmony and have even performed for the King of Tonga. We were honored to hear them play. They were drinking a local drink called kava while they performed and offered some to us. Some would say it tastes very earthy -somewhat like mud. It gives one an analgesic affect and numbs the mouth.
Tonight we will attend a Tongan feast at the Aquarium Cafe with many of the World Arc folks. They will have traditional food including a roast pig and many variations of fish. That will be our last time together until we all reach Fiji after sailing the 400plus miles.
By the way, having a pig at your home is considered a sign of wealth. The pig becomes a "pet" and is allowed to wonder around the village during the day. He returns home at night to eat and spend the night with his family. This goes on until the family has a feast or party and they then consume the pig. Having the pig for the feast is also a sign of wealth and generosity.
Rosemary