We crossed the International Date Line last night, hence the loss of day. Tonga is very different from all the other islands that we have been to so far. It has a fairly big (by island standards) commercial port and is governed by the Tongan Royal Family which has long maintained strong ties with Britain. The constitution, written in 1875, is strongly influenced by British law.
We didn’t dock until 9 am. I had some chores to do on the ship so I didn’t start by touring of Tonga until noon. I took a shuttle into town and my first mission was to head for an internet cafe and download my blog entries. It was very hot and humid. The town of Nuku’Alofa is fairly small and scattered. It took awhile for me to get my bearings. Tonga is a very conservative “Kingdom” so I had to keep my knees and shoulders covered, therefore no swimming today.
I did my computer work in an establishment that was dedicated to providing internet service only, no coffee. It was small and cramped and somewhat primitive with 2 fans attempting to move the air around. Patrons were in little cubicles – next to me was a Tongan man dressed in a traditional black skirt with a straw-like top skirt covering from his upper thigh to this waist. I found out later that the skirts represent respect for themselves, their families and their country. I also saw many school children around town dressed in crisp, colorful uniforms. After doing my computer work, I asked a young woman for directions to a pharmacy. She, Leslie, said she would walk me there. As we walked, we passed a young man who came out of a shop to ask her (in Tongan language) why she was walking with a foreigner. It sounded to me like Leslie responded by putting him in his place. She explained it all to me later but none of it sounded nasty to me.
Not to sound melancholy here but I am so thankful to my parents for demonstrating to me how to live an open, loving, outgoing and fearless life. If not for those traits I don’t know if I would be venturing into foreign ports by myself. One of my biggest thrills on these visits is the interactions that I am having with the local folk. I’m picking up on details that no tour can provide.
During my shopping trip to the local market I had discussions with two craftsmen one who carved a wooden statue of the God of Peace
and the other who carved a pendant out of whale bone.
Of course I purchased both of these treasures. The bone carver spent some time with me explaining the spiritual meanings of the symbols he lovingly carved. He told me with deep emotion that as he carved; his spirit and the spirit of his ancestors was transported into the object and then this would be past to the wearer of the charm. I told him that this was going to be a gift for my oldest grandson. I was sure to write down all the lovely words he used to describe the symbols. This day was filled with many moments that I shared with the Tongan people.
No comments:
Post a Comment