Tonga, Day One

I arrived in the Tonga International Airport at 2am. I thought I might have problems getting through customs there because I had checked every box on the entry slip (yes I have camping equipment, yes I have plant products, yes I have animal products, yes I have been to a forest in the last 30 days). I grabbed my pack and made my way over to the most official looking Tongans there and prepared to disassemble my whole packing job. I needn't have worried because all they asked was "food?" and I showed them my trail mix and yogurt covered raisins, they nodded and I was off. Right outside the door I encountered a rather intimidating crowd of people waving signs and carrying odd packages such as what looked like a wedding cake made out of white plastic flowers. I found Peter waving a "Toni's Guesthouse" sign and waited with him for the group of 12 other international students from Auckland University. I chatted with a couple of the French guys on the trip into town and ended up sharing a dorm with half their group at the hostel.

Super lacy mosquito nets over the Brazilian and German guys in the corner

I bid them adieu the next morning though and caught a ride with Toni to the ferry. He warned me about the customs of Tonga so I put on a pair of pants over my shorts before getting on the ferry. While watching the ferry get loaded up I befriended a different group of international students from Auckland University who were headed to the same Hideaway Resort on 'Eua. A couple of them started feeling ill on the voyage over so I spent most of the 2 hour journey concentrating on the horizon and the approaching island.

Nice guy on the ferry who I shared the sunshine with

Arrival on 'Eua was a bit hectic while everyone grabbed for their bags that were packed in the cargo area in the middle of the ship. Taki and Tim picked up the ten of us and transported us to our new home at the Hideaway. While the others were shown to their rooms, I worked on getting my tent set up on the lawn... a process that was overseen by Bessie a Tongan woman who works at the resort, mostly doing the cooking. I was invited along with the group to check out the nearby beach. Gorgeous! We opened a couple coconuts here too and it all had a Lord of the Flies primitive feel about it.

Our arrival to 'Eua wharf, people running to meet the ferry

We didn't have to start hunting pigs or anything (though there are plenty of pigs to be found just wandering the island) because dinner was served at the Hideaway. The options are chicken or fish done up in a variety of ways with the most popular being cooked in coconut milk. We were joined by Molly the cat at our meal, nosing her way into a few scraps. She is such a tiny orange cat (Molly is the Tongan word for orange) and I was psyched to see her since I miss Tigger so much. I could not hold back the squeal when I saw that she had four of the tiniest, cutest orange kittens hidden behind the bar. I am in for some serious fuzz therapy while I am here.

All the kittens piled on to the one that is actually awake, aww!