A few more days spent around town and we were off again, this time to a small resort at a nearby island where we heard of parties and pig roasts. We pulled up our anchor and sailed to the Mala Island Resort. After safely anchoring we motored our dinghy to the small dock and made our way up the wooden path to the lodge.
The resort consisted of a restaurant/lodge and about eight small buildings each one housing two rooms. Though it may sound very exotic the buildings were not well kept and were falling apart. Inside the rooms was a very dirty bathroom and a bed, which had all been taken over by humidity and mold due to the tropical climate. Though the appearance was anything but clean, it still possessed a very exotic and romantic atmosphere.
We each paid a small amount to partake in the feast that consisted of all you could eat pig, clams, vegetables, potatoes and a desert. The food looked and tasted amazing especially after having not eaten very well since the Cook Islands. After dinner all the patrons then made their way down to the beach for entertainment and for the evening after party. Once down at the beach the twenty some people sat around in a circle and the host along with his six employees began to cut open coconuts and mix rum with the coconut milk. Passing the coconuts round full of coconut milk and rum everybody began to get a little drunk as the host played a number of classics on his homemade guitar.
The six employees of the resort were all Tongan brothers who lived on a nearby island and were the only employees at the resort. Once they had all finished cleaning up from dinner and had gathered around the fire partaking in the festivities, the brothers began to sing. Their voices perfectly harmonized as though they had sung together a million times, everybody fell into a trance and seemed seduced by their songs and the perfection in their performance. It was definitely the highlight of the evening and cannot be adequately described of its unusual sound and beauty. After they sung, much of the crowd dissipated till only our boats crew, another sailboats crew, the host and the brothers remained.
It was very funny after the brothers had sung; the host began to play his guitar again. Marina being the drunken Scottish woman that she is started to harass the host for being so anal about not wanting sand in his beautifully handcrafted guitar. Being intoxicated he took offense to her rudeness and angrily left the fire retreating to the lodge to escape her loud, obnoxious drunken antics. She soon disappeared after him to apologize and the fire had lost two more victims.
At this point several bottles of rum had been drank and we had no more coconuts left near the fire. As the crew from the boat pulled out two more bottles of rum it was clear that we must seek more coconuts. Offering to climb a tree and gather some more, the oldest brother said he would show me how. Watching his precision and speed climbing up the narrowest, tallest, swaying palm trees it was clear he had been doing it his whole life. Atop in a matter of seconds, it soon was raining coconuts and we had collected more than was needed. Carrying them back to the fire, I then tried to cut them open for the group.
I learned that the ripeness of the coconut decides whether you will have good milk, good coconut, or even one other unusual alternative when the coconut begins to rot that has the appearance and taste of a sponge cake. As I attempted to cut the very tip off of the coconuts allowing for a very effective cup, the brothers found it quite hysterical. My slow speed and lack of precision with the machete was quite funny to these Tongan brothers who traded off trying to give me lessons. They were certain I was going to cut my hand off with the blade even though I was quite sure I was not.
As the night went on I soon realized that everybody had left the fire except for these six brothers and me. We continued to talk, laugh, sing, dance, and drink late into the night. Then I realized something; I had been stranded ashore by my crew. During the time I had stayed on the beach partying with these brothers everybody had retreated to their boats, including Dirty Dave, and Josh with the dinghy. As we all laughed the brothers began arguing amongst each other over whose shack I could stay at. These six brothers were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met and all wanted me to stay at their place (though they all shared two rooms).
We walked up to the lodge where I soon began to feel very tired. The oldest brother who had taught me to climb palm trees took me to the small building where his room was. Inside I glanced into the bathroom only to find the most disgusting, black, moldy, rotten mess I’ve ever seen. Opting not to go in, he then directed me to one of two beds in the room where he said I was welcome to sleep. Thankful, I plunged face first onto the bed where I fell deep into the depths of sleep.
Sitting up, I awoke to a hot humid summer breeze in my face and an incredible hang over. I looked around the room and saw that on the other bed three of the brothers were sleeping; one of them must have sacrificed his bed to me. Looking down revealed that the bed I had slept on, much like the bathroom was also completely black and covered in mold. I immediately stood up, thanked the brothers for their hospitality and shot down to the lodge for breakfast. Calling the Ferdinand on the vhf and instructing them to come pick me up, I left the island feeling fulfilled and exuberant.
Not long after leaving Mala Island did I acquire an infection that I feared had come from this night of sleeping. Fortunately it did not but I will speak of this horrendous experience later. We then departed the area and relocated to a secluded cove where we spent the next night.
Time had come for us to prepare for our departure to Tonga. This required that we accomplish a few chores onboard and once again prepare our vessel for the longest passage yet. Among the many tasks I had the privilege of changing the running lights at the top of the mast. This was quite fun and I greatly enjoyed the view from atop the mast. That evening we were rewarded with the most amazing sunset yet saying farewell to Tonga and all that her islands had provided us.
Josh writes, “We left Tonga with many fond memories of secluded white sand beaches, pig roast's, coconut milk and snorkeling down into underwater caves; as well as witnessing the American Obama victory celebrations where a whole bar of people jumped into the ocean; plus the nighttime visit to a megayacht by 2 crazy crew in a dysfunctional dinghy that would only turn circles in the pouring rain... but that's another story!”
After provisioning the next day in Vava’u we departed the islands of Tonga. The forecast called for no wind for about a week followed by a very large storm, which we wrongly thought we could get ahead of. We were tragically wrong, instead experiencing “the storm of a life time” as some sailors labeled it. An experience I will never forget.
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