The Hughes Zoo

Our first real day off the boat - how exciting! Because of the size of the ship we needed to anchor offshore then take the ship’s tenders (life boats) to shore. That made taking the pram a bit more of a challenge, but we managed.

It was overcast and very muggy. Within a few minutes of being out of the aircon we were sweating. Once we were ashore we didn’t really know what t0 do, so we just wandered into the town to find somewhere to get a drink. We found a nice little ice cream place with great views over the water. The heat and our disorganisation though took its toll and it was  a pretty tense morning. Exacerbated by Jeremy running head-long towards roads and sheer drops.

Ange had read about a restaurant and bar called The Mermaid and took us on quite and adventure t get to it, down a few hundred stairs, over unpaved paths behind boat sheds following hand painted signs. With the pram. We got there eventually though, and were initially pretty disappointed. It looked more like a backpacker’s hangout. But the food was excellent, the vegie tortilla we  shared was better than anything we’d had on the ship in the last week. The staff were really laid back and friendly, though sort of reserved. Suited me down to the ground. Jeremy found a girl a few years older than him to play with and had a great time, much helped by the canon and steering wheel.

Will has really come out of his shell, either that or he just likes Tongan women. Usually he won’t let anyone else pick him up, but he happily spent quite a bit of time with a lady from the ice cream shop and the woman in The Mermaid.

The boys got a couple of shirts coloured with dye made from Tongan dirt and Ange and I got some sun and fresh air. Despite the tension we had a great time.

Photos for the day

Today was supposed to be our first scheduled stop, at Nuku’alofa. However the rough weather from a couple of days ago resurfaced and it wasn’t safe to enter the port, so we skipped the stop and headed for the next Tongan port on our list, Vava’u. Jeremy was a bit crazy - not really being able to run around for 5 days is  a pretty big ask for a kid with as much energy as he has. He held it together pretty well though, all things considered.

As you might have guessed, the ship is pretty much a floating retirement village. Generally that’s not so bad, but the main downside is that the only people more arrogant than parents with prams are old shufflers. I guess when it takes so much effort to get started, you’re not going to stop for anyone. A compromised ability to judge relative speed and distance has ended in a couple of minor collisions - mostly people who walk past me when I’m pushing the pram, and cut in front without keeping up en0ugh speed.

Usually Ange and I tag-team watching the boys of a night,  but last night we both went out for a couple of drinks at the bar that’s literally at the end of our hallway. We checked in on the boys every 15 minutes or so, they didn’t even notice we were gone. It was really nice to get to spend some time together, especially when it involved Martini-drinking.

Late this afternoon we arrived in Vava’u. Just seeing land for the first time in a week was a bit special. The islands look beautiful, I can’t wait to explore them tomorrow.

Photos for the day