Uoleva ‘Eva

As last week was school vacation (our last one this year) Kate, Brett, Sarah, and I decided to go to Uoleva for a few days of palangi beach time in our bathing suits and a short break from Tongan life. Since this had already been an expensive month with whale watching and a few birthday parties we decided an economical excursion was in order: we would hitch a ride with a Tongan fishing boat going to Uiha, a nearby island, camp in tents, and cook all our food over an open coconut fire so we wouldn’t have to pay to use the kitchen at the guesthouse we would camp at. We made massive preparations, stocked up on food, and even bought some beer to keep in a cooler bag for an evening around the campfire.

Kate and Brett’s neighbor told us that there would be some Tongan boat leaving around 10 or 11am Wednesday morning, after a church concert the previous night, and that we should be ready to go by then. We all headed into town early, did our shopping and final packing and were ready to go around 10:30. Unfortunately, we forgot about Tongan time. Sometime close to 1 o’clock their neighbor and his family pulled up and told us they had to run and errand but they would be back very quickly and then we would go. We waited and waited and finally, close to 5 o’clock, they pulled up screaming at us to hurry and that we had to go right now. Yes, after 6 hours of waiting, all of a sudden we were the ones slowing them down! We went down to the old wharf, which isn’t actually a wharf anymore, just some rocks between the ocean and the land, and loaded onto a Tongan boat. There were several of them leaving for Uiha at the same time, and they all tried to race one another, shouting joking insults to boats with slower engines or more people.

Luckily we got to Uoleva before the sunset and had just enough time to set up our tents and gather wood for a fire. We made a wonderful dinner of roasted hot dogs and fish, vegetable skewers, and corn and potatoes roasted in the fire. Kate’s parents had even sent over marshmallows, which we toasted as a delicious dessert. Some friends of Brian and Sabina’s were out there as well, and they and a French couple came and sat with us around the fire. All was going well, until we felt the first rain drops, which forced us back to our tents.

The next day it just rained. It was cold and gray and yes, rainy. Somehow we managed to cook pancakes over a small fire before it got too wet, and we finished just in time. We sat out a bit and talked, and spent the day reading in our tents and coming out when it was just drizzling. It finally let up around 5, and we gathered what dry and damp wood and coconuts we could find and made another fire. Since it was still drizzling we decided to forego our dinner plans, and just made sandwiches. A few people joined us around the fire again, but once again our plans were spoiled by the rain.

It poured all night, and in the morning, wet and tired, we decided we should probably just concede defeat and head back. It was too wet to start a fire for breakfast so we snacked on some cookies while we waiting on the beach to flag down a Tongan boat to take us back to Pangai. However, it was very cold and windy on the beach, which meant boats were most likely waiting for the weather to calm down a bit before heading to town, which meant we were stranded. Luckily, a boat had been arranged to bring a couple back who were staying at the guest house and we hopped on with them, although we were disappointed because when you go as a tourist it’s pretty expensive.

Still, we were happy to be heading back and all looking forward to some hot tea/coffee and a shower, and the boat ride was fairly uneventful until we saw the Tongan man driving the boat pull out a bag and try to open it. He struggled for a few minutes, trying to open the bag while steering through the reef, and just when we realized the bag was moving he reached in, pulled out a cat, and threw it overboard. We were stunned. I got fairly upset and started asking in Tongan, “Why did you do that? Just why!?” The man told us that the cat had eaten food, and that was it. We spent the rest of the ride shocked and wondering why, if they wanted to kill the cat they didn’t just kill it with a knife, like they do with the pigs, or leave it on the deserted island we were on. Went the cat disappeared from our site it was swimming toward the island, and I really hope it made it to shore.

In the end, despite the rain, it was nice to get away for a few days. But, I realized, even if I can live hear without making giant faux pas, I will never truly understand this culture.