'Eua

On a recent trip to 'Eua we were treated to a visit to the "Rock Garden".  But then we had to make a quick trip back to town. Maybe someday we can go hiking in the rain forest and actually see the parrot that is native to 'Eua.

This was our third trip to 'Eua which is east of the main island of Tongatapu. We actually went to 'Eua five times this year. A 10 minute plane ride, if the plane is flying. The plane is usually a small top wing Norman Islander that seats 8. Check in is interesting. First they weigh your luggage, then you and your carry on together. Not sure why they call it carry on, because there is no room for it to be with you on the flight, so it goes in the baggage hold with everything else. But since the flight is only 10 minutes you don't miss it.

But today the flight back was canceled and since we were meeting other Seniors to go out to dinner to celebrate three August Birthdays, we decided to take the Ferry back, so the 10 minute flight became almost three hours.

So here we are leaving 'Eua, the first incident came when the ferry started to turn around and go back. Soon we saw the reason, a motor boat was bringing someone out to the ferry who had missed it. We actually left a little early. President Havea (there is one Stake on 'Eua) had taken us to the Rock Garden and then to the Ferry. He introduced us to one of his returned missionaries to help us get settled on the Ferry. He got sick on the Ferry ride, we did not.

As you can see by this photo it was a little windy on the trip. About this time we had another issue on the ferry. The ferry started slowing down and turning. Word was quickly passed around the ship that a pig had jumped over board and they were trying to get it back on board, to no avail. So then a Tongan dove in and was swimming out to the pig. He got within a yard of the pig and a big swell came in and moved the pig out of his reach. But then we had the problem of getting him back on board, he was pretty tired by now and so they threw him a life preserver attached to a rope. He couldn't get to it. Repositioned the ferry and tried again. By now most everyone was on the right side of the ferry, so it started to list to one side. That was the last I saw of the action, because I moved to the other side to try and balance the ferry a little. But they finally got him on board and we resumed our journey to Nu'ku'alofa. The last we saw of the pig he seemed to be swimming back towards 'Eua.

Just thought this was a neat picture through the stacked
series of life preservers toward the front of the Ferry.

The islands off the north side of Tongatapu, we are getting
to my birthday dinner celebration.