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| Tongan pig roast feast |
This evening the villagers invited the cruisers to a traditional pig roast to raise funds for the rebuilding. Their aim is to have a flash lavatory in every house. We wondered if their next scheme should be to build a sewerage system. No, there doesn't seem to be a problem with waste. It probably directed deep underground under the vegetable patch.
Our pig roast included two suckling pigs, roasted chicken, boiled crabs and fish dishes. The table was groaning under the weight of food. Apparently the local people like feeding visitors because we eat so little compared them. They will keep refilling their plates until the table is empty. Hence the well rounded ladies and gentlemen of the village. On a point of interest, before we cam eto the Pacific we'd always been told the Tongans admired fat people. If that is so they should meet the very beautiful people of American Samoa where American fast food has led to widespread obesity.
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| Children dancing |
While we were feasting the children and ladies gave us a dance demonstration and two ladies should us how they weave the intricate mats used to sit on at ceremonies. Many of the ancient family heirlooms were lost in the tsunami so they are working hard, harvesting the young coconut fronds which are treated in seawater to bleach and soften them then torn into thin ribbons ready to weave.
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| ladies weaving |
It was a wonderful evening. The food was good, 100 flies can't be wrong, and we were made very welcome by the people of Niuatoputapu. I hope they enjoy their new low level flush toilets.
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