Have you ever slept in a grass hut in Tonga?  I want to tell you about the fun things we’ve done on Pangiamotu Island, near Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

The island is about 2 acres long and it only takes 1/1/2 hours to walk around it.  The beach has beautiful white sand but has only chipped or cracked shells.  Thousands of plants and palm trees cover the hub of the island. There is a water front restaurant with a soft and floor and also 6 fales (huts) for tourists.  The bar is made out of palm tree trunks.  There is a dinghy dock so tilted that you can fall off it, for a water taxi and for cruiser’s dinghies.  The chicken burger with ketchup is the best with marvelous mango and pineapple juices.

There are 24 sweet and friendly people living on this Island and they all share 8 houses.  I love playing with the restaurant’s dogs, Coconut, Tiger and Holly, and also a mean cat.  In Tonga the people are fat because they think being fat is beautiful. The island is owned by Big Mama and Earl.  Big Mama is fat and very pretty. She speaks perfect English and wears a lot of jewelry and some make-up.  She is the nicest woman I have met in Tonga. Earl is a tall skinny man with a glass eye.  Even though he is 70 he’s a superb dart player.  They are both parents to Andrew age 10 and Simon age 15.  The boys are both excellent ping-pong players.

At the island there are lots of fun things to do.  First there is a dart board with darts which I have only played a few times.  They have a brand new pool table with only one cue and you have to pay 50 cents to play.  Volleyball is just right behind the restaurant.  I don’t like playing because I always loose track of the ball and I’m afraid it will bonk me on the head.  My favorite things to do here is climb the large tree, play ping-pong with Andrew and go swinging on the rope swing.  There is a fabulous climbing tree next to the ping-pong table.  There are 3 ways you can get up and back down.  The trickiest one of all is by the black tiny hammock.  You have to crawl under lots of sharp sticks and twigs.  It is very difficult and dangerous so I wouldn’t suggest climbing up or down that way.  The rope swing is the funnest.  First take a rope, and then jump onto the bottom of the tree.  Second climb up the tree with the help of the rope to the big knot.  Last, grab the knot and jump off the tree.  Finally, you’re in the air swinging, twisting and turning over the water.  Sometimes you can drop into the water when it is high tide.

On the last night we were anchored there I had a sleepover with Andrew and some other boys off of another boat.  After I had lamb and potatoes dinner with Andrew we went to hut #6.  It was different because the roof was made out of wood and dried palm fronds and the floor was cement.  There were four nice beds and mosquito netting.  I didn’t even want to look in the bathroom because it was so gross, and it had no door.  We stayed up half the night talking and laughing with waitresses from the restaurant in our fale. In the morning we went to the beach to catch some crabs for fun.  Andrew would stick his hand in the crab hole and grab them while they were sleeping.  When it was breakfast time I was sososo starving.  It was yummy in my tummy toast and hot chocolate. Then we said goodbye and went back to our boats.  We were off to New Zealand!