World Cruise--More Tonga

The major portion of our excursion in Tonga was to be spent at Oholei Beach and Hina Cave. We drove down a graveled road and past a huge construction area and my heart began to sink. What was this place going to be like? We had to spend a lot of time here. Now I had done my homework before we ever booked this excursion way back before Christmas. I’d found reviews and even a video on the cave and beach experience. But now, I was beginning to wonder if what I’d seen was really going to happen.

The bus let us out right in front of the entrance to the “#1 Restaurant & Resort Oholei Beach”. The welcome could not have been warmer as the hostess in a beautiful deep sapphire blue skirt and top stood at the entrance and welcomed each of the visitors from the three buses that had delivered them. Inside were lots of tables, all covered in white cloths with pretty floral centerpieces set on a flowered cloth runner. It was a very large reception hall on two levels. Not a five star place (Bob pointed out later a set of wooden slats holding up a bulge in the ceiling) but very nice.

We all took seats and were entertained by the owner and his small band which included his youngest son (of eight children: “When you don’t have a TV” shrug) on the drums. He explained that a guide would take us to the cave and relate the history and legends of the cave. Then later, as some decided to start to the cave on their own, he said a guide would meet us there. So we started out.

The cave was 60 stone steps down to the beach and our group gathered inside the huge cave. This was what I had seen in the video but as our guide began to talk to us we learned that the traditional show that always took place in there could no longer happen. A tsunami in 2022 had completely cleaned out all the staging and lighting, etc. for any receptions or shows that used to take place there.

A rock formation that looked like a sleeping woman was said to be from a lost love. She turned to stone as she waited for her lover to return. He’d gone to Samoa. At least that’s the synopsis of the legend.

We didn’t spend a lot of time inside. It was just a great big cave at that point. We walked out to the beach where several people had already plunged into the water. I had packed a beach towel in case I wanted to walk on the water’s edge but I could see globs of seaweed and decided I’d wait for a little nicer beach. It didn’t stop others. I suspect many were the Europeans who were up at four a.m. to swim every morning in the outdoor pool onboard.

It was getting warmer and even the breeze was not helping as we climbed up the 65 steps (Bob claimed there were more going up than coming down). It was a slow go but we finally made it and found our seats inside again and purchased a bottle of cold water.

The band was still singing and playing but it soon paused so that the owner could give his testimony of how Jesus Christ had helped him through all the difficult times in his life. The “resort” was a family inheritance. His parents had owned it and ran it until his mother took ill and there was  no dialysis treatment for her on Tonga. He moved his parents and his family all to Australia where, with the treatments, his mother lived another 22 years. He then moved back to Tonga and saw the disarray the resort had fallen into. After much prayer for direction, they decided to clean it up and try to restore it. At this point, his children, several of whom had started entertainment careers gave up their lives in Australia to help their parents rebuild.

That would have been a great story right there but then came a cyclone, and another cyclone, and maybe even a third. Each time through prayer, he said, God answered and they rebuilt. In 2022 however it was even more devastating because of the tsunami that killed three of his workers and critically injured another. But God was still good. He sent World Central Kitchen that provided the help for him and several other restaurants in the area to cook over 3,000 meals a day for survivors.

Now I’m not sure exactly but I think because of that, someone helped by investing in their building of the resort. The plans are for a multi-million dollar construction project which was what we saw the beginning of as we entered. All of this story was interspersed with his constant praise for Jesus.

An invitation was extended for us to go outside to see a coconut demonstration where a young man quickly scampered up a coconut palm and cut two down. He opened them on a pick that was anchored to the ground. It was a little rough go since the coconuts were not entirely ripe but our hostess explained that every bit of the coconut was used for something.

From the palm tree we moved to the cooking pits where three pigs were roasting on spits in one. In the other were covered aluminum trays of food that had been cooking for a while underneath a covering of palm leaves. We sampled the steaming hot lamb, chicken, taro and sweet potato, all served on large banana leaves.

Back inside it took a little more time and the inside food was ready. It was quite a banquet and included one of the roast pigs. I was very surprised as the description of the tour said we were only to get some local fruit. This was an amazing banquet and was preceded with the owner saying grace.

After we were almost finished eating, the two sisters sang a couple of songs. I could see where they would have had entertainment careers. Their voices were amazing. Then the traditional dancers took over and we watched with awe as they explained and performed their motions and music. The women don’t sway their hips like the Hawaiian hula. The message of the song is communicated more with hand motions which were very delicate and graceful.

The owner announced that he had saved the best for last and in the back of the banquet hall appeared a young man of about ten years with a baton of fire. He managed that thing expertly, twirling and balancing, and even with some comedy attached. Quite an entertainer himself.

The staff was lined up as we left to say goodbye to each of us and I had the feeling that our afternoon had been more a gathering of friends, maybe even family, as we were warmly wished safety and blessings on our way to the buses.

Back at the ship, the morning dancers were back to entertain us and send us on our way as the ship left the pier and began its trip to Auckland.

The memories of the excursion and Tonga are going to last a long time.