22/2/2026 lazy Sunday with fishing pigs

This morning I had a very leisurely breakfast. The whole of Tonga shuts down on Sundays and everything is forbidden even housework. I can live with that!  So myself and the German who’s name I’ve forgotten, it’s maybe Klaus, had a long chat over breakfast. He was telling me he’d been to the new settlement to talk to the displaced islanders but couldn’t get to speak to many of them as  the officials discouraged it. The ones he did speak to want to go back to their island, they’re fishermen and are now living so far from the ocean it makes no sense to them. It sure as hell makes no sense to me, but what do I know? To be honest nothing makes sense to me anymore so a country's  complex political aims and vision has no hope of making sense does it? We’ll call the German Klaus for simplicity, he looks like a Klaus to me anyway. He has three children, a son at home in Germany in university age 21 a son travelling Australia age 19 and a daughter with him and his wife In Fiji. His daughter  hates living there and misses her friends in Germany even though they’ve adopted a stray dog and just completed the formal village Ceremony to buy a chicken. Yes there’s a ceremony to buy a chicken in Fiji. His wife is a journalist and due to the type of visa they are on isn’t allowed to work in Fiji not even volunteering. However because she is a journalist she is able to remote work and write articles for the newspapers. They are 18 months into a 3 year contract with his job in Fiji and after that they are heading back to Germany for his daughters education. He’s off to a small deserted island today on the ferry but there is nothing there no toilets and you have to take your food and drink with you. I have water but a full day with no toilet is not something I was feeling.  The ferry went at 1100 and get back at 1600. He hadn’t fully decided if he was going or not at breakfast but I definitely don’t fancy a deserted island for the day. Sensible Mrs Leonard.  Sensible.  

After breakfast I had a little nap and then went and sat out on the veranda. Sunbathing is frowned upon generally and even when I went snorkelling even though I had Si’s rash vest on I was still showing too much flesh it’s my legs being exposed , they prefer the body to be covered even on the beach. Not to the degree that Muslim  ladies have to cover up on the beach, but shorts and teeshirts are acceptable bikinis and strapless tops are not. 

The nap lasted longer than I planned. I ended up sleeping til 1500 hours, I know I’m tired but that feels ridiculous even for me! When I woke up it was boiling in the room and I went for a cool shower before packing the sturdy one ready to leave tomorrow night.  

While I was asleep I had a message off Hamala apologising profusely for yesterday and the errors in judgment that he had made. He was beating himself up over it which was silly. It didn’t bother me in the slightest, however I guess I could see where he was coming from with the cave and bridge trip. I made the call to go into the cave, and had Si been here I would have still done it, but I would have felt safer maybe because I know he would never have let anything happen to me. Doing it by myself was a big deal even though it was only a silly old cave, but it was something I had to do to prove to myself I was capable without Si. I didn’t think of the implications to Hamala if anything had happened which is what he was thinking about. Also maybe other people aren’t like me , and perhaps would blame him for not risk assessing. I risk assessed and decided I would be ok. Where he was at fault was the natural land bridge, trying to take the car over it and even down the track and then getting me down the slippery mud to get a photo perhaps wasn’t the smartest idea.  He’s now decided no more land bridge as it’s too dangerous unless they sort it out and clear the roads and surrounding areas.  

He has confirmed Monday for me 0900 pick up and off to school to listen to the girls singing, followed by a trip to the market and museum and a short tour around the town finishing up at the legendary friends cafe. He’ll then drop me back to the hotel and they’ll take me to the airport around 1700hours. 

I’ve checked if I need to pay extra for a late check out and they said not. I can leave my stuff there all day and enjoy the comfort of the lounge area and the fans while I’m waiting to leave. 

The airport hotel is booked as I don’t get in til 0100hrs, and it’s the same one I stayed in before my flight out. I’ll leave it till last minute Tuesday to check out and then take the bus back to the airport so I can get on a bus to the city and then one back to Kohimamara. Lots of bus travel on Tuesday I’ll be knackered! Or I may take an Uber with no bag carrying and no bus changes see how I feel! 

I’ve been keeping an eye out all evening in the beach over the road for the fishing pigs and tonight there they were again. Combined with a pretty pink sky from the sunset they made for a nice last evening. However in my haste to get out there I forgot to spray myself in deet and a cheeky bloody mosquito had me. How dare it? I’ve managed to stay un-nibbled right up until I got distracted by fishing pigs of all things. 

After I’d taken my photos, Maria offered me some food because it was Sunday and they  always prepare more food for breakfast so guests can eat at supper because there is nothing open and most people don’t think about it. She heated me up a plate of fried rice with onions, sausages and garlic in the microwave and I was surprised how hungry I was. I’d been nibbling on the coconut since yesterday which was delicious and drinking loads of water but the food was greatly appreciated. I had a fresh banana too and they taste so much better than the ones we get at home . Maybe because they haven’t travelled half way around the world to the kitchen. 

After I washed my plate and cutlery I had another shower, and got ready for bed. Dunno why I’m still tired but I’m knackered and aching. 

One last push in the morning for sightseeing and I can rest when I get back to Auckland before the next adventure. Which I haven’t yet decided on.  

Anyway a short and boring update aside from the fishing pigs.  

Although there was some news of interest earlier this evening, I was in bed and the whole hotel shook. Turns out it was a 5.4 earthquake 194km away. I’ve just been online and it’s now confirmed at the time I felt the hotel shake, as I noted the time on my notes page to check in the morning. No one is remotely concerned by it and they are regular occurrence here. When Si and I were in New Zealand we were in a 5.4 I think it was so it’s not a new phenomenon for me. It’s my first one solo though. Something else to tick off. Anyway as I say no one is concerned, the alarms haven’t gone off and no one has knocked my door to evacuate so we’re all good.

Much Love 

Mrs Leonard 

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