April 2012
41 posts
Sunset dinners
I timed my days out very precisely, making sure to always have dinner ready for sunset.
Alone
After his nap, Tangata gathered his belongings and came to say goodbye. I paid him roughly $20/a night for 5 nights, shook his hand and thanked him very kindly. He said he would come in 6 days to see how I was doing. And then he just walked away.
Getting set up
After coconuts, Tangata set about cleaning up a fale (traditional Tongan hut) for me to sleep in. He also showed me the rain cistern, water pump and the stove. I practiced opening up more coconuts with the machete and then went for a swim. Tangata dragged palm fronds off the beach, but I kept telling him it didn’t matter to me. After some more tough work in the sun, Tangata did what Tongans do best and took a nap in a hammock while I read Hesse’s Narcissus and Goldmund in the shade of a palm tree.
