Before getting into the trip update, I should probably acknowledge the (minor) milestone that has occurred – as noted above, this is the 200th Entry of my Travel Journal. Not sure what that means, other than I’ve been blathering on for 7 years now! Anyway, thanks to those of you who have taken the time (and effort) to read all 200 Entries. I really do appreciate it! (and all of your feedback!)

Let’s take a quick look at the previous Journal Entry milestones:

• Journal Entry 1: January 12, 2019; Buenos Aires
• Journal Entry 50: March 2, 2020; Buenos Aires (interesting coincidence!)
• Journal Entry 100: February 15, 2023; Grenada
• Journal Entry 150: April 18, 2024; Albania

You probably notice the big time gap between JE 50 and 100. That’s attributable to the pandemic. My 2020 trip was cut short, and there was no 2021 winter escape.

Thursday, January 29 – Nuku’Alofa

My last full day in Tonga.

Remember the Greek Orthodox priest and his wife, who I met on the flight from Fiji? Well, I’m going to check out their church today. It’s about an hour walk from my hotel (I’m to the west of town, they’re east – figures!).

Kind of surprised to see the cruise ship still here this morning. I guess I always assumed the ships spent a day in port and then sailed on to the next destination.

Finally made it to the church. It’s a hot one today!

I like the Greek architectural influence.

This is Lydia. She happened to be outside when I walked by. Her husband, Father Bartholomew, was napping. I’m very impressed with what they are trying to accomplish here. They had an established church in Fiji, but were tasked by the regional director of the Greek Orthodox Church, located in New Zealand, to organize and build a new church here in Tonga. Construction started just before Covid, so it’s been slow going since then. And most of their laborers are volunteers. Best of luck to them!

Sidenote: Lydia was funny; she didn’t think she was dressed properly for a photo, so she kind of hid behind the column and plant leaves.

I hadn’t been this far east previously. This is a nice little beach (just across the street from the church).

I decided to forego the smoothie today (what?!?), and try some Tongan street food. (Maybe not the smartest thing, stomach-wise, being as I’ll be traveling tomorrow. Probably should have done this earlier in my visit.)

This is pele sipi – a traditional Tongan dish featuring lamb (sipi) cooked with tender, edible hibiscus leaves known as pele (or lau pele) in coconut cream. It is a creamy, savory, and hearty meal often prepared by simmering lamb, onions, and greens together. It is a Tongan comfort food staple. Cost: 12 TOP (5 USD).

Had my pele sipi on this shaded bench by the port. (and yes, the cruise ship is still here!)

So, how did I like pele sipi? I didn’t! I thought it was kind of bland, greasy, and it contained a lot of small bones. Oh well, I tried it. Should have gone with a smoothie instead (and saved 4 TOP!)!

My poor UW baseball cap just isn’t cutting it in this heat. Plus, the sun screen I’m using does not mix well with sweat. I think I need to go back to a wide brimmed hat, and find a better sunscreen!

(what sunscreen do tennis players and golfers use, that’s what I want to know!)

I was exhausted when I got back to the hotel today. I did a fair amount of walking, but the heat got to me as well. Plus, there’s that old age thing…

Travel Note: Still no Wisconsin shout outs as I walk around in my UW cap. A stark difference from last year’s trip!

Friday, January 30 – transit from Tonga to Fiji

My flight isn’t until 4pm today, but the hotel kindly provided me with a late check out. Thank you! I spent the morning working on some travel planning – primarily Thailand and Laos stuff (post-Singapore).

Travel Note: I thought about taking a driving tour around the island of Tonga, but the sights didn’t seem all that special, or I’d seen similar things in other places. I’m afraid I might be becoming a travel snob; which I absolutely do not want to happen. At this moment though, I guess I’m just more interested in becoming familiar with a community and its inhabitants. Will probably regret not partaking in the other stuff down the road…

As with my arrival, the taxi ride to Fuaʻamotu International Airport cost 70 TOP.

And yes, since this is my return leg to Fiji, the agent did ask me if I had a departure ticket off of the island. They obviously don’t want me hanging around!

I had a window seat again, but it was a kind of cloudy day; only a couple pictures for you…

Unlike the packed flight to Tonga, this return on the 737 was 2/3 full. I had an empty middle seat next to me. And we had a meal service on the 80 minute flight! Grilled chicken salad, and a glass of wine. Sadly, no refills this time!

It’s interesting, when I first went through Fiji immigration, the agent wanted to see proof of my hotel booking. The second time they didn’t ask. Same today. I’m sure they have a record of me coming and going; probably has something to do with it.

Tomorrow morning I’m taking a bus to Suva, on the other side of the island. So I just booked a hotel for the night by the airport.

The Fiji Gateway Hotel is a 5 minute walk from the airport. (but they do have a shuttle bus too!)

It’s nothing special.

111 USD for the night (+7 USD for (not very good) WiFi). Rather pricey, but it’s all about the location.