The Elkins Round-the-World Voyage

September 28, 2000

Vavau Tonga

 

Dear friends, Dan picked up Mano (the filer)and Belli (the Secretary) and brought them out to the boat to take a look. They were here for about two hours as it started to rain and rain. We put on raincoats and umbrellas and went back to shore and then to the mill for a going away celebration. They had cooked a feast of baby pig, manioc & yams in the ground at the mill. They also had watermelon and orange soda. Satecky said a prayer in Tongan then a few words of appreciation for Dan. They had laid it all out on a couple of benches on palm leaves and we had paper plates and plastic forks, but they used their hands mostly. Was good. Here we are with greasy hands and no napkins and then they presented me with a gift all wrapped up so I used Dan's t-shirt to wipe my hands and then opened it. There was a carved turtle and woven purse and fan. We said our thanks and they cleaned up things and we looked at the cook pit and the horse out back with a foul.

We went back to the boat and visited friends and decided to go for pizza with them. So we met at Anna's Cafe cruisers place and hiked up the hill to Hill Top Sunset Restaurant. Pizza $13 thin crust.  We had tomato, mushroom and ham. Well, the tomato was tomato sauce I guess. Was good, we shared one as we were still full from the feast.  As we were ordering, the floor began to move - it was an earth quake, wow. Next day we stayed home and people came to visit all day. That evening we had a spaghetti dinner at Fantom with several others who were helping Flying Cloud. The ship came in and they were to load at 11:00 pm. So the guys all went to help. Dan got home 4:30 am and is still in bed now. But I looked out and Flying Cloud is still beside us, not on the ship.  I think the wind was blowing too hard. The weather said 20-30K today and tomorrow. Good day for laundry as the sun has peeked out too. Till Later Dan and Sandy

PS - The cradle wasn't strong enough to carry Flying Cloud. So they have to order more steel or get a cradle from NZ.  About $5,000 or so, and maybe go next month.

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