Category Archives: Food

What we are eating and where we mention food.

Exploring Point Maurell and Banana Frenzy

Posted on by
2

Over the last few days we have made banana-papaya-yogurt smoothies and banana-peanut butter smoothies for breakfast with the early ripening bananas. Today all the bananas are finally fully ripe and it is time for the banana fest to begin. Christi and Adrienne made banana-pineapple pancakes for breakfast. They baked a batch of papaya-banana-pineapple muffins and a large pan of banana chocolate chip cookie bars.

Unfortunately, it is yet another day of gray skies, cool temperatures and strong winds. The only days we have had good weather were the day we arrived and the three days Christi was in SCUBA class. While we have been eager to visit the anchorages around the Vava’u island group, we haven’t wanted to leave the highly protected mooring in Neiafu harbor to go to a more exposed anchorage. We were told Point Maurell was one of the most protected anchorages and that we wouldn’t be blown around there, so we took a break from cooking and moved to Point Maurell for a change of scenery. Point Maurell is near Neiafu harbor, so it was a short ride and we didn’t get blown too badly in the 25 knot winds. Here are the views from the front and back of Kosmos. Don’t ask why Adrienne was hanging out in the dingy. Continue reading →

A Real Tongan Feast

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday, continued After showers and a short nap, we were off again for a Tongan feast. This time we booked a reputable feast through a booking agent and we were hoping this one was better than the last one at Alofi’s. We were told that feast quality varies from location to location as families put on these feasts. The one we went to is put in every Saturday night and we were told it was good. It was still raining, cold and gloomy.

We needed to stop at the ATM for cash before getting in the taxi to Ano Bay. In the few minutes that it took to go to the ATM, we were soaked all the way through. In the cab, we asked if the feast was indoors. The driver told us no. This was looking like it could be a wet night. Continue reading →

Tonga Chores, Visitors and Jinxes

Posted on by
5

Eric spent the entire day yesterday doing boat chores. He changed the pre-filter on the water maker and cleaned the sea strainer, and changed the generator impellor. He also did some good stuff like secure the toaster oven and dish drainer so they don’t go flying when we get hit by a side wave, re-running wires so we could move some of the computer gear to better locations, general reorganizing, and cleaning.

Yesterday was the last day of SCUBA class for Christi. She took her final exam and did three dives in other parts of the harbor. The other dive sites had more life than the site on Tuesday, but were still mostly dead. There were lots more of both starfish and a couple of sea anenomoies. Christi passed the class with flying colors. After three days of being in the sun with her mask on, she has stylish mask tan lines. Continue reading →

SCUBA Diving in Vava’u

Posted on by
Reply

Tuesday — Yesterday Christi started a SCUBA certification class. This is the perfect place. Warm, clear water. An instructor whose native tongue is English. With the favorable exchange rate, the price is good.

The first day of class was mostly lecture with a couple hours in shallow water practicing basic skills. The instructor chided her when he looked in her logbook and saw the dive in Suwarrow to 72 feet and the one in Niue through a cave to 102 feet.

While Christi was in class, Eric was the social butterfly. He stayed at the Aquarium Cafe for a while visiting with the other yachties, then pulled out a kayak and kayaked around the harbor visiting with various boats. Continue reading →

Hiking Mt. Talau

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday we were going to kayak to a cool snorkeling spot outside of the bay, but it was too windy outside the sheltered bay. Instead, we spent most of the day doing boat chores. Eric changed the oils in the main engine and generator, changed the Racor fuel filters on both and changed the air filter on the generator.

We did go out to eat (of course) at a small cafe. It is run by a palangi (white person) and most of the food on the menu is the usual stuff we get at home hamburgers, fish burgers, etc. At this restaurant and at the Aquarium Cafe, fried eggs on your burger are optional. Also, at both places you can get French fries made of taro and kumala instead of potatoes. In French Polynesia they eat a ton of French fries, and we never once saw them made from anything other than potatoes. Using taro and kumala seems so logical that we find it odd that they don’t do the same in French Polynesia. Lunch was served with a fruit called Kola. It is a citrus fruit with a green peel, like a lime, about the size of a lemon, and the meat is orange, like an orange. It is sour and tastes like a cross between a lemon and a lime. Continue reading →