Ha'apai

So we've been living on the island group Ha'apai for the last 2 weeks. We LOVE it here. It's by far our favorite place in Tonga. The main island of Ha'apai is small. Its only about 6km long and anywhere from 1-3 km wide.

We live on the 2nd biggest island in the island group, Foa. Only about 1500 people live here. There is really only one road in Ha'apai. It runs the length of the main island then connects to Foa island via a makeshift causeway. Pangi is the capital city, but I wouldn't call it a city. Its made up of about 6 shops and a bank.

For some reason when the government built the airplane runway here, they made it diagonal across the main island. So whenever a plane is coming they have to close down the one road that goes to and from town. Its so funny. I don't know why they didn't put it length wise.

Here's a picture of us at the beach. We go everyday here. Its beautiful and there is never anyone around.


Tomorrow we are leaving Ha'apai to meet up with my parents in Tongatapu. I can't wait to see them. I've miss them a lot this summer. We will spend 4 days with them there, and then we'll be off to New Zealand.

Tapa cloth

As part of the field study program in Tonga we were all required to make Tapa cloth.

We had to go through the whole process of making the tapa which began with cutting down the trees. It took me a good 10 or 12 whacks before I chopped down one of the trees. Keep in mind these trees are very skinny, maybe only a 3'' circumference. Michael had a much easier time yielding the machete.

The next task was stripping the bark from the tree. We each had to do 2 trees. Then we peeled the bark, separating the soft yellow inside from the rough brown outside.

The next step was by far the hardest. After soaking the long yellow strips we had to pound them out. We were supposed to get them from 3'' wide to about 10''. We were not very good at it. The tongan woman helping had to constantly fix ours for us. After pounding for almost 2 hours we were done with the blisters to show for it.


Here's us pounding away.



After pounding it out you dry the tapa in the sun. Then using a wheat and kerosene paste you patch the holes and glue sheets together.

Then again to the sun to dry.

Next you need to make the dye they use to paint it.

First you have to scrape off the outer layer of the Tongan coca tree. Then you have to scrape out a bunch of the pink colored fleshy inside.

Next you take all the pink shavings, soak them in water and wring them out to get the dye. Sounds easy but again its not. You have to weave this special strainer also made from tree bark. And wrap the wet shavings in the strainer like a burrito. Then you hang it up and put a log between it. Then a couple people sit on the log and twist and twist to get out the liquid dye.

Here's Michael twisting. If you notice there are 2 guys on one side and only Michael on the other :)




The whole process of making Tapa and making the dye was grueling. I can't imagine how anyone came up with it. But its a huge part of the Tongan culture. People even say a Tongans worth can be measured by how much Tapa they own. They give it as gifts for weddings and funerals.

It was a good experience making it, but we're glad we don't have to do it again :)