Tonga - Day 3
Written 10 September 2010
Today I had decided to do some more cycling, but I also had decided that I was quite tired from yesterday, and rather sunburnt.
I headed into town reasonably early (10ish), and did the coffee at the cafe place again. I'd stopped off at the nearby supermarket and bought a packet of muesli bars, in the hope that I'd get the energy to cycle. Muesli bars are not normally my thing. They were Pams brand, from New Zealand. I also brought something else, oh that's right, some more nut pieces. I think I was undercharged - it's all very strange here.
On the way to the cafe I stopped past the market stall where I got the chocolate bar yesterday. I was recognized, and asked if I was after some more dark chocolate. I said yes, did they have anymore? Turns out they had lots, and was now selling it cheaper (woman's mum makes the decisions), but she said that she probably didn't have to tell me that and could have sold it for the same price as yesterday (which was true). They were selling it cheaper, because nobody round here eats dark chocolate. I said I'd be back tomorrow for another one, and she said she wasn't going to be there tomorrow, so I bought two. Afterward I felt like I should have paid the original price, not the discounted one, because I have the money. It often feels like that.
I also bought some more apples at the market, and then finally got to the cafe.
I bought a cup of coffee, and checked the Internet (tomorrow if I go I'm getting tea [I did - lemon], I'm through with coffee). There were more Americans in the cafe, young Americans who sounded like they have been here a while, so I concluded they are probably Peace Corps people. I could be wrong of course. This place [Tonga] seems (relatively) popular with Americans.
After that I popped out back to go to the toilet, but it was occupied, and the occupant was taking his time. I sat outside to wait, on the floor (the room, not the cubicle). A man from the Western Union dropped by and asked what I was doing. I explained. The other guy finished in the toilet, but I was eating an apple. The WU watched me for a while, and I told him I had to finish my apple. He seemed a little persistent, like he wanted to talk for the sake of talking. I was my usual curt self. Eventually he left, I finished my apple, and I went to the toilet. Because all this took a long time I decided to leave out the back entrance, rather than go back through the cafe in case anyone thought, "gosh, he took a very long time didn't he?".
Outside I bumped into the WU guy again. He asked where I came from, and if I was coming back to Tonga. This all sounds rather dodge, but in actuality, all he wanted was someone to buy him a cellphone to bring back to Tonga. Fat chance I'd be bothered to do that, but the conversation ended with "well, I doubt I'll be back for a few years at least, but you never know." I doubt it'd save him that much money. He'd be better buying something off Trademe/ebay and get it posted (or even just getting a credit card and buying on-line - I mean, surely he could do that - he worked for a international money transfer company!)
I found that I was in fact very hungry. I guess I didn't eat enough yesterday.
After eating lots I finally got to the bike hire place, and paid another $10 for another day's hiring. The hard of hearing guy came outside to check the bike was in one piece. I'd say it's done between 80-100km in total now. I wonder if that's normal. I was thinking it's probably a good racket. If he rents 4 days out of the week (which seems plausible) that's $40 a week, and it probably cost T$300-T$400, so he'd make his money back in about 10 weeks. The bike is sturdy enough, and probably quite low maintenance if most people just cycle round time, and he has at least 2, so maybe he makes a few quid each week doing not much? Of course, there is always the chance that it would get nicked, but they sort of stick out as local bike, and it's quite a peaceful place round here. [When I returned the bike he had two brand new ones added to his collection]
I headed back to the guest house, and dropped my stuff off this time, and picked up some water. Then off I headed, east this time.
In the end I didn't get to everywhere I'd like to have. Just captain Cook's landing place really, and one archaeological site, except I could exactly find it because it was marked, though I think I saw it from the side of the road. I was too tired to go anywhere else. On the way back I realised I'd repeatedly past the museum in my cycling adventures, but it was closed when I went past today, and won't be open tomorrow. Drat.
And now I'm real tired, and slightly more sunburnt, so I'm going to hit the sack, as they say. Tomorrow I'm going to catch the bus to most of the way to the airport, and walk the last few kms, then sit in the airport for most of the day, studying and writing stuff. Sounds like a plan eh? Flight out is at 8.30 (Tongan time).
Oh, and the sleep last night was fine. Rained a bit.
[I was very exhausted at the end of this day]
Today I had decided to do some more cycling, but I also had decided that I was quite tired from yesterday, and rather sunburnt.
I headed into town reasonably early (10ish), and did the coffee at the cafe place again. I'd stopped off at the nearby supermarket and bought a packet of muesli bars, in the hope that I'd get the energy to cycle. Muesli bars are not normally my thing. They were Pams brand, from New Zealand. I also brought something else, oh that's right, some more nut pieces. I think I was undercharged - it's all very strange here.
On the way to the cafe I stopped past the market stall where I got the chocolate bar yesterday. I was recognized, and asked if I was after some more dark chocolate. I said yes, did they have anymore? Turns out they had lots, and was now selling it cheaper (woman's mum makes the decisions), but she said that she probably didn't have to tell me that and could have sold it for the same price as yesterday (which was true). They were selling it cheaper, because nobody round here eats dark chocolate. I said I'd be back tomorrow for another one, and she said she wasn't going to be there tomorrow, so I bought two. Afterward I felt like I should have paid the original price, not the discounted one, because I have the money. It often feels like that.
I also bought some more apples at the market, and then finally got to the cafe.
I bought a cup of coffee, and checked the Internet (tomorrow if I go I'm getting tea [I did - lemon], I'm through with coffee). There were more Americans in the cafe, young Americans who sounded like they have been here a while, so I concluded they are probably Peace Corps people. I could be wrong of course. This place [Tonga] seems (relatively) popular with Americans.
After that I popped out back to go to the toilet, but it was occupied, and the occupant was taking his time. I sat outside to wait, on the floor (the room, not the cubicle). A man from the Western Union dropped by and asked what I was doing. I explained. The other guy finished in the toilet, but I was eating an apple. The WU watched me for a while, and I told him I had to finish my apple. He seemed a little persistent, like he wanted to talk for the sake of talking. I was my usual curt self. Eventually he left, I finished my apple, and I went to the toilet. Because all this took a long time I decided to leave out the back entrance, rather than go back through the cafe in case anyone thought, "gosh, he took a very long time didn't he?".
Outside I bumped into the WU guy again. He asked where I came from, and if I was coming back to Tonga. This all sounds rather dodge, but in actuality, all he wanted was someone to buy him a cellphone to bring back to Tonga. Fat chance I'd be bothered to do that, but the conversation ended with "well, I doubt I'll be back for a few years at least, but you never know." I doubt it'd save him that much money. He'd be better buying something off Trademe/ebay and get it posted (or even just getting a credit card and buying on-line - I mean, surely he could do that - he worked for a international money transfer company!)
I found that I was in fact very hungry. I guess I didn't eat enough yesterday.
After eating lots I finally got to the bike hire place, and paid another $10 for another day's hiring. The hard of hearing guy came outside to check the bike was in one piece. I'd say it's done between 80-100km in total now. I wonder if that's normal. I was thinking it's probably a good racket. If he rents 4 days out of the week (which seems plausible) that's $40 a week, and it probably cost T$300-T$400, so he'd make his money back in about 10 weeks. The bike is sturdy enough, and probably quite low maintenance if most people just cycle round time, and he has at least 2, so maybe he makes a few quid each week doing not much? Of course, there is always the chance that it would get nicked, but they sort of stick out as local bike, and it's quite a peaceful place round here. [When I returned the bike he had two brand new ones added to his collection]
I headed back to the guest house, and dropped my stuff off this time, and picked up some water. Then off I headed, east this time.
In the end I didn't get to everywhere I'd like to have. Just captain Cook's landing place really, and one archaeological site, except I could exactly find it because it was marked, though I think I saw it from the side of the road. I was too tired to go anywhere else. On the way back I realised I'd repeatedly past the museum in my cycling adventures, but it was closed when I went past today, and won't be open tomorrow. Drat.
And now I'm real tired, and slightly more sunburnt, so I'm going to hit the sack, as they say. Tomorrow I'm going to catch the bus to most of the way to the airport, and walk the last few kms, then sit in the airport for most of the day, studying and writing stuff. Sounds like a plan eh? Flight out is at 8.30 (Tongan time).
Oh, and the sleep last night was fine. Rained a bit.
[I was very exhausted at the end of this day]