We’re waiting for a nice forecast to go south, so in between offshore preparations (rig inspection, oil and filter changes, etc.) there has been time for some loafing around Nuku’alofa. We are anchored off a beach resort on the island of Pangaimotu where sailboats and local residents from town come to loaf on the weekends.

There’s a rusty wreck off the beach that kids love to hang out on and dive from…

good mangrove specimens…

and a nice beach pub where you can loaf around with great people like Jennifer (and Jon, not pictured) from Isle de Grace, Big Mama the owner of the resort, and the pink be-striped owner of the megayacht Helios.  The megayacht owner arranged for the local police band to come play at the bar on Saturday night.  The band, with about a dozen musicians, played an eclectic mix of songs ranging from “Coward of the County” to “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”  As Jennifer observed, “old songs don’t die, they just come to the South Pacific.”

We’ve crossed paths with Helios several times in Ha’apai and always enjoy watching the sunset through her wheelhouse.

In town, there’s a wide variety of vessels on display along a waterfront that’s both a regional center of shipping and an international backwater competing with places like the Port of Calabar (Nigeria) and the Port of Catoosa (Oklahoma).

We took a break from the waterfront and strolled through a quiet neighborhood. We saw some nice vegetables…

… some piglets among the architecture

…and a Crested Red Rumpus.

There was very little activity during the drowsy heat of the day, and while we would never disrupt nap time we did distract some dogs from their wrestling.

Then it was off to the market where the pace picked up.  While S tried on some groovy woven pandanus kiekie skirts…

…K inhaled lots of chicken smoke from this awesome rotisserie trailer.

It was a wood fired, chain driven work of art, built to the vision of the carnivorous everyman.

In a perfect world they would have hauled this Coke trailer up next to the chicken trailer.

After a heavy lunch of grilled chickens and manioc wedges (read: spent uranium jojos), we made our way back across the bay to watch the sun set on the waterpark.