Outriggers

Our family went to a "backyard resort" called Old Tonga. It was a fun learning experience where we got to learn about some Tongan history. This picture shows a little dock and two Gilligan's Island style outriggers. We ate lunch in one of the little covered spots on the dock. We threw some of our table scraps down into the water, and the fish would gobble up the food like piranhas. It was fun, and there was a big old turtle swimming around by us. There were some huts made of woven palm leaves, and carved totem poles. We learned how they make tapa cloth, which is a kind of cloth made of pounded leaves. We have a tapa cloth hanging in our kitchen. While we ate lunch, there was some traditional Tongan dancing. We learned about some Tongan legends, and there were some fun carvings and things for sale. At the end of the program, they gave us free carvings and jewelry. I got a little turtle, Aubrey got a dolphin necklace, and Lincoln got a cool tiki head necklace. We learned a lot and had a great time.