This past Saturday was finally the big coronation day! It was also the day that Liz & her mother and sister (Gail & Melanie) flew in!
I met them at the airport with handmade kahoas from Mo'ua and her family!
We headed into town and checked out the pier.
We found some food and watched as the school students lit torches all along the coast for the Kings birthday!
Saw some awesome fireworks courteousy of China. Finally went back to the airport and picked up Liz!
On Sunday we went to the Catholic Basilica in town and saw the new Cardinal for Tonga preach (pretty neat he's the only Cardinal for the whole South Pacific)!
Did a lot of sightseeing, showed Gail & Melanie the various Peace Corps housing and schools. Stopped by the Anahulu caves where we got to jump in and enjoy a fresh water swim.
We ended their week here at Liku'alofa resort with a Tongan feast and cultural show.
Performing the ma'ulu'ulu (sitting dance)
The traditional tao'ulunga.
Started the weekend off with the big Kai poula (feast) for the Free Wesleyan Conference happening in town.
It was food on food, lots of goodies!
Tents on tents of people feasting, the Free Wesleyans don't mess around when it comes to feasting!
Cleaning up after the feast, everyone basically brings bags or bins and piles all the food they can to take home as left overs ( mind you this was just the lunch feast, there will be a whole other feast for dinner...)
The family's left overs ready to head home in the back of the truck.
Kayla's super find from all the goodie baskets ( 2.25 liters of sprite).
The conference ends on Monday , so hopefully things get back to normal after all the craziness of the coronation and conference. School is supposed to be back in session on Wednesday but we'll see if that follows through.
