Extreme Relaxation and Big City Nights

So I keep putting this off and I'm realizing I should have just done all of these when I got back to Auckland from Tonga and Wellington. The issue I'll always remember my last months in New Zealand where as you all will get an abbreviated account because it's been so long and putting everything into words is kind of overwhelming. So here it goes.

Tonga
First of all I should let you guys in on the decision making process behind going to Tonga. People wanted to do something for the week between lectures and exams and a Pacific Island seemed like the last thing on most of our checklists. Tonga was by far the cheapest ticket and about $250 US. I was hesitant though until one day the perpetual rain in Auckland got to me. I was walking to class and decided 4 days of no rain and getting to travel was worth the money. I knew next to nothing about Tonga except that it's a small Island country northeast of New Zealand. Furthermore it's run by a true monarchy; people have the right to property and wealth, but the King is the real deal and what he says goes.

We only spent four days and it felt like ages. Tonga was unlike any place I've ever been. It was beautiful and dirty; small and vast; isolated and crowded. The first day we explored the capital city of Nuku'alofa which was a ten minute walk from our hostel (a rather nice hostel with free banana's off the trees but no hot water or mosquito nets). The city was really a town. Going there I really got the idea that smallness is a relative concept. The city was small but in terms of percentages, half of the population lives in the Nuku'alofa area. Also, of the 160 or so islands, only 30 or so are inhabited, most of which are resort islands (more on that in a sec). The fact is that Tonga is small compared to New Zealand even, but to Tongans, Nuku'alofa is a metropolis. The market there was the size of a Costco, but it was bustling with foot traffic. Anyways, the second day we took a day tour with our taxi driver from the airport. Saw Cooks landing (where the captain was received by friendly islanders where he crafted the name The Friendly Island Kingdom...ironically the islanders secretly planned to eat him). From there we saw these caves that had a swimming hole a 100 or so yards in (creeped me out kind of). Saw their equivalent to Stonehenge (a huge rock doorway structure), went to a resort to swim for a little, and saw the blowholes (This place where HUGE waves crash into soft rock and over time, the pressure has created holes for water to spit up through). We even got a Tongan lunch at the man's house. The next day we went to Fifi, a gorgeous island resort. Snorkeled, eat, relaxed, and drank beer with the locals. It's a tiny island that we walked around in 10 minutes and the only thing there is the restaurant and hotel. One of the best days I can remember and the perfect way to rest up for finals. The last day we rented bikes and biked to the other end of the island, tiring but good fun.

Tonga in short was a fantastic place and if it is ever on your way somewhere I would suggest a visit. It's not a touristy place like Fiji or Tahiti. It's a real Pacific Island Country and where white tourism is a big business but comparatively small (everyone on the island knew where our hostile was in what seemed like the suburbs and often people would stop on the street, even in cars, to tell us about a great show or eatery they worked for). People everywhere said goodbye to us as we passed them by on the streets (they say that instead of hello since you are in fact leaving them). Also, it's crazy to think that 150,000 people or so are from a place like Tonga where they aren't democratic, they get most of their news from China, and are probably happier than any other place I've been. A brief but eyeopening and most importantly relaxing trip for sure.


Wellington:
Wellington is the most southern capital of the world and probably my favorite city in New Zealand. It has a pulse and real culture unlike Auckland which seems to be constructed so that ships have a place to load and unload. Wellington was young (everyone seemed to be 16-30), and had a real nightlife. Auckland had clubs open after midnight which were fun but Wellington had restaurants, cafes, theatres, and heaps of bars open late. So our last trip in New Zealand was a true group effort since at least 15 of us went and stayed in a hostel together. We went to Te Papa, the national museum which was fantastic and full of various exhibits and we toured the city seeing the pieces of art in the streets, going to the beehive shaped capital building, and exploring the trendy shops. Wellington seemed a lot like a cheap version of Greenwich Village and San Francisco.

The main reason we were there was to see the All Blacks, the national rugby team. I didn't really "get" rugby but the environment was fun enough to watch a game. The city went nuts with locals and French supporters. Wellington was not a cultural trip, the reason we went was to see the game, say we've been there, and celebrate our time in NZ coming to a close. It was a great place though and I could see the appeal in visiting there again.

Exams and the end:
My second to last week was filled with exams. I actually studied pretty hard for my pass/fail classes. Once you learn how to study well it's hard to half-ass it. That's actually true for all of my academic experiences there. I only needed a 55% but I found myself trying for at least a 75% (their percents are different than ours though as in a 75% is actually a high B). That said, exam week and the last week I was there was such a fun time. All we did was hang out together even when we were studying. Once exams were over we really just went nuts. We stayed out late, got up early, did random "funtivities" live bowling and laser tag, and just soaked up the last few days of our time together. It was a blast and a great way to close out my time there. Saying goodbye to people was hard since it was hard to get my head around the idea that these people, who I really had become great friends with, were setting on 24 hour journeys across the world to a place that may or may not be close to me at home. I have little doubt in our ability to keep in touch but not all being in the same place ever again is hard to comprehend. The group of friends I made there were fantastic people and while it's sad to say goodbye to that group dynamic, I'm excited to hear from them in the future. And also, it's nice to be home and think about getting back to Georgetown and maybe in the near future think about a career.

I'm still a bit jet lagged (can't sleep past 6am but I'm not sure if that's the jet lag or the sudden change from darkness till 8am in Auckland and bright light here at 5:30am). I know I said I might do a quick profile of all the people that encompasses "we" in my time there and I still plan on it but for now I have to get my day going.