October 29, 2012
While others were planning their passages, we decided to head out to the local islands one more time. There was a period of very light winds predicted–perfect for going out to some of the anchorages! Plus, with so many people gone or leaving; we’d have a much better chance of finding room at the one anchorage we hadn’t been able to get into: #16.
In the days before we left, we had some nice times, and one in particular was an outing to the Tongan Beach Resort. After hearing about our lunch there, our friends Bob and Linda had gone for their anniversary dinner and raved about it. We decided to splurge and invited our friends Alex and Iris along. Iris had a birthday coming up, and this would be a perfect place to celebrate. It turned out to be a wonderful night.
We started with sunset drinks on the beach before moving into the more formal dining area for a wonderful dinner; then it was back to the beach for a nightcap under the moon and stars. La Paella (the Spanish restaurant in Ano Beach) may win the award for making the most unique and once-in-a-lifetime sort of experience, but for beauty and romance, the Tongan Beach wins hands down! This place is truly a treasure.
The night before our trip the the local islands, the old gang was here and gathered at The Balcony restaurant for pie night (meat pies). It was October 29, and it would be our last time together before we headed off in separate directions, some heading for New Zealand in the next weather window (looking to open in the next few days), some (well, us) heading to the local islands, and some still undecided but probably heading south. (Many boats in the fleet had already headed off to the Ha’apai group.) One thing Rich and I knew: it would be a very different town when we got back as most of the boats would be gone. -Cyndi
