When 2000 visitors unexpectedly found themselves in Nuku'alofa today, Sunday, it was a matter of doing as they say “when in Rome do as the Romans do”.
The visitors arrived on board two cruise ships the Amsterdam and Marina, which called into Nuku'alofa unexpectedly yesterday evening, 31 January.
Government offices and businesses were closed, the streets were quiet and on Sundays in Tonga the local people spend most of the day in church and with their families.
So many visitors took advantage of the situation and went to church.
"The choir was awesome!" said a man with an American accent, and his two female companions agreed as they left the Free Wesleyan Church.
On foot the visitors explored Nuku'alofa, which was very quiet, with little traffic on the roads, few taxis and hardly any locals to be seen on the streets.
One new attraction that the tourists discovered was a flying foxes tree on the Hala Vaha'akolo opposite the Royal Palace.
The few places which are open for businesses in Tonga on Sunday are bread shops, a coffee shop in central Nuku'alofa. Hotels, beach and islands resorts are open for their guests, and some restaurants are open in the evening.
Cyclone warning
Stewart Perry, the General Manager of the Tonga Tourism Authority said the Marina arrived at 6:00pm and the Amsterdam at 7.45pm on Saturday. Both ships had to detour to Nuku'alofa because of a cyclone warning that came into force around the islands of their destination. The Marina was heading to Samoa and the Amsterdam to Niue.
Earlier in on Saturday another cruise ship on its way to American Samoa had spent the day in Nuku'alofa, because of cyclone warning.
Stewart said that the Amsterdam was scheduled to arrive in Nuku'alofa on Monday, February 2 and it would stay on in Nuku'alofa as scheduled. He was thrilled with the fact that thousands of unexpected tourists spend some time in Nuku'alofa.
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Na'a kuo taimi ke liliu lao
Na'a kuo taimi ke liliu lao 'o e Sapate 'i Tonga. Hange ko e lau kuo mole ma'angangako, pea mahalo koha fakalotosi'i ia ki he ngaahi meili 'e fietau mai ki Tonga he 'aho Sapate he kaha'u. Na'e pehe 'e Mosese mo e kuonga motu'a 'e tapu 'a e Sapate 'o ta'engata. Kae talunga 'a e ha'ele mai 'a Sisu Kalaisi mo 'ene pehe, ka 'ikai fusi hake e hoosi meihe luo he Sapate, 'e a'u ia ki he 'aho Monite kuo tali e ui ia e hoosi. 'Oku mahu'inga 'a e fai fakamo'ui he Sapate 'i he fakapo. Ko e ngaahi fonua kalisitiane lahi 'i mamani, kau ai 'a USA. UK. AUST., NZ etc 'oku ava pe ngaahi pisinisi lahi ia he Sapate ke tokoni'i mo'ui faka'ekonomika, mo e fakasino 'a e kakai. 'Oku 'ikai ke fakamala'ia ia ki he fonua. Tautefito ki he ngaahi faingamalie pehe ni ki Tonga. Na'e mei 'i ai ha ki'i famili na'e mei ma'u ha ki'i seniti he fakameili he Sapate ke totongi 'aki ako 'a e fanau, na'a tuli ia he ako, fakaiku 'ikai ma'u ha kaha'u lelei. 'Oku 'ikai ke fakamala'ia ki he fonua 'a e tau atu 'a e meili mo e fakameili he Sapate, ava 'a e ngaahi falekoloa me'akai etc. 'Oku fakamala'ia ki he fonua 'a e faiangahala 'a e kakai 'o e fonua. Fai pe malanga ia moe ngaahi ouau fakalotu 'o e Sapate, kae 'oua na'a ta'ofi ai e tau atu 'a e ngaahi meili mo e fakameili he Sapate. 'Oku fakamala'ia ha fonua, koe'uhi he 'oku nau ako 'o mataotao 'i he 'ilo ki he tohitapu, malanga'aki 'a e tohitapu, tapui ke fai ha ngaue he Sapate, pea hili koia pea nau fai 'enautolu ngaahi angahala kehekehe ..... SAIA