Sunshine and Summertime

I've been waiting to do this post because I think it's going to be one of my favorites. When I first learned Tonga was one of the options for my nursing abroad experience, I immediately thought about beaches! Tonga is known for their beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. We only spent a few days at the beach but I enjoyed every second of it.

See that teeny tiny boat? We rode an hour and a half on that boat to a small island that is inhabited by nine families. All sixteen of us rode on that boat! Eight students, two teachers, and six Tongans. I repeat, there were sixteen people on that small boat! Eight of us sat on the roof and the other eight sat inside. I have to admit I was a little nervous and it wasn't very reassuring when the twelve year old boy that was with us began scooping out buckets of water after arriving.

The view alone was worth it though.

We spent an afternoon at this beach, a local favorite.

We were the only white people and the only ones wearing swimsuits. The Tongans thought we were crazy because we purposely laid in the sun while they avoided the sun like the plague.

The beaches on Tonga were more beautiful than I ever imagined!

(Special thanks to Erin and Danielle for letting me use some of their photos for this post!)