Niue

Today I wanted to go to the Noni farm and then hopefully go to Togo Chasm and Vaikona Caves. Traffic is so light outside of Alofi and Avatele that it’s hard to do a complete circuit of the island via hitching. It was really hot this morning so it was perfect to break open a coconut and sip it. It was so full that I got two glasses of coconut water out of it. The shop wasn’t going to be open at all today so I couldn’t get my daily vanilla bean shake. Instead there was a smell of something dead, presumably a dead crab. Brian and Ira were searching high and low in the office for whatever it was. When I got back from town I packed two water bottles in my bag along with my snorkelling gear and a snack. Ira called Tom (at the Noni farm) and asked if he was coming into town today but he wasn’t because he has some employees working at the farm. I waved goodbye to Brian and Ira and then I set out on another magnificent Niuean day. There were a lot of cars going toward Alofi but none going the other way. Avi from the Israel Mart stopped but he wasn’t going all the way to Avatele. The police van stopped and they took me up to the petrol station. Then after they got their snacks they took me out toward the hospital where I’d have an easier time finding a lift (due to the fact that the road leads to Avatele). I only waited for a minute or so before a courier driver stopped to pick me up. He drove me a wee bit out of Avatele, hoping it wasn’t going to rain (otherwise all of his deliveries would be soaked in the back of his ute). The farm was still about another two-kilometre walk. When I asked a local how far away it was their dog came running after me, but she said he shouldn’t bite. Flies are absolutely everywhere on Niue! They were on me like white on rice as I was walking. It’s hard to even sit still for a few seconds without a fly buzzing around. When I got to the farm I was quickly greeted by Tom and his wife. A wasp flew around as I sat on their balcony while they ate their lunch. Tom gave me a brochure about Noni, so I’ll tell you a bit about it. The Noni fruit, grown only in tropical climates; mainly in the South Pacific Islands, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Malaysia, has been used since ancient times throughout Polynesia as a source of well-being. Tom showed me around the factory. In my Lonely Planet guide, it stated that Noni juice smells and tastes like vomit. Upon entering the factory, I immediately caught the smell of it, but I hadn’t yet tasted the juice. The fruits are stored in plastic drums where they ferment for at least eight weeks before being made into the juice. Tom told me that his employees work very slowly because they’re on “island time” which means there’s no hurry. In New Zealand it’s similar although not as slow as on the island. After the tour it was my turn to try the juice. Anything that tastes as horrible as vomit would have to be super good for you! The recommended dosage is 20 ml twice a day on an empty stomach. I downed it like a shot of liquor and immediately stated that it tastes like vomit, but it’s an acquired taste, like Vegemite. Tom’s wife told me that if you drink a whole bottle in one shot that you’d have the shits for an entire day. There are bottles of Noni juice for sale at the market in town so maybe I’ll buy a bottle to take with me back to New Zealand and share at the farm. When I first saw “Noni juice” in my guide I was thinking of a deliciously fruity smoothie, but it’s far from that! When I was at Carey and Joshua’s house in Dunedin, they told me that the body is like a team, but that the tongue wants everything different to the other organs; the tongue wants everything that the heart, liver, etc. doesn’t and vice versa. After gulping down my Noni, Tom showed me around the plantation on the back of his ATV. He is from Taupo but has lived here a little over a year. Other than coming here they haven’t travelled in a great many years; Ireland and England when they were younger. Tom dropped me off at the front of the gate and told me that there isn’t much traffic at this time of day but I was still hoping that I could get out to Togo Chasm. For more than a half hour no vehicles came at all so then I was thinking that I’ll have to hitch in whatever vehicle comes first in either direction. A Tuvaluan man named Maheu picked me up. He was heading to the village of Vaiea, the next village to the west of the Noni farm. He invited me to come into his home for a meal. Maheu is a pastor who lives in Auckland. He and his wife, Peia, were speaking in Tuvaluan. “Hello” is “Taalofa.” Maheu was impressed with my knowledge of his ancestral country, such as knowing that they were once called Ellice Islands. When the food was ready we all said a prayer and then it was time to feast. We ate pancakes, corn beef soup, (very bony) fish, rice, and taro. For dessert we had a slice of custard pie. It is experiences like this that make travelling extra special! At first Maheu thought I was rich but I explained my principles to him and how money isn’t all that important and he said that I have it down straight. It makes me feel good when I get invited into someone’s home because according to Joshua’s and Steve’s philosophy, us humans are one big universal family and that we should all share and love each other like family. I’ve learned that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet. When I was done eating, Maheu told me that I could hitch on the school bus back to Alofi. When I put my boots back on and got on the bus, he and the three children watched me from window as we drove off. I really feel good after all the great experiences today! Sampling noni and then a nice feast with some locals! It's the quintessential Niuean experience!