Perfect Beach

Dominic and I have an ongoing discussion as to which beach is the best we’ve visited since leaving Mexico. We rank them according to width and length, softness of sand, swimmability and temperature of water, presence of garbage and glass.

The shores of Fakarava and Makemo had areas that made the grade, and the southern coasts of Samoa have competed for highest marks.

The longer we spend anchored off the island of Uoleva here in the sunny Kingdom of Tonga, the faster it becomes best in show. The beach seems endless. We walked for over an hour yesterday and only made it up and down half of it. The water temperature is balmy, the waves are as lovely as they are lazy, and to walk in the sand is to bury one’s feet in clouds. It’s the kind of sand that makes wearing shoes feel absolutely sinful.

Uoleva’s score is perhaps inflated by the intangibles of excellent weather and friendly company. The beach in Foa was white and fluffy, and we enjoyed stretching our legs and going for walks, but the weather was so grey the experience can’t begin to compete.

So, we’re lingering slightly longer than expected. Dominic took the dinghy five miles north to the main town of Pangai to do some provisioning this morning. We’ll have a leisurely afternoon, and then head back to our new favorite beach once the sun starts to dip in the sky.