Snow Dog in Tonga

We landed on another island. All these islands look the same in the south pacific. I was just happy to see land. Tonga is a little different. Christian missionaries abolished cannibalism among people but there were never missionaries for dogs. In Tonga, people eat dog and dogs eat everything. Tonga is one dangerous place! I have heard a couple jokes about being thrown in the umu (an underground oven) but no one made a move on me. The boys scored us a sweet island gig. I can now run, roam, swim, and sleep on the beach all I want. I have an island all to myself… well, almost all to myself.

Honyo. Honyo is a Tongan dog on the island. After miles at sea and always on the move, I was happy to have a friend to play with and settle down. She had other plans and was not very welcoming. Some days we could run and play together, but when dinner time arrived tempers stirred. We exchanged in a couple of scuffles, which were always quickly ended by the boys. Some fights went better than others. Although we did not end best friends, Honyo taught me a one valuable lesson: Never turn your back on a hungry dog.

Aside from the complicated relationship with the Honyo, we have had a couple adventures. An average day involves exploration and the procurement food. This includes wild coconuts, bread fruit and fish. The boys caught sardines in nets and went underwater for the bigger ones. I always worry a little when they disappear under the water and am equally excited when they return to the surface. One day we tried something new. The boys took me out to go pig hunting with a bow and arrow. I have no idea how to hunt pigs! We made it about 50 human paces into the forest when I heard a noise. I chased it listening to my wolf instincts and ignoring the boys' request to return. I found the source to be a wild chicken. This I can handle. I caught it and brought it home so the boys could cook it up. At least one of us caught dinner and it was delicious.