The countdown to Tonga has begun, and I’m scrambling around with more than the usual level of chaos, since I just got back from Bangkok and have had less time than normal to sort through my piles of stuff to get (somewhat) organised.

Vava’u has become like a second home to me over the years, and I particularly look forward to seeing friends and their families…including pets.

This is C.N’a:

Ever-curious, but camera-shy C.N’a

C.N’a stands for “Crow’s Nest”. Many words in Tongan have the ‘a syllable appended to the end. I don’t understand enough Tongan to know if there’s a meaning to the ‘a or if it’s for emphasis, but in any case, it’s pronounced “Sienna”.

There’s a touching story behind C.N’a. The short version is that she was one of the many stray dogs in the area, but different enough from the other dogs that it’s possible she was left behind by one of the boats.

In fact, she apparently visited the area in front of the Crow’s Nest, which is a bakery/ restaurant adjacent to the main harbour, each morning. The owners of the Crow’s Nest, Stephen and Tess, gradually befriended her, and at this point, she’s a permanent fixture, arguably the boss.

She apparently still hates being left behind though, and has been spotted chasing Stephen and Tess’s car down the main road when they inadvertently forgot her. That must be quite a sight!

C.N’a is very friendly, especially if you happen to have one of Stephen’s fresh-baked banana muffins with you. Stephen makes fresh bread and pastries every day, no doubt to keep C.N’a happy:

C.N’a's caretaker and sometimes chef, Stephen

C.N’a is camera-shy, so it took quite a bit of coaxing to get her to pose. I suspect she can hear the high-pitch tone of the autofocus mechanism. I had to switch to manual focus to keep her from wandering away.

If you’re ever in Vava’u, stop by the Crow’s Nest to say hello to C.N’a and Tess (and yes…I guess Stephen too).

…back to packing