Category: September 2019

Fiji, September 2019, South Pacific, The South Pacific, Wayasewa Island

OMG…What Perfect Timing

Sometimes the stars align perfectly and you end up at the absolute right place and at the most perfect time. This is what happened to us today.

This morning we left the Vuda Marina area and made the four plus hour trip to Wayasewa Island. It is a wonderful day on the water even if we don’t have enough wind to sail. The sun is out, there is a light breeze, the water maker is no longer leaking and all is right with the world.

On the west side of the island there are two marked anchorages on the chart. As we approach from the south we see two boats are already in the southern anchorage so we keep moving north. Soon a huge bay opens up to the east of us and we cross through the reef into a most spectacular place near Noboro Point. (pronounced “Nam boro”)

To our right on the south side of the bay we see two villages and further north at the other end of the bay we see another one. Directly in front of us is a narrow opening that separates Wayasewa Island to the south from Waya Island to the north. This northern point of Wayasewa is Noboro Point. The tide is on its way in but there is still a narrow, sand land bridge between the two. The water here is simply amazing. I’m on the bowsprit looking out for coral and I can see well over a hundred feet down in this clear azure blue water. I can see my shadow in the water and the sun is directly behind my head. It’s rays shoot out from the shadow in all directions. It’s like I’m making a sea angel instead of a snow angel. It’s so awesome! Yes the sun is perfectly set in the sky to provide me with the best possible views of the bottom and, of course, the ever dangerous coral.

We motor in toward the point until we get to around forty feet of water depth. Dan makes a few circles with the boat to make sure we are not anchoring over coral or rocks and then calls me to the cockpit. When the anchor goes down he works the bow and I work the helm. With our headsets on he can tell me exactly what to do and that keeps him on the bow to handle any trouble. Plus, let’s be honest, the anchor is heavy and even though we have the windlass (electric winch) there are times you need some extra muscle up there. My guy always does the man’s work and leaves me to do the easier jobs. It’s just one of the many reasons I love him so much.

It wasn’t long before we got our anchor set and I shut down the motor. Of course I also went below to get our anchor down beverages. No anchor down ceremony is complete without the icy cold, sweet nectar known as beer! As we sit in the cockpit we can’t help but feel a sense of peace. Here we are at this incredible anchorage and there isn’t another cruiser in sight. Oh yes! This is absolute nirvana!

After a couple of beverages we prepare ourselves to go to shore to present our kava to the Chief and ask for permission to stay. 

Sometimes I have a love/hate relationship with this tradition. Yes, I truly enjoy going into the villages and meeting the people but the fact that it is “required” sometimes makes you feel like a kid being forced to go to church or school. But we always try to do the right thing as we see many others who simply do not. Like we always say… “their country…their rules! If you don’t like them. Go home.”

As you probably know by now I’m required to wear a sulu (pareo/sarong) that covers my knees and I also must have my shoulders covered. I typically wear my Dazzler’s Watch shirt but for some reason I decided to wear a T-shirt I got in México. It’s from a bar called Los Muertos. For those who don’t know, the name means…The Dead! I honestly picked it because it coordinated with my sulu. As it turns out, I could have picked something more appropriate for the day but I’m not sure anyone actually knew what it meant even though there is a skull in the design. Put it this way, I hope no one knew.

I can’t wear a hat so this requires that I do something to my hair. Since I wear a hat while cruising it’s always a challenge to make my hair look presentable. I’m sure you’ve noticed when looking at the pics from our village visits. It is what it is though so I just do my best. Today Dan decides he’s going to wear his sulu with a colorful bula shirt. It will be the first time he’s worn his sulu into a village and it will turn out to be the most appropriate time ever.

With our “approved” clothing on and the requisite kava in Dan’s backpack we jump into Sparkle and head to shore. The shoreline is covered with coral but the villagers have some buoys out that mark a small channel up to the shore. As we arrive there are two young boys, maybe four or five years old, playing in the water. Their faces light up with giant smiles as they giggle and perform silly tricks to get our attention.

It’s a steep beach so the landing is one of those ones where we have to be quick to prevent the swell from swamping the back end of the dink. There’s nothing like having to jump out of a dinghy into two feet of water while trying to prevent your sulu from getting soaked, not showing your legs and not letting the dinghy float away at the same time. Given that this is Dan’s first time having to do it in a “skirt” I’m sure it was a bit of a show for the ladies sitting under the shade trees twenty feet away. 

Dan secures the anchor in the sand while I approach one of the ladies and introduce myself. She tells me her name is Nietze and welcomes us to the island. There are a couple of other ladies lying there on blankets and as I walk up they scramble to secure their sulus over their shorts. They smile and greet me with the traditional Fijian warmth we’ve come to know. With the anchor secure Dan approaches and I introduce him to my new friend. He greets her with a big smile and asks to see the Turaga Ni Koro. (Chief’s right hand man) Immediately there is a lot of talk amongst the women. It’s all in Fijian but we gather from their looks and tones that they are trying to figure out where to find him. Nietze heads off in one direction then comes back and heads in the opposite one. There’s a lot of back and forth and people calling out but before long an older man, slender and about 5’6” appears from behind one of the houses. He’s wrapping his red, patterned sulu around his waist as he walks towards us.

Dan reaches out a hand to shake his and introduces us. The man tells us his name is Sampson as he gives us a smile. His English is not very good but he likely understands more than he speaks. After all, English is the official language of Fiji and all school children must learn it. Dan asks about meeting the Chief and Sampson escorts us into a home directly behind us. He invites us in and motions for us to sit on the floor. 

It’s a typical Fijian bure with no furniture, a mat on the floor and colorful material hung around on the walls and over the openings. This particular bure also has very colorful, patterned paper similar to wallpaper on the walls. The “wallpaper” isn’t glued to the wooden walls rather it’s nailed there so in places it sags from the moisture that is ever present in the islands. Sampson very quickly and abruptly asks for the kava and then says a quick prayer in Fijian. Then, in his broken English he tells us he is going to give us a tour of the village before taking us back to the school where we will have some kava. At least that’s what we got out of it.

Before we even have a chance to ask a few questions Sampson is leading us out of the bure and off we go on our tour. At this point we’re getting a pretty strange vibe from him. He seems to be a bit short with us as he’s rushing through the village pointing out the church and houses etc… We’re almost beginning to feel that this is going to be the same type of thing we experienced at Nabukeru Village but we just keep walking, talking and taking pictures. (Note that we never take the first photograph until we have asked for and received permission. It’s just common courtesy out here.)

As we are walking Dan is asking lots of questions about the village. Sampson tells us that during Cyclone Winston in 2016 the village suffered extensive damage. He then points to the top of the mountain and tells us that everyone on the island went to the top of the mountain during the storm to avoid the storm surge. I’m looking at the top of this mountain and thinking two things. First, how in the heck do you get women and small children to the top of this rugged and steep mountain? Second…how terrifying must it have been to be up there with no structure for protection during the storm?

A rather odd looking bug we saw on the island. Can’t seem to identify it even online.

For those who don’t know, Cyclone Winston was considered the most intense tropical cyclone as well as the strongest to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere in over 120 years. At its peak winds reached 190 mph. Over 40,000 homes in Fiji alone were destroyed leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. Over 40% of Fiji’s population of 900,000 was adversely affected by Winston and in the end they say the cost of the storm was over $1.4 billion USD.

Knowing this you can imagine the thoughts going through our heads as Sampson explains the measures they took for protection. We simply cannot wrap our heads around what it would have been like to be on this mountain with those kinds of winds whipping around. The rain alone had to feel like needles being shot into their skin. This had to have been absolutely terrifying for these people. We’re saddened to think of what they endured but once again in awe of the pure, unadulterated resolve of these people to survive in an environment that most of us would never be able to endure for a moment.

We continue our tour of the village and arrive back at the spot where we landed the dinghy. At this point we’re thinking our time on the island is about to abruptly end but then Nietze asks if we would like to see their store. Of course we say, “yes” as it is the respectful thing to do. As she runs into the house where Sampson took us to pray over the kava we note that Sparkle is crashing on the beach with each hit of the swell. Sampson starts telling the boys playing on the beach to drag her on shore. There were six or seven young boys, maybe 5-8 years old, all trying to pull Sparkle onto the steep beach. She almost weighs more than all these boys put together so Dan went to help them and together they got her secured high on the beach. 

Soon Nietze comes out with her goods, lays a piece of material on the mat covering the ground under the tree and then starts putting out their wares. By now in our travels here we’ve learned the difference between locally made goods and the crap that comes from China. Most of what Nietze is putting out is from China but we do find a couple of locally made pieces and decide to buy them to help support the village.

With our purchases complete Sampson leads us off toward the school. At this point he’s becoming a bit more talkative and we sense he is warming up to us. As we approach the school grounds we see three large groups of people sitting on mats in the shade at the edge of the athletic field. Each group has a large kava bowl in front so we start to ask questions. Sampson just continues walking until we reach the group the furthest from our entrance onto the field.

As we approach this group of people we note that there is a large kava bowl made from a round plastic fishing float that has been cut in half. We saw these same floats used to float oyster trap lines in French Polynesia. Near the front of the mat there are many men sitting around the kava bowl. Each one is wearing a colorful sulu and a bula shirt.

The women are sitting in rows behind the men. They are all wearing the same style dress only each is in a different pattern. Some of them have children with them who are wearing clothes in a pattern that matches the mother. It’s something we’ve seen a lot of here in the islands and always makes it easy to know who belongs with who.

Sampson instructs us to sit on the mat. We take off our shoes and sit down as everyone’s eyes are upon us. We say a hardy “bula”as we look around. They all reply in kind, almost in unison, as they offer up their beaming smiles. Just after sitting Sampson introduces Dan to the village spokesman, Bill. I actually think he has a more traditional name but it seems they use English names sometimes as it probably is easier for us ke pelangi (white people). Within moments of sitting Bill asks Dan to come over and sit near him. Dan greets him on his knees as is proper when meeting a village elder. They speak for a few moments and then Bill asks me to come to that side of the mat as well. I bow down and introduce myself as he tells me to have a seat. Noting the hierarchy and the way the women are sitting in the “back of the room” so to speak I sit just slightly behind Dan and the other men at the front of the women. If you are a women’s lib fanatic I would suggest you stay far away from the South Pacific islands as this is a most definitely a man’s world down here.

It’s not long before they hand Dan a coconut shell full of kava. By now we know the drill. First you say, “bula”then clap and then drink the entire contents in one gulp. Then you clap three times and hand the bowl back to the server. I’m next and the server doesn’t hold back. He hands me a full coconut shell of the muddy water as well. It doesn’t taste that bad but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice of drink. I gulp the mildly intoxicating liquid and hand the shell back.

Bill & Dan

As we sit here partaking in the kava and speaking with Bill and the others we learn that today is a very special day for the island. This is the one day of the year that they have a church fundraiser. The reason there are three separate groups of people is that there are three villages on the island of Wayasewa. Each group represents a different village. The island is comprised of around 60 families and 200 people give or take. In front of the groups is a small table with a few of the church elders performing an accounting of the monies received. These people belong to the Methodist Church and their fundraising goal as dictated by the church on the mainland this year is $21,000 FJD. That’s a lot of jack for people who make very little.

We learn that aside from fishing and selling coconuts and pawpaw (papayas), some villagers work at the resorts on the island. There are two. The resorts pay them as little as $150 FJD per week up to $300 or maybe a little more. (That’s $75 to $150 USD) If both parents work and make an average of $225 FJD per week they only make $21,600 per year. So, the church is asking the villagers to give approximately the equivalent of one family’s yearly earnings. Like I said, that’s a lot of jack.

We also learn from Bill that the money these people make at the resorts is considered “bonus” money in that the village basically takes care of these people for all of their basic needs. They fish and eat the fruits and vegetables that they grow. They get subsidies for power etc… He made it clear that the resorts have been a very good thing for the Fijian people and they are glad they are here even though we’ve encountered ke pelangi who believe the resorts are taking advantage of them. Do we think they could pay them more? Certainly, but everything is relative and the Fijian people feel they are benefiting greatly from the resorts. 

The small village church.

We learn a lot from talking with Bill and the others. All of the prayers and other ceremonial things we witness are done in Fijian. We would love to know what was being said. While he doesn’t translate everything, Bill is great at explaining all that is going on around us. And, as he continues to talk more people come out to participate in the kava ceremony and more and more kava is being handed to us to drink. We continue to drink and chat for a couple of hours. At one point I count 27 men and 13 women partaking in the ceremony on our mat alone. One man was missing his right leg from the knee down and his big toe on his left foot. He somehow manages to get around in all the sand and rough terrain on crutches. As we said before, these people have a resolve that is simply astounding.

It’s an incredible experience and we both love every second. Well, maybe not every second. When you are not used to sitting cross-legged on the ground it can be a bit uncomfortable after a while. Bill notices Dan fidgeting and tells him to stretch his legs out. I, on the other hand, must keep my knees covered and am stuck switching my legs from Indian style to behind me and off to one side. After all, can’t have the bottoms of your feet facing an elder and they are everywhere. My right leg keeps falling asleep and I want to yell, “For the love of God can I please just stand up now?” Of course I don’t but I dearly want to do it. The voices in my head are so loud I’m almost certain the people sitting next to me can hear them but I just keep smiling and trying to focus on the experience.

Just about the time I am ready to nudge Dan and tell him it is time to get back to the boat Bill explains that he needs to get back to his village. I take that opportunity to say that it is probably time for us to get back to Dazzler as it is getting close to dark. Bill tells us he will ask for permission for us to depart. He claps several times to get everyone’s attention and then speaks out in Fijian. A unified “Eo”(yes) comes from the crowd. We are free to leave which is good because after a dozen or so cups of kava I need two things….a head and a bed! Of course that’s if I can actually stand up without falling over on my tingling leg.

I manage to get up without falling down on the dozen or so people surrounding me. Before leaving I ask if I can get photos of Dan and Bill and also of the group. Everyone is so kind and agrees. One man is so cute he says we need to get a picture of him and me together. I can’t help wondering if he is getting himself in trouble with his wife but I agree. I do scan the ladies to see if any are scowling and it seems they all are laughing so I’m guessing it was okay. Perhaps I was the butt of some village joke or his wife was not there and they are all planning to tell her he was flirting with the ke pelangi. Either way the smile on his face made my day.

As we get up we thank everyone with a “vanaka vakalevu”. Sampson is at the edge of the mat where he has picked up my shoes and set them down for me to put on. He is quite the gentleman. The church elders from the mainland come over to thank us for being there and everyone smiles and wishes us a wonderful evening. I snap one last photo of the group as we follow Sampson down the beach to our dinghy. 

On the beach I ask Sampson if I can take a photo with him. He smiles and agrees. I then give him a small hug and he asks if he can kiss me on the cheek. I say, “of course” and kiss him back. He turned out to be such a sweet man who we obviously misread initially. Looking back we’re pretty sure he was rushing us through the village tour to get us back to the church fundraiser. We’re certainly grateful for the time we spent with him.

We say, “moce” (thank you) to Sampson and the young boy who help to push Sparkle back into the water and we head back to Dazzler. As we look back to the shore Sampson and the boy are standing in the golden light of the setting sun waving and smiling at us. I don’t think they will ever know how special this day was to the two of us. It certainly is one of our best days here in Fiji.

Until next time,

Jilly & Dan

Nabukeru Village, September 2019, South Pacific, The South Pacific, Yadrava Qele Island, Yasawa Island

The Odd Welcome

A few days ago we moved 9 miles north of Nanuya Lailai Island to this beautiful anchorage on Buasali Bay at Yasawa Island. The village here is Nabukeru (pronounced “Nam bu keru”). What made it perfect was that we were the only boat there…. FINALLY! After almost two months of being where everyone else was it was time to get back to cruising as we like it. Quiet and peaceful!

We came here to this island because of the Sawa-i-Lau Caves. They are on the island of the same name that is on just across the bay from Nabukeru Village. We never made it to shore the day we arrived to do sevusevu with the Chief because it rained. And it was Sunday so we didn’t want to interrupt their Sunday traditions. We just sat on the boat enjoying the phenomenal views and crystal clear water. I made stir fry from some leftover steak and chicken and we relaxed in the quiet and beauty of paradise. Dan was still trying to get back into island mode so he really enjoyed himself. After returning from the states he had several projects to complete with parts he brought back. With those behind him he’s slowly starting to get back into the island groove. Ahhhh!

The following morning after our usual coffee/internet time we got up and got ready to head to shore. Dan put on his nice shorts and a bula shirt and I covered my body from knees to shoulders with a sulu (sarong) and T-shirt. I find it interesting that my entire life I’ve always tried to look young and vibrant but out here I am forced to look like a doughty old lady! Oh yes… I also had to do my hair as well because you can’t wear a hat in front of the Chief. There sure are a lot of rules here but you know the old saying, “When in Rome…”

Once we were ready we made our way to the village to present our kava to the Chief. Upon arriving at the beach we were greeted by a tall man named Abraham. He had Fred Flintstone feet! Really…. I’m totally serious! His feet were as wide as one of my thighs and as flat as a pancake! I was almost as fascinated by his feet as I was with the bus driver with six toes in American Samoa. It turns out Abraham is the Turaga Ni Koro and the Chief. He was very pleasant and even had us stop by their outdoor shower to rinse our feet from the sand. It seemed this would be a truly special village visit.

Abraham led us to the vale ni soqo or vale for short (meeting house) and invited us inside. There was another man and two women sitting on the floor as we entered. Rarely is there is any furniture in these places and if there is, it is usually some sort of table for serving food. We knelt down and introduced ourselves as we were invited to take a seat on the floor. 

Just a side note here… As a woman I have to sit so my knees don’t show and my legs are behind me to one side or the other. Let’s start with the fact that it’s not very comfortable at my advanced age. Add to this that there are these very large ants crawling all over the floor we are sitting on. Every so often one would crawl up my leg and under my sulu and then bite me. There’s nothing like trying to keep your whole body covered and not make a scene while ants are chewing up your inner thighs! I truly am learning the art of restraint in this country. 

Once everyone was seated Dan presented the kava to Chief Abraham and asked for permission to visit the island, anchor here and enjoy their fabulous bay. The Chief began reciting a Fijian prayer, which requires everyone to clap at certain times throughout it. We can’t understand what he is saying but clap when we see the others clap. For all we know he’s saying, “Lord these Ke pelangi are such gullible people who spend money to bring us the kava that we already grow here in our village. We do nothing more than laugh at them and make fun at their expense. Please keep sending these imbeciles tas they provide great humor to us and we sure do love the free kava!” 

Seriously…who knows what they are actually saying? Anyway, after the prayer Chief Abraham gave us permission to explore the village and stay in the anchorage. Here’s where things go a bit sideways. In all of our other village visits the Chief spends time asking questions about who we are and where we come from. We ask questions about the people and the village and it’s a true bonding sort of thing. Not here … not on this day. After the prayer we were most promptly escorted out of the vale. It was actually rather odd and we felt a bit unwelcome but we followed Abraham outside.

One of the larger homes in the village. Likely housing parents, kids and extended family.

He helped a woman carry a large bin filled with cups to a hut nearby as we followed. He then came and told us to tour the village on our own and return to the vale when we were done. On every village visit we’ve been to we were escorted around the village on a tour of sorts. It was definitely odd but we headed out to tour the village on our own as instructed.

Now keep in mind this is not a large place. There are 50 or so people living here. The homes are the typical box like structures. Some have doors and windows…others do not. There weren’t many people out but we did run into a very sweet lady named Kinnie. She was sitting outside of her house shucking nui (coconut). This village processes coconut oil and sells it to support their people. 

Sitting with Kinnie learning about how they harvest nui (coconuts).

Kinnie is sitting on this wood plank about four inches wide. It had a scraping tool screwed into the end of it. The weight of her body holds the plank down and she uses the tool to scrape the flesh from the inside of the coconuts. It’s hard work to be sure! She was surrounded by coconut shells and chickens. Chickens? Yes…chickens. There was a rooster and lots of chicks. They scavenge the discarded coconut shells for food. Kinnie’s daughter who is maybe three years old was running around naked as a J-bird while mama worked the coconut shells. She was so precious and just stared at us and smiled the entire time.

After chatting with Kinnie for ten minutes or so she let me get a picture with her and then we were on our way. Walking through the village was a bit treacherous as there are big holes everywhere from the large land crabs that inhabit the island. Fortunately for the villagers these things are good eating. Of course they come out at night and many of these homes don’t have doors. Just imagine getting up in the middle of the night to make a pee run and hearing these big things scurrying across your floor….or worse yet….grabbing one of your toes! Yikes! (To see one of these things, CLICK HERE…it’s the 3rd photo down.)

Every so often a woman or child would come out of their home to say,“Bula” and chat for a moment or two. We saw a couple of young men “mowing” the grass around the homes. They do this with weed eaters. Considering how well manicured things seem to be this must surely be a full time job.

The church in the village is actually pretty large considering only around 50 people live here. Most likely others from nearby villages attend here as well which would account for the size.

The village seemed a bit smaller than Chief Abraham had said but it’s a Monday so it’s possible many were out fishing or had gone to get provisions from nearby islands. We enjoyed our walk around even if we did feel a bit out of place. About halfway through the village we came upon a very sweet woman named Filipina. She was probably in her fifties and was dressed in mismatched clothing, which is so often the case here in the islands but her smile was bright and welcoming and we could see she had a spirit filled with warmth.

Filipina appeared at her doorway welcoming us with a hearty “Bula” and that wonderful smile. She asked if we wanted any janina (banana). Not wanting to disappoint her we said we’d love some. Of course we knew they would not be free but we never think twice about paying for something these kind people offer as long as it has value and is something we want. 

We left our shoes at the door as Filipina welcomed us into her humble home. It consisted of three rooms. There were two bedrooms and a main living area. The entire place was probably only a couple of hundred square feet. The floor was covered with woven mats and in the doorways and windows hung brightly colored fabric curtains of varying patterns. In the main room on one wall were a couple of faded photos of family members and an official looking certificate regarding a child’s graduation from kindergarten. Above them was a painted tree branch that held small stuffed animals. Believe it or not in one corner there was a 32” flat screen TV and a DVD player with DVDs scattered about in front of it. They obviously don’t have cable but they do have solar power, which we guess would allow them to view a movie now and then. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture. We saw beds in the bedrooms. Actually there were more like mattresses on the floor. There were two very small cabinets in the main room. One held the TV and the other was likely for food as it had some mismatched dishes sitting on the top of it. There were two chairs in the main room as well. Filipina offered for us to sit in the chairs but we opted to sit on the floor with her.

We chatted as another woman (don’t remember her name) harvested the janina and some pawpaw (papaya) for us. The chat with these ladies was much warmer and more welcoming than our time with Chief Abraham to be sure. We spent fifteen or twenty minutes with them. Our fruit cost us $15 Fijian or approximately $7 USD. The time there was worth twice the price but soon it was time to move on and so we bid farewell to these lovely women and moved along.

Our tour through the rest of the village was quiet. We stopped to check out the lali drum that sits beside the church and calls the villagers to service on Sundays. Dan is fascinated with these things. Something tells me someday we will have one of our own. 

We made our way back down the beach and then up to the vale. By this time there were many people inside. We were told that a visiting nurse was there to check the children and the men were preparing for a kava ceremony. We walked into the vale to thank Chief Abraham for allowing us to visit and honestly we thought he’d invite us to take part in the kava ceremony. After all it was our kava they were using. Rather than ask us to participate he seemed eager to say goodbye and urged us to leave. It was very odd but we thanked him and moved on as we could see we were not welcome for the ceremony. As I said earlier…this village visit was a bit odd from what we are used to experiencing. 

Anyway, we took Sparkle back to Dazzler to change and get ready for our next adventure. From there it was off for a dinghy ride through the area. There is so much beauty to behold here. The waters are so clear you can see down a hundred feet. There are amazing limestone rock formations, coral sand beaches and the island of Sawa-i-Lau with its mountain of volcanic rock and lush green foilage. We explored a while then headed to where the Sawa-i-Lau cave is supposed to be. We heard that you can walk into one but the other is one you have to dive down under the rock and come up on the other side. Nope…not doing that! Just the thought makes me claustrophobic and God only knows what sort of creatures are lurking in the dark waters on the other side. No, no, no and heck no. I’m not doing it!

As we arrived at the beach near the cave we were greeted by a nice young man who wanted to charge us to take us to the cave. It was $50 FJD or $25 USD per person. He told us that both caves are snorkel caves and that was not going to work for me so we decided to forgo the cave visit. On this beach there was also a small market. The ladies there are called the shell ladies and they come from a village just south of Nabukeru. These ladies had tables full of bracelets, necklaces, sulus, keychains and carvings. The sad part is we have been here long enough to know that all of the items they were selling are Chinese made junk. Yes, we know the difference between real Fijian carvings and Chinese knockoffs. Even the “shell” jewelry was plastic crap. It’s so sad to see them trying to sell this stuff when they have the resources and skills to create beautiful works of art that we would actually buy.

Disappointed in the cave thing we took off in the dink toward another part of the bay that had a tiny little volcanic island called Yadrava Qele Island. It was on the south side of the pass on our way in and had a small beach I wanted to explore for shells. Fiji is very strict on what shells you can and cannot take and until today I’ve only managed to get two. As we crossed the pass and came near the island we noticed goats grazing on the top of the hill. Now this island is not large by any stretch. You can walk all the way around it in a half hour or less. It’s only about a tenth of a mile square. So what in the world are all these goats doing out here? Well, I’ll tell ya Shoutie. The villagers have put them there so they don’t have to go trekking all over their own island to get a goat for dinner. It’s their way of fencing them in so to speak. Yes it was a little sad watching them knowing they are just waiting there to be eaten but then that’s how it goes. Sometimes you are the hunter and sometimes the hunted. These animals just got the short end of the stick I suppose.

There was a very small patch of sandy beach there where we pulled the dinghy up and tossed out the anchor. I began my shelling where I found several Cowry shells as well as a couple of others. I have been collecting shells since México and one day when we become land dwellers again we will use them in the custom bar and tables Dan will be making. They will make nice reminders of our life at sea. We spent an hour or so exploring this beautiful little island but the clouds were building and so was the surf so we decided we better get back across the bay to Dazzler. One our way out we noted there was a lot of really beautiful, healthy coral around and we talked to some people that were snorkeling. They said it was spectacular. We’re moving on tomorrow but you can count on the fact that we will be making a trip back here next year. 

After our trip to Yadrava Qele Island we went back to Dazzler where we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon sitting in the cockpit sipping a few beers and watching the rain. It was another wonderful day on Dazzler. Yes, it’s good to be retarded…I mean retired.


Until next time…

Jilly & Dan

P.S. We did find out later from some other cruisers that Chief Abraham had just recently been anointed as the village Chief. Apparently his father passed on a month or so prior to our visit so we’re guessing he’s just new to the whole thing and still trying to get himself settled into his new role. Of course there is also the fact that due to the nearby caves lots of cruisers come to this village, which means they probably get a bit tired of having to entertain the ke pelangi too. We certainly can’t fault him on either count.