Fiji

So now we're here again in Fiji. 1,5 weeks into Fiji we have seen a few beautiful island spots and Savusavu again. We arrived here 5 days ago because Christian left on the 12th and Peter on the 13th and both wanted to see something of the island here. Not that there is much to see or that they really did see much. We had a great time out on the islands. My favourite: Leleuvia and Namena, both with little resorts on them. In Leleuvia the reef is just growing and the owner is very welcoming to yachties. He has put a mooring which he does not charge for and you can use the chairs, hammocks (Hängematte) etc. for free, knowing that we'll consume drinks. Which we did. We even took a dinner night out there. I enjoyed my time and wished we would have stayed longer. But we're always on the run, and unfortunately during our breaks we're in not very nice places like Savusavu.





So from Leleuvia we went out to Makogai island, a former refuge for lepra patients. You can still see the foundations of the old houses, electric installations etc. and a cemetry. Now on this side they have marine research center, which sounds way more than it is. They spawn some shells and host 3 turtles right now, who are sick and they think they get better just by being in that place!? I sat down with the bigger one, which we had already seen in Levuka on her way to the rescue center. She was afraid, but on her round tours in her pool she always stopped where I sat and looked up and took a deep breath. So cute. I could have watched her a long time.







From there we went on to Namena island, a diver's paradise so they say. Marcus and Chrisitan went diving, they said it was nice but not spectacular. Both are spoiled. Christian and I went snorkling the day before and it was nice, but also not specatcular. ON the day after our arrival, when M. and C. went diving, Peter and I directly went ashore to the little resort. WIth $5 entry fee you were allowed to walk around the island and watch the (baby) red footed boobie birds and also use their chairs etc on the beach. To our surprise we found THE south sea BEAUTIFUL beach on the other side of the little (about 1km long) island. That's where I spent most of the day.






In the afternoon when the other two boys came, Marcus found a frisbee game, which is popular in Canada. It's like golf, just playing frisbee into baskets rather than little balls into holes. There are always obstacles in the way (palm trees) and you have to do long or very long passes, sometimes uphill or downhill and around corners. That was a lot of fun. 12 posts to play, most of them par 3. We played with one of the employees of there, Nami, who was a lovely, funny man and who has practiced a lot….That was my favourite day so far and probably will remain so for the rest of Fiji.





From here, Savusau, we're first going to travel to the garden island Taveuni and from there to the Lau group. The travel there will be different to what we know. Not only will we have to do the „Sevusevu" and ask all the chiefs for the ok to acnhor (bringing them Kava), but also now they want money, $50-100 per stay per anchorage. Wow, that's going to be expensive and we won't change a lot of anchorages. That means however I won't bring them rice, flour etc, which usually they wanted. You cannot have all. Money or goods, not all of it.

While we're here in Savusavu we do last repairs or enhancements. So, guests gone, things done. ;-) Yesterday I sewed rain covers /protection for the saloon hatches and our bedroom hatch. So no when it rains we don't have to close the hatches anymore and suffer from heat. Great! The downside of course is now, that less wind gets in. But better less wind than none. Now we can shift the protection from side to center to side, depending where the rain comes from. While we're at the dock, the rain comes fro the  left, so all is tied down more on the left than on the right. My new Singer Hevay Duty Machine is a champion!!! Sewed through everything, no problems!!! Love it. That's how a machine should work!



Still in NZ i had made a cover for the lazy bag (cover of the main sail) since it never really closed in the front and the UV and rain kill the sail:

The good thing about Savusavu: cheap fruits and vegetables in the market right here, cheap restaurants, showers at land and taxis who will take me to the beach nearby for little money (or I unpack my bike tomorrow).