More Bulas in Fiji
SUMMER 2011 – Back in the USA – The repairs to our water-ruined Scottsdale house are almost complete when we return, but not quite. End of July we are told. That’s fine with us. We rarely spend any time there in the summer. We pick up Jake and return to Telluride bringing granddaughter, Berlin, with us. By now, she has become a summer regular and enjoys the change of activities from the Arizona desert to the Colorado mountains.
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Our Golden Retriever, Jake, is delighted to have a buddy as interested in fish as he is.
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The two of them spend many contented hours at the stocked pond at our club.
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We belatedly celebrate The Captain’s 65th birthday with a visit from sons, David and Eric.
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We golf, hike and play in our mountains, occasionally asking ourselves why we ever leave. Close friends of many years visit: Del and Dave Rowley, Bliss Krekel, and Susan and Don Bennett. What a great time we share with them. The months of July and August speed by with our usual busy-ness and visits from family and friends.
The boat’s needs, however, are never far from our minds. The Captain spends hours working on the repair requirements for the refrigeration system. He talks to the company that originally built the unit who, believe it or not, still have all the records and drawings from the installation of our old unit. They also have a newer model which is more efficient and will fit into the space provided. That is a big issue for boat owners: fitting a new unit into the space built for the old unit. Often we find that when a replacement item is required, our older unit is no longer being made. Not to worry. They have a new upgraded model that was designed to replace our old one. Its performance specifications meet or exceed those of our old model. Great! The factor ignored by the designers of the new unit is that the old unit was a square and the new unit, because of the new upgraded widgets, is now a rectangle. That’s not their problem; it’s ours. Rectangle does not fit into square. Another new unit must be found that will fit the space, and it also must work with all existing parts, units and systems on the boat to which it will be linked?
The First Mate’s list of replacements and additions is not at all lengthy this time, but somehow it keeps growing and the amount of stuff to pack keeps increasing. How does that happen? To her, the most important item she wants is an inflatable Kayak. Back at Blue Lagoon in Tonga, a fellow cruiser had one just like she envisioned. Never having been in a kayak, she borrowed it to try it out, promptly turned it and herself turtle and decided she just had to have one of her own. The Captain wishes she would have one of those “Senior Moments” and just forget about the thing, but her desire for this kayak is imprinted. Finding one to her specifications proves difficult. Weight and durability are the factors. The Captain insists that she get one that she can lift by herself. This is her thing; not his. It must also not weigh more than the airline maximum. Thus, the kayak, its paddles and the pump must not weigh more than 50 pounds. She does not want a child’s pool toy of thin plastic that will spring leaks after a season in the sun. Finally, she finds one by Sea Eagle. It weighs less than 40 pounds and is actually classified strong enough enough to handle beginner rapids. We’re not going out to sea in this thing or heading down the Colorado River! This one will do. She actually finds a company on the internet that has them on sale and offers free shipping. There is no tax either. The savings, duly tallied to impress The Captain, mollify him somewhat, though, by now, he is resigned to the inevitable.
Our flight to Fiji is scheduled for September 1st, but we run into an issue with receiving the final payment on the damage repair to the Scottsdale house. Is one surprised? Of course not. Holding off legal action as long as possible to give them a chance to rethink their position, we reschedule our flight for September 16th. Eventually and unfortunately, we had no choice but to unleash our lawyer. Now 2 weeks behind schedule, we fly off to Fiji.
And – packed to the gills – are we ever off! The amount of luggage people take on flights has always amazed The First Mate. A week’s vacation to the islands, and it looks like some people have every article of clothing they possess packed into overstuffed suitcases. The queues for international flights can be eye-boggling, especially to Third World countries. Boxes tied with packing string straining at the seams, car tires rolled along, suitcases the size of which she did not even know were made — and all the above could be the goods of just one person. What is that moral about never casting a stone or something like that? …. Well, here she is standing in line at LAX for their flight to Nadi International Airport, Fiji, with rope-tied boxes (not sting, at least), over-stuffed duffle bags and carry-on’s piled around her now undignified presence, and she’s kicking them along the line just like everybody else around her. She looks and feels like a displaced person, a nomad. Traveling anywhere by plane these days is bad enough, but to have to do so like this is truly degrading!
And what do we have? Each of us has a bulging duffle bag filled with replacement items: a few clothes, boat shoes, a replacement towel for the one that blew overboard, books, shampoo and lotions that cannot be obtained in Fiji, electronic toothbrush heads, CD’s, Keurig coffee pods — all small stuff, but it all adds up. Packed in amongst and cushioned by our stuff are boat parts. Each of us also has a carry-on bag and a personal bag. Then, there is the big box with the kayak weighing just under 50 pounds. Finally, there is the box crafted by the refrigeration company with our new refrigeration system. It, too, weighs just under 50 pounds. Back home, The Captain had replaced the foam surrounding the parts with those blue shop towels that Costco sells. They are just as good as foam and much more useful on the other end.
One could legitimately wonder why are we taking the big boxes of kayak and refrigeration parts with us? Why not ship them like any sane person would do? We did look into shipping. For the kayak, shipping costs turned out to be more than what the kayak cost. Idea nixed. The refrigerator company also researched shipping our unit directly to Fiji. Through DHL, it would have cost us $1600.00. Excess baggage costs from the airline? A little over $200.00. The choice was obvious. We hauled them with us.
Sunday, September 17th – We are back on Avante in her berth at the Port Denarau Marina outside Nadi, Fiji where she peacefully waited our return. We’re here, but our boxes with the refrigeration unit and the kayak are not. There is no problem bringing items into a country for a boat-in-transit, but the Customs official who reviewed our luggage hit us with a technicality. We must hire an agent to clear our boxes into the country or we will have to pay duty. An agent will cost far less, but it is Saturday and no agents are available. We will have to wait until Monday. Do not worry. Your boxes will be safe with us. Having little choice in the matter, we uneasily leave our boxes at the airport under lock and key (we hope) and head to the marina. We find out at Yacht World, the company we had hired to look after Avante in our absence, that this “agent” business is a somewhat arbitrary thing, and it is not usually done when people bring in boat parts themselves. Use of an agent to clear customs is normally only needed when items are shipped in separately. This is not the first time here in Fiji that The First Mate has encountered arbitrary decision making by officials, and it sets her nerves on edge. Following the rules is fine with her, but never quite knowing what to expect is not.
Yacht World hires an agent for us. He does his job, and our bags are delivered intact on Monday. We had enough to occupy ourselves with over the weekend with unpacking and setting up shop again. There were plenty of other boat parts to work with in our regular luggage that was not detained. Both Captain and First Mate are busy.
We do have time to visit with friends, Pam and John Marchand, on their S/V Passages. They sailed directly to Fiji last May and have been cruising the islands since then. Their suggestions of things to see and places to go are most helpful. Since it is nearing the end of the cruising season, most boats have already done most of their exploration of Fiji’s many islands and are hunkering down in favorite spots, enjoying their remaining days in Fiji, before sailing off to either New Zealand or Australia to sit out the summer cyclone season. We talk to several other cruisers and come up with a cruising plan.
We are going to return to Savusavu where we first checked into the country, sailing again through Bligh Waters between the two big islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. From Savusavu, located about mid-way on the southern coast of Vanua Levu, we will make a counter-clockwise circuit of the northern coast of this island. We will then cross to the Yasawa Group and, sailing south through this chain of islands, finally end up in Nadi from where we will stage our return passage to New Zealand.
Port Denarau Marina is a bustling tourist destination with interesting stores and delightful restaurants. The First Mate enjoys her time here knowing that little of this fare awaits her down the ocean road.
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The Captain has the new refrigeration unit up and running which naturally calls for a trip to the local grocery store and markets. With several stops to make, we hire a taxi rather than rely on the local bus schedule. Our first stop is the outdoor market for fruits and vegetables. Then we are taken to a large grocery store for more stables.
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While The First Mate is filling her cart, The Captain and driver return to the market to buy several bundles of Kava. Kava? What are The Captain and First Mate going to do with that lip, throat, tongue and mind-numbing stuff? Not mix it up and drink it, that’s for sure! Here in Fiji, it is the custom that when anchored off a native village, one take part in a ceremony of friendship and welcome called Sevusevu. The visitor brings a wrapped bundle of Kava roots to the village. Upon finding the chief, a woven mat is spread on the ground. The chief, a participating number of villagers and the visitors sit on the mat, offensive sunglasses and hats removed, with legs together and feet pointed away from the center. The visitors then offer the Kava to the chief. Upon accepting the bundle of roots, a short ceremonial speech is made with associated hand clapping. Though we, the visitor, will not be able to understand a word, the essence of the speech is that we have been welcomed into the village and are now free to walk about and use the beach and the waters. We all then clap. We thank them, and that’s it. The First Mate is relieved to learn that the kava will not be prepared right then and there and that she will not be required to drink the stuff.
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Sevusevu is not a big deal, but how many of these dried root bundles will we need? How many villages will we be encountering? She is amazed to discover that each of these bundles costs $15.00. A bunch of dried roots? Oh, well. We decide that 5 bundles, plus one for our salivating taxi driver, ought to be enough.
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On our way back to the marina, we stop at a butcher shop. Besides selling some very good meat, they will package and freeze everything in vacu-bags to order. How nice! The First Mate orders about 3 weeks worth of meat to be picked up in 2 days.
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Our final stop is to an Italian Goods Importer where we are able to buy some very good cheese, olives, pâtés, pasta and olive oil.
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Larder full — The First Mate is a happy camper!
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A week after our arrival, we set sail for Musket Cove where there is a pretty resort that welcomes yachties. Pam and John Marchand will be there, and we have heard that it is a totally enjoyable spot to spend a few days.
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We have a pleasant, relaxed lunch sitting by the pool overlooking the beach and then stroll through the grounds before returning to Avante.
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On a peninsula of land jutting out into the anchorage, an island bar and picnic area have been built. This proves to be the spot for us yachties to collect for sundowners. A buffet dinner is being offered one night. A selection of side dishes will be served. Bring your own meat to barbecue. Sounds like fun!
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Salads, bread and the usual run of root vegetables are offered. Beer and wine are available at the bar.
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And with the wind blowing in the wrong direction for the barbecuers, that beer at the bar sure sounds good!
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We join the Marchands and several other cruisers at a picnic table well away from the smoke and have an enjoyable evening. Old friends, new friends – that’s what cruising events like this are all about!
Monday, September 26th – After leaving Musket Cove, we have to stop in at the customs office in Lautoka to check out of this area of Fiji and obtain permission to sail on to Savusavu. Fiji is divided up into districts, and a cruiser, though welcomed to visit most of them, must check in and out of each one and obtain a cruising permit for each district one enters. It is time consuming, but it must be done. Accomplished! We are free to leave this district.
From Lautoka, we decide to take a slightly different route back to Savusavu than the one we had taken from there to Lautoka last June. We stay in the inner channel following it all the way north along the west side of Viti Levu. This channel goes through a lot of reefs and requires some careful navigation. Unfortunately, the charts are vague for a good portion of the trip. Mere sticks jutting out of the water serve as navigational markers, and, of course, there are some key ones missing. With the wind on our nose, we motor all day stopping for the night at Mulake Island, a serene spot where we had previously stopped on our way south. The next day we head across the Bligh Water to an anchorage on Yadua Island that the guide book described as “magical”. We enjoy a nice sail for part of the morning until the wind dies. Yadua Island proves to be slightly disappointing. It was a nice anchorage, but maybe some of the magic has faded since the author wrote the guide book 20 years earlier. Maybe it is the overcast day with occasional rain that dampens our mood. We had planned to spend several days here. Instead, we motor off the next morning headed for Coconut Point. Despite its romantic sounding name, it also proves to be less than inspirational.
It took us 4 days to get to Savusavu and the only photos that The First Mate took were of the several fish we caught. Two of them were barracudas with lots of sharp teeth. One of our fish books says they are good eating provided one eats the smaller ones. The bigger ones run the risk of ciguatera. Not sure what qualified as bigger or smaller and having no desire to flirt with ciguatera, we sent the barracuda back to King Neptune.
When we arrive at Savusavu, we decide to spend the weekend anchored off the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort rather than heading into the harbor. The First Mate would like to have dinner at the restaurant, but it is the weekend and they are full. This is an attractive resort made to look like a stylized Fijian village. Thatched roofed bures dot the grounds, and the restaurant, designed to look like a towering pagan temple, is the centerpiece of the place. Maybe a bit of a fantasy, but it still would have been nice to have dinner there. Next time……..
Monday, October 3rd – It is always nice to return to a place one knows. As we head into the harbor, we know how and when to contact the Copra Shed Marina. We know the procedure to follow the guide boat leading us to our mooring ball. We know the gal at the front desk, the laundry facilities, the shopping and the Customs office procedure. First thing, we get ourselves over there to check in with them.
On our to-do list here in Savusavu is to refuel. We plan to spend almost the entire month of October cruising in remote Fiji, and there will be no fuel available along the way. We will need fuel, but we soon discover that there is no fuel dock in the harbor. No problem! The local gas station has diesel, but obviously one cannot just motor one’s boat over to the fuel pump. We have four large 50-liter fuel jugs. These must be pulled out, lowered into the dinghy, motored ashore, hauled to the gas station, filled and then returned to the boat. The first part is relatively easy. Getting from the gas station to the boat with those tanks, which weigh 90 pounds when full, is not.
Obviously, we were not the first yachties needing to refuel, for an old shopping cart is available for our use. It is still a laborious trip from the station, down the cracked cement driveway, across the street and to the wooden dock where the dinghy lies tied below.
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After the fourth trip, The Captain is more than ready for a cold beer!
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Last June, when we checked into Fiji, we were only here for a short time because of our impending return to the States. We did not have time to explore Savusavu. We walk down Main Street looking for a suitable restaurant for dinner later that evening and peek into the Supermarket to see what it has on its shelves.
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We stop into Kumar’s Hair Salon. The Captain needs a haircut.
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We pass the local Kava Emporium or Saloon, as it is called. Here Kava can be bought already pounded rather than the root bundles “au natural” that we have tucked away on Avante. Our taxi driver in Nadi had assured us that the whole root was the only acceptable form of presentation for a Sevusevu ceremony.
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From Avante’s deck, we had seen wispy plumes of steam wafting up from spots on shore. We learn that a series of hot springs dot the area, and that if you go there at the end of the day, many of the local families will be there steaming up their evening meal. In fact, bring your own steam-proof vessel to cook your own dinner. We decline that idea, but we do head there to see this cooking in action. Paths are marked with white stones, for even a patch of ground that is not visibly steaming can give quite a burn.
We watch one family carefully remove a well-wrapped parcel from its bed of steaming dirt. Burlap bags, blankets and towels cover the cooking pot itself. The First Mate asks one family what they are cooking, and they describe something that sounds like a steamed pudding. She had been thinking more along the lines of a slow-cooked savory stew, but steamed pudding sounds good, too. Must be the former British influence at work!
Fiji appears to be one of the happiest island nations in the Pacific. How can you not be happy when “Bula, Bula” is your greeting to all and sundry? Savusavu, small town that it is, is full of friendly Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Be prepared to smile and offer up that customary salutation: Bula, Bula! Hello to you, too!
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Upon returning to the Copra Shed Marina, The First Mate notes that even the local transit bus looks happy and eager to please.
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Happy and contented Fiji may appear, but we learn that, like all these small island nations, Fiji has its share of problems and tensions. Unlike its neighbors, however, the tension here is not between native Fijians and the colonizing nation which has taken over the best land, resources and jobs. It is between the native Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Indentured workers were brought over here by the English 100 years ago from India to work the sugar cane fields. At the end of his term of service, the Indian was given a 100-year lease to a plot of land to farm as he wished. These Indians stayed on in Fiji and raised several generations of children on this leased land. Maintaining their own culture distinctly separate from that of the native Fijian, they built their own schools, educated their young and were productive and successful to the extent that they soon became the shop keepers, bankers, doctors and technicians of the country. To the Native Fijian, they appeared to have taken over. To the Indian, they were just making a home for themselves. Several generations now removed from India, they are now Fijian, albeit Indo-Fijian. Conflicts have been inevitable. Whose country is this? How to forge a fair representative government for all. At the moment, tensions have cooled or are being held at bay, but these tensions run deeply just below the surface. Nothing is finished yet. Nothing has been absolutely resolved.
On board Avante, we are ready to be on the move again. Islands lie ahead to be explored as well as the whole northern coast of this island, Vanua Levu.