Mamanuca Islands and Southern Yasawa Group, Fiji

AUGUST 5 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

MAMANUCA ISLANDS AND SOUTHERN YASAWA GROUP, FIJI

We have been enjoying Fiji for a month now, and the most exciting part of our time here so far has been that we were able to spend it with two very special people in our lives. Our son, Jonathan, flew into Nadi with us on August 5th and stayed for a few weeks. Just after he returned home, we were joined by our very dear friend, Christina, who also sailed with us for a few weeks. There is nothing like being able to share this time in our lives with them...it has been very memorable for all of us...surreal, beautiful, relaxing, sometimes challenging and extremely fun!

So much has happened in the past month, and I honestly feel somewhat overwhelmed (and rusty) as I try to organize my thoughts and begin to type this post! I have decided to separate it into segments of experiences so I can focus on one thing at a time.  Sooo...here it goes!

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY, A BIT OF DRAMA AND A LOT OF LUCK

I have never really believed in luck, but I am rapidly warming to the idea that it truly does exist. On our first day of sailing we had a setback. The outcome is nothing more than being lucky...REALLY LUCKY. As you read this, do not worry...everyone is fine! Here is what happened...

We had left Vuda Marina and were sailing towards Mana Island. Jonathan was relaxing and I was standing in the galley. Ironically, I was looking out of the hatch facing the bow of the boat when I saw Theo fall past it. I did not know where he had fallen from, but was imagining the worst. Sure enough, he had climbed up on the mast (without telling anyone), lost his grip and fell.  When I reached him he was stunned, but on his feet. I believe in luck now, because this was nearly a tragic event. My husband could have been seriously injured, but instead he just broke his left pinky finger! Lucky, lucky, lucky...

The remainder of Jonathan's time with us was very relaxing and we did not have any more bad surprises. We visited beautiful anchorages, had fun snorkeling and ate great meals. That all changed when Christina was supposed to arrive. What we experienced next was a true test of character for us. As you read this, again, do not worry...everyone is fine! Here is what happened...

Let me preface by explaining that Christina had been looking forward to meeting us in Fiji for a year and had used every day of her vacation time from work to make this trip happen. That being said...she called me from the airport to tell me that her flight from Monterey to Los Angeles had been cancelled. She could not get to LAX in time to catch the Fiji Airways flight that would ultimately bring her to us. This was frustrating news. She spent the next four hours trying to fix the situation. She almost lost her Fiji ticket as a no show, but in the end it got resolved. She flew out the next day, arriving at Nadi airport one day later than originally planned. Phew! No harm done...a bumpy start, but we were still good!

Did I mention that Christina suffers terribly from motion sickness? A few years ago when we still had Et Voila in San Pedro at the Cabrillo Way Marina in California, she came to visit and we spent the night on the boat. She could barely go below deck to use the head, slept outside, and in the morning she was sitting out on the dock (yes, we were docked in the marina the entire time)! Needless to say, Theo and I were very concerned when she told us her intention of sailing with us in Fiji. She simply waved away our concerns stating that she would find a way to get over it and all would be just fine.

When Christina finally arrived at the Port Denarau Marina where we had our boat anchored in Fiji, she had already taken a Bonine capsule, was wearing a Scopolamine Patch, AND had on two wristbands to control motion sickness. To top it all off, she enjoyed two fancy Fijian cocktails complete with umbrellas and fruit during lunch to celebrate her arrival. After lunch, we went into town to buy provisions for the next few weeks on the boat. By the time we got to the fresh vegetable market, Christina could barely put one foot in front of the other! She needed to lie down right away! In conclusion to the motion sickness situation, I can tell you that during her two week sailing adventure on Et Voila, she never got sea sick and slept like a bear during winter hibernation. Those Scopolamine Patches do their job.

It was Christina's first morning waking up in Port Denarau (she slept outside in the cockpit) and we were going to leave right after coffee for our first anchorage in the Mamanuca Islands. I was still in bed and could hear her chatting happily with Theo in the galley as she used the microwave to heat up her oatmeal. Suddenly, I heard a loud, fast clicking noise coming from underneath our mattress. I did not understand what was happening, but my instinct told me that it was not good. The microwave suddenly stopped and so did the clicking noise. It was VERY quiet...too quiet actually. Next, I heard Theo at the control panel trying to get our power back on. No luck that time! In a matter of minutes, he was telling Christina and I that our main battery charger/inverter (which was located under our bed) was no longer working. I should also add that Theo had problems with the engine alternators. They were not charging our house batteries. In addition, our solar panels cannot keep up, especially on cloudy days. Without being able to charge the house batteries, we could not leave. He would have to order the replacement part and it would take weeks before it arrived in Port Denarau. He said "We are dead in the water...we cannot go anywhere." Theo would not say something like that unless he was absolutely sure...a very disturbing conclusion.

My stomach was twisted in knots and I could not wrap my head around the idea that we could not take Christina to all of the gorgeous places we had visited with Jonathan. Yes, we were in Fiji, and in the end we could have gone to a resort somewhere and enjoyed our time together all the same, but being on the boat and having the experience of being at anchor in Fiji's amazing water is a feeling that is unattainable anywhere else. Living on our boat in Fiji is what it is all about...that is why we are here after all!

I refused to panic. Maybe I was in denial the entire time? Even when Christina and I were sitting at Lulu's Cafe scouring the internet for a resort we could stay at for two weeks with last minute notice? I kept telling her that Theo could fix anything and that he would figure out a solution to our problem. There HAD to be a way. The situation was sickening and unacceptable. We intentionally stayed on shore most of the day so Theo could have space and quiet time to think. He didn't need us there asking questions and disrupting his focus. In my opinion, as long as he continued brainstorming there was hope. Sure enough, he eventually found a way...

My husband is amazing. Whenever I tell him how amazing and smart he is, he just looks down at his feet and shakes his head. He is so humble, but I want to tell everyone that he can fix anything and is a genius!!! As I mentioned, the boat also had a problem with the alternators, which Theo had postponed fixing until November in New Zealand. We were using the generator with inverter/charger and solar panels to charge our batteries. Now, two of our charging sources were lost. Since he did not have the parts to fix the inverter/charger, Theo concentrated on figuring out the alternator problem and he found a solution. Of course, it was all much more complicated than how I am explaining it, but in the end, we could charge our batteries and sail away. That close call made us even more appreciative of where we were... I think we cherished Fiji, Et Voila and our moments together even more because of it.

LESSONS:

- Use of the Scopolamine Patch may result in a withdrawal syndrome after it's removal. These include dizziness, nausea and headache. In other words...you will feel like crap for a while.

-Do not postpone fixing things because in boating Murphy's Law applies

-Do not despair...Theo will fix it!

QUOTES:

"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." - Joshua J. Marine

"Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way." - General George Patton

FIJIAN WORD:

Kalougata - Lucky

 

I said he was smart...not graceful

We feasted on Indian cuisine in Nadi with our taxi driver and friend Vino

The Hindu Temple in Nadi

It is so wonderful to see old friends...dinner with Phil and Sara from S/V Lochmarin in Port Denarau

Getting ready for spear fishing

Our friends from S/V Exodus...Deanne and Tim on board Et Voila

Jonathan exploring an uninhabited island

Theo is always on the hunt for green drinking coconuts

What did that coconut ever do to him?

Captain Theo at the helm

WAHOO, TUNA AND CRABS...OH MY!!!

 Theo had replaced our stolen fishing poles and reels with another pair from home and the prospect of catching our own food was exciting. While sailing between islands we usually had two lines in the water. On the way to Waya Island, Jonathan reeled in a gorgeous Barraccuda. Once anchored outside the local village, we decided to give them the fish, along with some kava, candy and clothes for the children. They seemed to like everything we gave them, but Jonathan's fish was their favorite.  Our son also managed to reel in a stunning Wahoo. Fresh Wahoo steaks are a special treat and my personal favorite. The most entertaining part of catching a fish with Theo and Jonathan is their bickering back and forth trying to guess what kind of fish was on the line as it was being reeled in. Jonathan was always right!

We are not skilled fishermen by any means and this next story will confirm that. It was a calm, sunny day and we were sailing to a beautiful anchorage at Nanuya Island. Christina and I were relaxing on the bow of the boat and Theo was up on the flying bridge listening to his favorite music playlist...very loudly. We were nearing the pass to Nanuya, so Theo went to pull in the fishing lines as he customarily does before reaching an anchorage. Suddenly he said "Oh, we have a fish!" Apparently, we had the music volume up so loud on the flying bridge, that none of us heard any noise when we hooked it. The reel was completely spooled of all the line and we had been dragging the poor fish for who knows how long. It is surprising that a shark didn't come along and take it from us. When it was finally on board,  we were incredulous to see a 20 pound Yellowfin Tuna... there is that luck again!!

On another day, while riding the dinghy back to Et Voila with Christina, Theo noticed a young Fijian man with bundles of something on his kayak. We had noticed him the day before digging waist-deep in the mud. When we stopped him and asked what he had, he gave us a big smile and held up a crab with it's large claws wrapped in string. What he was showing us was a local delicacy...Fijian Mud Crabs! Their name may not make them sound delicious, but they are. He was very happy to sell us five of his fresh catch, and we were happy to enjoy them for dinner!

R­­­­­ECIPE - MUD CRAB ALIO E OLIO PASTA

-Fusilli Pasta

-Mud Crabs, scrubbed, washed and shelled

-Fresh mushrooms or eggplant

-Chopped onion

-Minced garlic

-Red pepper to taste

-Olive Oil and a pat of butter

Saute the garlic, onion and mushrooms in olive oil. Once softened, add the remainder of the ingredients to the pan and cook through. Mix with the hot pasta...devour immediately!

LESSONS:

- Fijians use every part of a fish. The head is especially of great importance and they will always ask you for it. Even the spine, bones and skin (parts that we normally throw away) are used to make soup and will feed a family.

- Turn down the music volume.

QUOTE:

"Without music, life is a journey through a desert." - Pat Conroy

FIJIAN WORDS:

Wanisiwa - Fishing line

Maleka - Delicious

 

Our first catch...Barracuda

Bringing in the Tuna

Et Voila!

Christina was ready to dig into our very special tuna sashimi lunch

Mud crabs ready to be shelled for our pasta sauce

Inspecting a new creation from the galley...I think it was a fish fritter.

BIG TOM,THE CELL PHONE AND A PIG NAMED DAVE

One of our anchorages while we were sailing with Jonathan was at Waya Island by the Nalauwaki Village.  When a boat anchors in front of a village, it is  customary for everyone on board to go to shore and introduce themselves as soon as possible. We were expecting to use their backyard as a home for a few nights, so asking permission to stay is the polite thing to do. The three of us jumped in the dinghy with our offerings of a beautiful barracuda we had just caught, a bundle of kava, clothes and candy.

We were trying to navigate around the coral towards shore when we were approached by a young man on a paddle board. He gave us three papayas and then extended his hand eagerly for our fish. He said his name was Tom and his grandfather, also named Tom, was one of the elders in the village. He told us to follow close behind him so he could lead us to the beach without hitting anything. We were grateful.

Once on shore, the elder Tom (Big Tom) was there to greet us and thanked us for the fish. We presented him with the bundle of kava, kids' clothes and the candy. The kids swarmed around him when they saw the sweets, but Big Tom took control of the situation very quickly. He had them line up single file, and one by one, he gave them some candy to enjoy. Afterwards, he motioned us to follow him to the chief's house where we sat on the floor for a brief Sevusevu ceremony. Once the ceremony was completed and it was understood that we were accepted into the village, Big Tom gave us a tour. At one point I noticed a large, white pig running loose between the houses.  The pig's name was Dave, and after Big Tom fed him some candy, he did a few tricks for us. Whenever someone would scratch his belly he would roll over...clever pig.

We sat on the beach for a little while and spoke with Big Tom. I asked him about the cyclones in Fiji and if the villagers worried about them. He told me they never worry about that because Sunday and Tuesday are days of prayer and on those days they ask God to protect them from any extreme weather. He explained with rock solid faith that their prayers would always be answered...so, no worries and no cyclones. Amazing... Before we returned to Et Voila for dinner, Theo asked Big Tom if he needed anything from the main island. We told him that we would be returning to visit him in a couple of weeks and would be happy to bring some things back. He was thoughtful for a few seconds, and then told us he would give us a list before we sailed away.

When Jonathan, Theo and I returned to the village to say goodbye, Tom gave us a piece of paper with his requests from the main island. Jonathan and Theo read it while I was taking pictures of the children wearing the clothes we had brought them. I noticed they kept looking at the list, but didn't say anything. Jonathan folded the paper and put it in his pocket. I suggested he might want to give it to me so that we didn't misplace it, but he just pointed at his head and said "Don't worry mom, I've got it memorized." To make a short story even shorter, Big Tom asked us to bring him a cell phone (Digicel touch screen) and a CCC brand backpack. We were stunned and a bit confused to say the least. We assumed he would ask for things like food, a cooking pot or some items for the school...but a touch screen cell phone? We did not see that one coming.

The request for a cell phone was presumptuous, but it still became a conundrum for us. We certainly wanted to help Tom and his village, but we also didn't want to be Santa Claus and have them expect expensive gifts every time a cruiser approached their village. If we gave him the cell phone, we would be setting the bar very high for future visitors. We have been in Fiji for a while and we know that it is frowned upon when cruisers offer luxurious gifts to the villages. It actually disrupts their way of life and causes problems between them. So, in the end, we brought Big Tom the backpack and gave a donation to the kindergarten, but no cell phone. He was extremely grateful and never mentioned the phone to us again. Live and learn...

LESSON:

- Be careful about what you offer.

- Pigs love candy.

QUOTE:

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future."                                                                                                                                               - Anonymous

FIJIAN WORDS:

Turaga - Chief

Kerekere - To ask a favor

Talevoni - Telephone

Sa dina! - Really!

 

Theo ready to bring a bundle of  Kava to the chief on Mana Island

Jonathan giving "Little Tom" the Barracuda

"Big Tom" passing out candy to the children

Dave the pig before eating candy

Dave the pig after eating candy

"Little Tom" guiding us to the Octopus Resort which is on the other side of the island

The children of Nalauwaki Village modeling clothes that were donated to them by the Caring Eagles at the Carden Conservatory School...Vinaka!

One year old baby Bulo and her mother Esta

A free spirited young man from Nalauwaki Kindergarten

After a tour of the school, the village offered us kava and preformed a dance show called a "Meke"

I was sitting inside the schoolhouse when I saw these children trying to peek inside...I couldn't resist taking a photo of their fabulous hair!!

SUNSETS, SMILES AND WEATHER WINDOWS

Theo and I love Fiji. The water here is the most brilliant color of blue that you can imagine and we always stop what we are doing to watch the sun go down at the end of a day. Never missing a sunset is a wonderful way to live if you ask me. The Fijian people add to the beauty and uniqueness of this place. They are tranquil and happy people who don't appear to have any worries. They are helpful, easy to smile and have a contagious high pitched laugh. This is why some cruisers choose to return to Fiji for many sailing seasons year after year. We are not in a rush to leave this part of the world. It took us a very long time to get here and there is so much more to see and do.

As I write this post, Theo and I are in Port Denarau waiting for one more boat part to arrive from Australia. We are also waiting for a good weather window to sail to the Southern Lau Islands. This is a chain of 60 islands and only half are inhabited. It is a remote area of Fiji that most tourists do not see and it is special for that reason. Fulaga is a cresent shaped reef-limestone island and it has a stunning lagoon for anchorage. Our plan is to sail there and stay for about one month so we can live with the families and experience their culture. Theo and I are doing our best to be patient, but what we really want to do is pull up our anchor and begin the voyage East. Oh well, patience is a virtue!

QUOTE:

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." - Beverly Sills

"Map out your future, but do it in pencil." - Jon Bon Jovi

FIJIAN WORDS:

Totoka - Beautiful

Yanuyanu - Island

A sunset by the Coconut Bar at the Octopus Resort

Et Voila anchored at Waya Island

Theo nursing his little finger

Christina took this stunning photo...that is Theo anchoring our dinghy on the beach at Waya Island

Ready to jump into the clear, blue water 

Theo's favorite beer...Fiji Bitter

We were so grateful to have two weeks in Fiji together..so many beautiful memories

Enjoying dinner on board S/V Field Trip with Mark and Sarah

One of the highlights of our trip...swimming with Manta Rays in Naviti Island.

"A birthday is a good time to begin anew: throwing away the old habits, as you would old clothes, and never putting them on again."    Happy Birthday to my dear friend Christina...you are beautiful inside and out...we love you!!!!!