Wednesday 30th October 2013
Another busy day, what happened to just relaxing on a beautiful tropical island? That's does not what happens when you have a boat.
I spent a good part of the morning hanging upside down in The Dingy trying to clean the hull and side of the boat, we have picked up a lot of growth and this old ship of ours is looking very warn out, she sure will need some tender loving care when we get home.
So I got almost have the boat done and The Captain needed to go talk to a guy about navigation to Nadi.
I stayed behind and started cleaning and sorting the inside of the boat.
In between rain showers on and off all day, which had me running up the stairs zipping down the covers closing hatches, for it to stop in five minutes, then go back out open them all up only to have to do it all over again a hundred times, I wish you could just leave them down but it's so hot, and with no air flowing through you almost die.
The Captain comes back with news that the way we were going to go to Nadi, was going to take us 3 days, as there is so many coral reefs around you just can't do it of a night time so we would of had to stop each night.
Well that can't happen, so plan B we are going around the long way past Suva and then up to Nadi, this will take us about a day and a half.
We actually wanted to leave today but, we had so much stuff to do, and also to clear out at customs, so off we go to shore once more and the errands was on, We did a bit of shopping, arranged to get a gas tank filled, got a jerry can of outboard fuel, paid the Marina fees, paid the fees bio security fees, checked out at customs, which took forever, as we had to arrange for a cruising permit, to visit all the islands, it's a letter to the chief of each island saying that we agree to all their customs and they agree to look after us....haha
I'm not sure if I have mentioned this, but in the remote island they take there customs very strict, with a dress code for woman, of no Shorts no long pants, you have to be covered with a long skirt, or wrap a sarong or Sulu, around your clothes, and have your shoulders covered, this is only in the villages, and if you enter a home you have to take off your shoes, the men get it easy they can wear shorts and tshirts.
And then you have to present a bunch of kava wrapped a certain way to the chief, he will either agree or not for you to be able to anchor in his water, and go ashore.
kava is their ceremonial drink and sometimes they will mix some and you have to sit with them and drink it, apparently it's very bad tasting, and it leaves your mouth numb, but it gives you a little high feeling.
Not sure i want to do this, but it's a major insult if you don't.
Watch out Bek and Anthony we may all be high the whole trip...hahaha
So we went to the local markets to buy us some Kava and some fresh fruit, we got ripped of with the kava, but the guy at customs told us we had enough for 3 islands at least, then into a stall where I had been talking to a local lady before The Captain got there, she was just so nice, she ended up throwing stuff into our bags as we were going, we got limes, ginger and a huge paw paw all for nothing, what a nice person.
I just love this little island, the people are so nice and friendly and where in the world could you walk into a government office and the males are walking around in skirts and barefoot...hahaha
Well tomorrow is another day.