Island Night at the Octopus Resort was predictably touristy, but it was great that Ashley and James were feeling better and able to enjoy their last night in Fiji. We dressed appropriately in our sulus (yes, even the guys, except for Colin who says that, as the cameraman, he’s exempt) and joined the rest of the tourists for the Bula dance (the Fijian’s version of a conga line). Afterward, a few of us got a more authentic Fijian experience when we joined members of the staff for a few bowls of strong kava (brown color and instant tongue-numbing = strong). They are crazy about their kava here in Fiji. Several people (e.g., the school teacher) have told us that they drink it each day starting in the afternoon, and on the weekend, big groups of men of varying ages might sit around the bowl until early in the morning. At the sitting that we attended, they were joking about who was going to carry the oldest and most sedated man back to the village.

Sporting the sulus

  The resort staff double as entertainers on Friday nights Gathered round the kava bowl

We said good bye to Ashley and James Saturday morning and sailed away into fairly strong wind and current. Dallas predicted that they were going to have a wild ride back to the mainland on the little motorboat owned by the resort, and it sounds like it was a white knuckle ride. At least it was a short one, and they were able to relax and shower at a resort on the mainland before catching the long flight home.

Meanwhile, Pura Vida sailed over to the island of Naviti, known as a feeding ground for manta rays. We arrived in late afternoon, and Dallas and Colin dinghied over to another boat to get the scoop on what was happening there. Oddly enough, the 60-something Kiwi sailor and his 20-something Fijian girlfriend were completely unaware that there were manta rays in the area and that there was a resort there on the island. I guess they had other priorities, but we thought having a drink at the hilltop bar at sunset sounded pretty good and went ashore. I’ve been to more island resorts in the last two weeks than in my entire life, so I can say with some authority that the Manta Ray Resort has a lot going for it. It is smaller with a more rustic feel than the others, and the food and drinks were in our price range.

We met a really cool Hawaiian couple there who are planning to sail around the world in a year or two. He is a marine biologist and an avid fisherman, so we picked them up the next morning to dinghy over to the pass to look for rays and get some fresh fish for sushi. There were no rays to be found, but with Hawaii Mike’s help, we returned to the boat with a lantern fish, a small parrot fish (very good eating), and a cuttlefish (resembling a squid) that Dallas speared.

Nina with the catch of the day

Just as we were getting ready to head back to our anchorage, who should we see sailing in the distance but S/V Anima! I had never seen her under sail, and it was awesome. It was even better to see Martin and Shiroma again and to find that they have been having a wonderful time cruising around the northern Yasawas.

Back on the boat, I cleaned the fish and caught up with Martin and Shiroma while Colin began to work his sushi magic. The results were pretty impressive, and we are all looking forward to more. We just need to catch a big fish. Colin has been tossing a line out every chance he gets and had what we think was a large ono on the line on our previous passage, but in a flash, it was gone.

mmmm, sushi

Monday we said farewell to the beautiful white sandy islands of the Yasawas and made our way back to the mainland to repair the rudder and do some provisioning. We motored into Vuda Point Marina where we were nestled closely in between two monohulls. It’s a tiny marina, and they pack them in tight. There is no wind here, so in the scorching heat and humidity, we wasted no time in checking out the nice pool at the resort next door. We topped off the day with some pizza and beer. I suppose we are getting spoiled here in Fiji with all the luxuries provided by the resorts, but I figure we should take advantage of them while we can.

We were hoping to be here no longer than a week, and since Dallas was able to pull the rudder off while in the water rather than having to arrange to have the boat hauled out somewhere, it’s looking like we will be able to stick to that plan. He grinded down the corner where he had applied the underwater epoxy and got a piece of mahogony from the guys in the shop that he epoxied into the void. Next he will grind that down into shape and glass over it.

Pulling up the rudder with a rope harness

The rest of us have been taking advantage of the plentiful freshwater and laundry facilities here at the marina to get the boat in order and ready for the next passage. Today I will return to nearby Lautoka to get some provisons and do a bit of exploring. It doesn’t have much to offer in terms of tourist activities, but I like it. There is a large Indian population (not like in the islands, which are just inhabited by Fijians), and the Indian food is cheap as. It’s a great place to provision as well (e.g., $1 US for a large bag of namebrand chips). I just have to be less friendly than I normally would with the Indian men. I learned this lesson in Suva when my Indian taxi driver professed his love!

On Monday we plan to caravan to Vanuatu (only about 500 miles) with our friends from S/V Anima, S/V Matajusi, and S/V Imagine. We will be able to use our new SSB radio to keep in touch with them along the way, so that should add a bit of entertainment to the passage.