The English girl who joined my dorm closed the door for the night. Too bad for air flow. During the night it rained heavily which dropped the temperature considerably.
Breakfast was rather plain compared to the feast the night before. More carbohydrate in the form of sweet potato and taro. The new arrivals from the afternoon before went snorkelling. I killed some time writing in my diary.
The snorkellers got back about the time S and I had to leave. My next stop was the White Sandy Beach resort. This is located on the western side of Naviti Island. After 90 minutes sailing they announced my resort, I bade farewell to S and stepped into the transfer boat. (All the resorts use transfer boats as the Yasawa Flyer cannot approach the shallows.) There was one departure and I was the only arrival for the day. At the beach a committee sang me a welcome.
I was introduced to the current backpackers over lunch. F from Germany, E from Austria, and a couple from UK. Lunch was pretty good, comprising a vegie curry, papadums and rice.
I resisted blandishments from the staff to join the snorkelling activity and rested away the afternoon. Anyway they had enough people with the afternoon arrivals. (The Flyer passes each island twice on its daily circuit, so resorts in the middle will receive northbound guests in the morning and southbound guests in the afternoon. The order in which people visit the resorts depends on the package they have booked, or itinerary they have drawn up, which in turn depend on availability of spots.)
In the evening, the resort staff played a friendly volleyball game with the neighbouring resort and guests were invited. Fijian group dynamics were fascinating. There were no formal teams, people were free to join or leave a side whenever they felt like it. Some players both men and women were very good but there were no showoffs. It was just a game for everybody to participate and have a good time.
With a west facing location, the sunset was spectacular.
Dinner was excellent. It comprised soup to start then a main of fried chicken with a cream sauce, accompanied by julienned carrots, beans, potato wedges and taro. Dessert was pineapple cake. I suspect the cook had worked in a commercial kitchen before.
This was a gecko on the dining room ceiling.
While I was showering, they began the evening balloon game. Couples were required to maintain a balloon between them in a specified position without using hands while dancing to the DJ. To eliminate a couple in each round the challenges got harder and harder. The winner was the couple with F, the German guy. He was also a good player at volleyball.
The resort staff sang us Fijian songs after the games.
A bonfire of palm fronds and twigs was lit on the beach so that people could mellow out in the glow.
After that excursion and a forgettable lunch, I decided to relax the rest of the day. I had done the hike and wasn't participating in the village visit with some of the other guests. But even relaxation was denied me. While getting on a hammock too quickly, it flipped over and I landed on my left shoulder in the sand. I felt around and nothing was broken, but it hurt like hell. For the rest of the trip, getting in and out of shirts was an ordeal with a sore left shoulder.
A Kava ceremony was that night's entertainment after a more elaborate than usual dinner featuring pit roasted chicken and pork. The deck space was cleared for this.
The protocol was explained to us. The hosts had a leader and a spokesperson. A leader and spokesperson for the visitors, i.e. us, were appointed. When handed the bowl of kava, the recipient had to bow to the hosts, shout Bula!, drink it down, then clap three times. This was repeated with every participant.
In case you are wondering, the kava tasted of a medicinal root solution. Some people report that kava stimulates them, some that it makes them drowsy. What I had did nothing for me. But I suspect they had brewed a weak version for us tourists.
Many photos were taken that evening.
After the ceremony we moved to the grassy space outside main building where the staff and villagers performed Fijian songs and dances for us.
Another song, with rhythm sticks.
Ladies performing a fan dance.
The men have a turn.
I would guess a war dance from the fierce looks, gestures and weapons.
Finally to end the evening, the audience participated in the snake dance where the head of the snake repeats a gesture and the followers imitate. At the call of "over!" the tail becomes the head and the snakes goes the other direction. From time to time people were taken out of the line to become the tail so that they would eventually lead the snake.
I woke at daybreak. It had rained during the night but I hadn't noticed.
For breakfast there were sunny side up eggs, bread and some kind of fried dough. Meals in the resorts were carbohydrate rich. I missed fibre from fruits and vegetables.
We cast off from the island about 0900 in a motorised boat and headed towards the reef. We all wore life jackets. In addition because I'm a poor swimmer they gave me a "noodle" float.
After a bumpy ride of about 20 minutes, we reached the reef. I found that the goggle and snorkel set I brought wasn't up to the task but fortunately they provided one. I also had a waterproof camera for these underwater photos.
To be honest, half the time I couldn't see clearly what I was framing in the viewfinder due to the current so I just snapped away at anything likely.
Here we encountered a reef shark. They are harmless to humans but the mention of shark always induces some frisson amongst prospective snorkellers.
It was one of the most difficult half hours of my life because I was trying to do all these things at once: keep the salt water out my mouth by maintaining the watertight seal on my snorkel mouthpiece; expel any water that might have leaked in by exhaling hard; not tilt my head too much when looking above water or water would enter the snorkel; stay within sight of the group; avoid touching coral; avoid the strong current in the shallows which made swimming difficult. Oh and I was no good with flippers either.
If I had time to adjust the zoom, I might have got a magnified shot of this brightly coloured denizen of the coral reef. Then again, I might have missed the shot totally.
More coral.
The reef shark again.
When time was up, in trying to reach the boat, I lost one of the flippers to the current. Fortunately they float and it was retrieved without issue. I also got scratched by coral near my left knee. Coral cuts take a long time to heal. I still had the scab over a week later.
One of the divers had speared an octopus and posed with it for photos. It was for themselves though. Seafood is abundant, but effort intensive to harvest so not served to guests.
Approaching the shore, the petrol in the working tank ran out and they had to refill from a can. A normal procedure, but they joked that we had to swim to shore. I made a mock grimace. But the petrol fumes just made me seasick and throw up again.
I'm not sure I'd snorkel again. Salt water and I don't mix. I'm happy to vicariously enjoy coral beauty through photos and cine documentaries.
At around 1600, S called out to me. It seems that she had arranged to do the hike. I thought it wasn't until 1700. But then Fiji had just started DST so times were a bit confused in the first week. So I put on my sneakers and joined her and the guide.
The walk took us around the back of the resort onto a jungle trail. It was strenuous at the beginning and the guide gave me adequate rest breaks, usually at scenic overlooks.
From this one we could see Kuata Island. Mynah birds were plentiful on Wayasewa. I wondered if they were also introduced. I asked the guide about the absence of children around the resort. It seems that the school age ones go to boarding school on a bigger island and return to their families in village on Fridays for the weekend. One could see the preschool ones on a village visit.
The views got better the higher we went. In the middle of the hike was a relatively flat section, but the guide warned us that we had to "be brave" for the final ascent. On the way he showed us various native food plants such as tapioca, wild sugar cane and a native nut I didn't get the name of. He was a bit surprised that I knew about tapioca but I explained that I grew up in a tropical country too.
It was an overcast afternoon so distant views were slightly hazy.
This was the final stage where we had to clamber over bare rock. The guide is holding a machete for cutting down vegetation along the way.
It was fairly windy at the top and refreshing after the hard climb.
You can see Kuata Island in its entirety in this shot.
The peak we ascended wasn't actually the highest of the island. There is another taller outcrop, but no safe path up it. The guide said that he had done it himself. But another thing they told us was that you could not claim to have visited Wayasewa without ascending the peak. But when asked, some of the locals said they had never been. A bit of marketing perhaps.
My companions at the top.
And the resort, way down below.
Descending was much easier. On the way the guide showed us a wobbling rock and narrated the legend to go with it.
It had started to drizzle and progressed to rain by the time we regained the resort. I was glad to shower off the sweat and grime.
Dinner was Indian flavoured. I liked the fruit most of all of the food on offer. There were other Fijian guests at the hostel who had a separate meal after us. We found out the next day that they were public health workers doing their rounds of the islands.
Despite the announcement on the board, there were no evening games, just a screening of the thriller Contraband from DVD. The DVD was so worn that it froze and skipped a lot towards the end. Anyway I was tired from the climb and glad to have an early night.
After a couple of hours of sailing we reached the narrow straits between the islands of Wayasewa and Kuata, the southernmost of the chain. There is one resort on each island. Outboard motor powered boats arrived at the catamaran to transfer leaving passengers to the catamaran and arriving passengers to the island. My luggage was put into the boat then I was invited to step into it. A few moments later I was followed by a slim girl.
We motored towards the beach. A burly Fijian carried me on his shoulders for the last few metres so that I wouldn't get my sneakers wet. (Hence it's advisable to wear flip-flops for such transfers.)
A set of steps led up to the main building where we were given an induction by apparently the activities director. He told us the times of the meals. (All meals are included as the resort is the only establishment around. Besides the three main ones, afternoon tea was also offered.)
We could also enroll ourselves for paid activities like snorkelling, hiking, weaving or village visits. (Some people had prebooked a Full Monty add-on when buying the package, but common advice was that you could purchase activities separately at the resort.)
My fellow traveller was S, a Finnish student on a gap year round the world trip before staring Uni. Like me, she had two nights at that resort. Unlike me she had two more nights elsewhere up north before returning whereas I had four.
We were assigned to a dorm room further up the slope. It had three single beds and an ensuite. Facilities were basic. You have to remember that water comes from rain, and electricity from a generator only certain hours of the night and morning. Double rooms (called bures) were on the same plateau as the main building. These housed backpackers travelling in pairs and had slightly more comfortable facilities.
The beat of the meal drum (which consisted of a couple of wooden rods and a hollowed-out log) called us to lunch where we met the other travellers. Food was self-serve from a buffet. Here it consisted of a coleslaw like salad, rice, potato or taro, some main with meat, with pineapple and watermelon slices for dessert, plus the usual beverages. It wasn't inspiring but at least it was edible. I wouldn't be gaining weight on this trip. S was vegan so her choices were more limited.
After lunch I relaxed on a hammock. Cooling breezes mitigated the heat. In Fiji mosquitoes were the bane of my holiday and I was glad that I had brought repellant. But I wasn't always protected so I had to swat them now and then. If there is one animal I wouldn't mind going extinct it's the mosquito. Won't happen though. There is the phrase Fijian Time meaning whenever, take your time. At least the mosquitoes were also on Fijian Time and slower.
At 1500 we were called again by the drums to afternoon tea on the outdoor deck. Naturally coffee is the instant variety, no fancy coffee here.
(To be continued.)
The Yasawas are a chain of volcanic islands running northeast to southwest off the northwest of Viti Levu, the main island. The Yasawa Flyer, a catamaran service, sets out from Port Denarau every morning and works its way up the chain, calling at various islands, and returning the evening of the same day. Besides passengers, the catamaran delivers provisions.
Breakfast was at 0645 so we would be picked up at 0730. It was basically bread, butter and jam, fruit, cereal, milk, and tea or coffee. Lodgers who had better rooms got a cooked breakfast. But it was adequate. I prefer to eat little before getting on a boat anyway.
The bus already had passengers from resorts deeper down Wailoaloa Road; we were the last pickups of the run. So we got to have breakfast a bit later than those from other resorts.
Unless you are staying in a premium resort at places like Port Denarau, and the closest you want to get to water is the hotel pool, you really want to take a boat to get out to the islands. Another, nearer, chain of popular islands, these to the west of Viti Levu, are the Mamanucas. Some tourists spend all their time in the Viti Levu resorts and the only Fijians they see are the resort staff. This was something I discovered only by reading the guide books and traveller advice pages carefully. Not going to the islands seems to negate the purpose of going to Fiji.
We had a bit of free time to explore the port area after checking in our luggage while they loaded the catamaran. Port Denarau is built on reclaimed swampland. They've put a shopping centre and marina there. I was tempted to buy a beverage from Lulu Cafe to use the WiFi but decided that I didn't want to know about what was happening elsewhere. In the event, I was off the Internet for a week. And the world didn't come to an end.
That day our boat was not the usual bright yellow Flyer but a white one, Ocean Dreaming. Our luggage was stowed aft. A system of coloured tags indicated at which island resort an item should be dropped off. Each resort had a box-full of these tags. I was bound for Wayasewa (also Waya Lailai, both meaning Little Waya) for two nights.
There is an air conditioned lounge, but if inclined, one can catch the breeze on the stern or the top deck. A Fijian crew member was occupied holding an outdoor antenna in place so that the Fijians could watch a football game on the TV. On the main TV they screened the BBC documentary The Blue Planet.
We passed South Sea Island, a tiny piece of rock not much bigger than a few football fields. A few km north of it is Bounty Island. I don't remember who told me this but not long before the generator on Bounty Island had caught fire and smoke billowed from it. The residents of South Sea Island resort turned out to watch and go "oooooo". That mishap put the facilities on Bounty out of action for a while.
(To be continued on Wayasewa.)
The snorkellers got back about the time S and I had to leave. My next stop was the White Sandy Beach resort. This is located on the western side of Naviti Island. After 90 minutes sailing they announced my resort, I bade farewell to S and stepped into the transfer boat. (All the resorts use transfer boats as the Yasawa Flyer cannot approach the shallows.) There was one departure and I was the only arrival for the day. At the beach a committee sang me a welcome.
I resisted blandishments from the staff to join the snorkelling activity and rested away the afternoon. Anyway they had enough people with the afternoon arrivals. (The Flyer passes each island twice on its daily circuit, so resorts in the middle will receive northbound guests in the morning and southbound guests in the afternoon. The order in which people visit the resorts depends on the package they have booked, or itinerary they have drawn up, which in turn depend on availability of spots.)
In the evening, the resort staff played a friendly volleyball game with the neighbouring resort and guests were invited. Fijian group dynamics were fascinating. There were no formal teams, people were free to join or leave a side whenever they felt like it. Some players both men and women were very good but there were no showoffs. It was just a game for everybody to participate and have a good time.
With a west facing location, the sunset was spectacular.
Dinner was excellent. It comprised soup to start then a main of fried chicken with a cream sauce, accompanied by julienned carrots, beans, potato wedges and taro. Dessert was pineapple cake. I suspect the cook had worked in a commercial kitchen before.
While I was showering, they began the evening balloon game. Couples were required to maintain a balloon between them in a specified position without using hands while dancing to the DJ. To eliminate a couple in each round the challenges got harder and harder. The winner was the couple with F, the German guy. He was also a good player at volleyball.
The resort staff sang us Fijian songs after the games.
A bonfire of palm fronds and twigs was lit on the beach so that people could mellow out in the glow.
