After six months on land I wasn't so sure what to expect from our upcoming passage to Fiji.  Would we get right back into the swing of things or would it take us days / weeks to adjust?  I was also a little apprehensive about our next year of cruising.  New Zealand had spoiled us; cheap phones, fast internet, endless grocery stores, and let's not forget not a single day of sea sickness!  All of this in one of the most spectacular places I've ever been.  On the other hand I was ready to go.  I was tired of traffic, of "crowds" (any population over 100 now constitutes as a crowd!), and especially of spending so much money.  I was ready to relax again, swaying in a tropical breeze reading endless books.

Ready or not, we departed Opua, New Zealand on Sunday May 8th.  This passage would be different for us in that we also had two "crew" aboard.  Chris's cousin Andy and Andy's 14 year old daughter, Riley, had joined us from Alaska.  We hadn't yet cruised with other people on board and weren't sure how "small" the boat would get.

We headed out of the Bay of Islands with two boats following (MagMell & Stardust) and a couple more to leave the next day (Ascension & Freebird).  It's always comforting to know we wouldn't be out there alone!

While the passage ended up being pretty unremarkable, there were a few days of nervousness at the beginning when Chris spotted a huge "bomb" on the weather fax to the East of us (Bomb = cyclone = high wind & large waves = YIKES).  It was far enough away that we were currently quite safe, but we had to keep a close eye to ensure it didn't move our way.  It also meant that we didn't make much Easting in our first days out as we didn't want to risk heading anywhere in the vicinity of the storm.  By Friday we had safely cleared it and could head East (not to mention breathe easier).  Of course by then the wind wasn't fully cooperating, making it a struggle to get East.

This was Andy & Riley's first sailing ocean passage.  They handled it great.  Boredom being their biggest hurtle.  Riley would play hour upon hour of electronic Yahtzee while Andy would spend time staring out at the vast Ocean while listening to Music.  I loved it when Andy said to Riley, "Don't you want to stand up and look around?"  She replied, "Why?  It's just water!!!".  I couldn't agree more!

It was a bit strange for Chris and I as we tried to get into the cruising groove with two extra people aboard.  Cruising with four defiantly has its bonuses as well as inconveniences.  Andy was a superb helper; cooking, doing dishes, and providing us with an additional night watcher.  We had added entertainment with Yahtzee tournaments and Wheel of Fortune championships.  I'll admit though, that I missed the cruising rhythms and space of just the two of us.  Also I felt like Chris and I became huge nags - as so many things on the boat had to be done a certain way.  I hated constantly pestering and nagging about one thing or another - and I'm sure it got old with Andy & Riley as well (although they handled it like stars!).  In total it all worked out well and we enjoyed their company and were enjoying the added entertainment of viewing cruising through their eyes!

Savusavu is Vanua Levu's second largest town (the 2000 issue of South Pacific Lonely Planet reported a population of 2000).  The population is predominantly Fijian and Indian.  It's one main street has a number of shops including a huge open market (fresh veggies & fruit), more than one grocery store (although all smaller than those in the states), clothing and tourist shops, and even a number of restaurants.  There are buses, taxis, and lots of cars.  For Chris and I it actually felt large and hectic!

As we experienced across the South Pacific, the people are wonderful.  BULA!  BULA! (Hello! Hello!).  Everyone yells as we walk along the main street.  Their huge smiles are catching and you can't help but enthusiastically reply back, BULA!

Andy & Riley had 12 days before their return flight and were itching to get going.  Chris and I like to unwind and relax after a passage, plus there are usually a number of maintenance tasks that have to be completed.  So for the next few days Andy & Riley went off to explore the town, snorkel, and just generally do anything that would get them off the boat while Chris and I went to "work".  It didn't help that on our first day there the outboard engine died and Chris found "sludge" in our diesel fuel (of the main boat engine).  Nor did the constant falling ash from nearby copra fires make getting (or keeping) the boat clean easy.

Halfway into last year's season I learned that a cousin of mine (to be exact my Grandpa's Cousin's son) has a house in Fiji.  As Fiji wasn't in last year's plans we weren't able to hook up.  When I emailed them before leaving New Zealand, they decided to fly out and try to meet up with us.  As it turns out their house is just 15-20 minutes outside Savusavu.  Our timing was perfect, George (my cousin) and his wife Patti arrived on the 19th.  Chris and I met them for lunch on the 20th (Andy and Riley had opted to go snorkeling).  The last time I had seen George I was somewhere between 10 & 13, so I really didn't remember him much.  This made me a bit nervous - just because we're family didn't mean we would "gel".  But it was all for not because George and Patti are Great!  We had a fantastic lunch filled with non-stop conversation.  Afterwards Patti introduced us to her favorite Market vendors, Kamla & Raj.  We made plans to visit their house the following day and discussed all sorts of other potential things to do around the island.  George and Patti would be in Fiji until June 9th and during their stay they showed us some fantastic parts of Vanua Levu.

On Saturday (21st) we all (Andy & Riley included) spent a day enjoying their amazing views while soaking in their horizon pool.  Chris & I loved their house and location so much that we are now convinced that somehow, someway we MUST buy land here!

On the 23rd we had George and Patti over to the boat for appetizers and sunset drinks.  It started with a good laugh, when George fell off the dinghy (into the water) while climbing aboard, but somehow in an amazing acrobatic maneuver, managed to save his video camera.  I was relieved to find he was very good humored about it!

Two nights later Chris & I were going to join George & Patti at a local carnival, but due to rain opted for dinner out instead (Andy & Riley had decided to take the ferry over to Taveuni for a two night adventure).  Chris & I spent the following night up at their house where we enjoyed local Indian cuisine (prepared by their "house girl", Rada), endless amounts of power (we watched a movie), and a real shower!  The next day we went off-roading (dusty, unpaved roads) into some remote locations in search of "the waterfall" that I had read about.  Luckily George & Patti had asked around and gotten some general directions ... although had two small boys not guided us in, we would've probably walked aimlessly for hours!

On Saturday (now May 28th) they took the four of us (Andy & Riley were back from Taveuni) to one of the nearby villages.  The visit was especially unique to Andy and Riley who had only seen the larger towns of Fiji.  The minute we pulled up twenty pairs of little eyes peered out at us from within houses and behind trees; the children are always the first to arrive.  We waited for Satari to come out and meet us (George & Patti know her through friends of theirs and they had arranged our visit through her).  She took us to her house, many of the children following curiously behind.  Her husband, Joshua, is second man to the chief and he came to greet us shortly after.  George & Patti had previously visited the village and had been welcomed through the Sevusevu ceremony.  Because of this, they will always be welcomed, as was apparent when Joshua said, "Welcome Home" to them.  Although no Sevusevu was required, we still presented a gift of Yuqona roots (Kava) along with rice and sugar.  Joshua walked us around the village.  While villagers don't have much in material possessions, they have a lot of pride and big hearts.  The villages are clean and well groomed, and everywhere we walked people came out to say hello, shake our hands, or offer us food.  After our tour we took a refreshing swim in the river.  This type of activity is always a favorite of ours, because we get to play with the children.  This time it was cannon balls, king of the raft, and tossing kids through the air.  As always their smiles and laughter were infectious.  After the swim, Satari treated us to some kind of cooked, smoky flavored banana dish.  I swear I really really tried to like it, but between the slimy texture and the strong flavor, every bite I took triggered a gag reflection.  I was determined to eat it, I wouldn't dare waste something as important as food, but was luckily saved by Chris who after seeing the desperation in my eyes finished mine for me!  We took some final pictures and said our thank you's (Vanaka Vakalevu, thank you very much) and drove away with those same twenty eyes watching after us!

A number of people have asked us how it was having two extra people on board for almost a month.  One of the things that stands out to us, and that we always end up discussing, as well as something that we hadn't really thought about ahead of time, is the difference between vacationers and cruisers.

As vacationers, Andy and Riley only had 26 days.  If you take away the waiting time in NZ and the passage, they were left with twelve days in Fiji.  As with most people on vacation, they wanted to utilize every minute of that time.  Andy would be up at the crack of dawn and off to walk around.  By 9(am) he'd be back on Billabong urging Riley to get ready so they could get off the boat.  They might go snorkeling, might walk around the island just off our stern, or might walk about town -- really anything was fine as long as they got off the boat.  There was even a night or two where Andy went in to check out the "night life".

This constant flurry of activity is quite different from a cruiser's lifestyle.  Chris and I enjoy our lazy mornings over coffee.  And while we like adventure and exploring, relaxing (or doing nothing one might say) is just as fun!  There might be days when we feel no need or desire to leave the boat at all.  Sure, Chris and I have more time, so we don't have to rush around trying to see everything at once.  But what I've discovered about ourselves as well as other cruisers is that when we do run short of time, we tend to opt to skip stuff (or places) rather than up our pace.  After a month with Andy and Riley, I have realized (again), how lucky we are to have learned to live this way.  One of the things I'm most worried about on our return home (still a few years off) is being thrown back into a go-go-go lifestyle.  I worry that I'll forget how to sit back, relax and enjoy my surroundings.  And in doing that I worry that I'll lose all those little enjoyments of life that are so easy to overlook.  I hope that we'll be able to hang on to a slower pace and remember the enjoyment we found from "quiet time" or a good book.

People might read our journals and think how cool it is that we've snorkeled with whales, dove with sharks, hiked a volcano, bonded with stingrays, and so on, while I agree, I would also add that one of the greatest things about cruising is learning to slow down, relax, and potentially do nothing!  I would encourage everyone to give it a try, and the next time you go on vacation take some time to just sit around, read, or let your mind wonder.  Listen to sounds around you, take a deep breathe and truly RELAX!
 

After two loud weekends in the bay, we decided that should we be around for another weekend we would get away.  So come Friday (June 3rd), we motored out to "split rock point" (about 5nm or 1 hour away).  The only downside to the point is that we had to anchor in 50-60 feet of water, not ideal, but manageable.  There were a few interesting moments anchoring, especially when I misunderstood a few of Chris's hand signals.  Here I was so proud because I [thought] was backing down in the EXACT direction Chris had asked me to ... turns out he had said/signaled NOT to go in THAT direction!  OOPS!  After setting the hook I could feel my entire being relax.  There is something so serene about the stillness when anchored far away from any towns.  I took a quick dip, checking our anchor and peering in on a few fish.  There were some microscopic jelly fish in the water and it didn't take long for their small stings to becoming annoying.

That evening we rowed over to Doodlebug for sundowners.  We had briefly met Annette & Ed the previous year in the Marquesas, but had not had the opportunity to get to know them.  We had a fantastic time, staying up way past my bed time (till 11:30pm if you can believe that!).  We learned about Ed's cruiser categories;
          Category1:  Dirt poor cruising, barely making it by, working as they cruise.
          Category2:  Taking a sabbatical from work.  They will someday have to return to land & jobs.
          Category3:  Retired.  Hopefully they will never have to return to work or land again!

So that makes Doodlebug a Category 3 and Billabong a Category 2.

The next day George and Patti drove out to the point and we dinghied them to Billabong.  As we sat around enjoying the sun and light breeze, they asked us what we would be doing if they weren't there.  "This is it" we said, "relaxing!".  Maybe a dip in the ocean if we got hot, or potentially a quick chore if something came to mind. 

For lunch I whipped up some Philly Rolls (sushi), partly because I had a craving and the ingredients, and partly, I'll admit, because as Chris says, "I wanted to show off"!  They were both quite impressed that our boat was so well stocked and that we would indulge on sushi!

After George and Patti left, Chris and I had a quiet and early night.  On Sunday Doodlebug picked us up and we went to "Split Rock" for some fantastic snorkeling (this is the spot Andy and Riley visited frequently during their stay).  Even in the poor lighting (clouds were rolling in) I was amazed at the varying colors of the soft corals.  The fish were extremely friendly, swarming around and even going after our held out fingers hoping for food!  We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoyed another beautiful sunset.

On Monday (June 6th) we headed back into town - it was time to start making preparations to leave .. if only we could get the weather to cooperate!

  View Savusavu Photos