PREPARING TO GO TO NEW ZEALAND

Tomorrow morning, 02 May, 2010 I shall fly to New Zealand to have my eyelid cancer removed.

Today will be spent doing final preparations to leave TORRID for 2 weeks. I'll also do some very light packing.

Hopefully, I can later attach my Octopus diary I started once my internet connection blew away.

BACK FROM OCTOPUS- NOTES ON TRIP

While at Octopus Resort on Waya Island I literally lost my Internet connection: the modem blew overboard in a raging windstorm. 100 Km. winds while on anchor is NOT fun.

Yesterday was spent on a very long sail back to Vuda.

All's well that ends well.

Notes of the trip will be in a later posting. It was perfect............except for the windstorm!

NIGHT FISHING- FIJIAN STYLE

Two nights ago one of the Fijian men I have come to really like, "Josepha", asked if he could come out to TORRID and fish for the evening. Naturally, I immediately agreed. I was very interested in learning some Fijian fishing techniques. I was also glad to help and learn.
"Joe" caught two large snappers. I hooked one, but the line broke.
The method is very basic: Pick up a few large hermit crabs on the beach. Break open their shell and remove the crab. Put the crab on a hook, add a lead sinker and drop the hand line and lead to the bottom and wait. The snappers strike pretty hard and I thought the hand line was going to give me quite a cut when I had my fish on the line.
Last night, Joe invited me to lunch at his home. This is quite an honor. I hope to get some good pictures for the Blog.
The weather has been acting up a bit and it looks like some heavy rain is on the way. I guess the rainy season has finally arrived.
I hope to explain some of the fishing tricks I learned from my Hawaiian friends. I think it will vastly improve "Joe's" fishing haul.

SCAVENGER

Yesterday, I removed a final part off the wrecked MOON DUSTER on Waya Island. I could tell that the Fijian man did not have the proper tools for the job. I suggested that he pick me up on TORRID and I take my tool bag and socket set to obtain the item. The job went quickly and smoothly.

Afterward I felt a bit like a scavenger. Boat parts which would probably never see the Ocean again were put aboard TORRID for future use.

Using that logic, I didn't feel quite so bad.

Here's another picture of the ill-fated MOON DUSTER.

CONTAGION

This evening I sat with the Fijian men as they played songs while the tourists enjoyed their dinner. After some time I began to feel a sense of joy and contentment that I had not felt in a long, long, very long time.

I found that the Fijian spirit of life, however simple, was a predominant feature of their everyday life. I cannot recall a single day that I did not hear peals of laughter ringing from the Fijians. Whether they work in a lovely tropical resort such as Octopus Resort or they work as wheel barrow boys, they seem to have a joy of life that I have found pleasantly contagious.

I am really going to have a hard time leaving Fiji!

SHIPWRECK!

No, no, not me silly!

During Cyclone Mick which struck Fiji in December '09, an unfortunate yacht was anchored at Octopus Resort. Apparently the anchor failed and the boat was washed ashore. It was a total loss.

I went to investigate today.

I met some very nice Fijians who had salvaged a lot of the gear. I made a few purchases for spare parts.

It was a sad sight!

SURPRISE! INTERNET ACCESS ON WAYA ISLAND

I was surprised to be able to reach the internet from Waya Island.

Waya reminds me of Bora Bora in Tahiti and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful island in the Fiji group.

If you come to Fiji, do NOT miss Waya Island. If you have only a week or so, by all means stay at Octopus Resort.