A stromy week in Fiji

Greetings from Musket Cove

Hopefully I’ll be able to post this blog as we are in the middle of a full on storm with 30 knot winds and gusting to 40.  It is pouring outside and my Captain is on full alert in the cock pit making sure he is ready if our mooring breaks, or if another mooring breaks causing the boat to come crashing down on us.  I, on the other hand have started my day off with a Louise Hay meditation and am currently doing this blog while rocking to the sounds of The Supremes – followed next, of course, by Tom Jones!

This past week started off with an amazing full moon.

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  Last year I got a great shot of three trees (but can't find it now to show the comparison).  This year only one lonely tree remains after the cyclone.

It is wonderful to be at the mooring at Musket Cove because we can hike all over the island and just enjoy spending time as a land lubber.  

This is the view from the island out to the mooring area.

 

I had some nice “alone” time on Sunday when I walked up to the local church.  I love doing that and meeting the locals and finding out more about the culture.

Walk up to the church

It is an evangelical type of church so a little too much “hell and brimstone” stuff, but I really enjoy the Fijian singing.  At least it isn’t as bad as the experience in Savu Savu last year when I got called up on stage and the minister yelled “Sister Diana has been sent to us all the way from Vancouver” and then proceeded to make me address the congregation.  Since I told Peter of this experience, he has never gone to a church here again – the chicken!

The minister playing the drums…similar to church bells ringing to announce the service.

 

Walking back home around the island overlooking the golf course.

The advantage of having a week of bad weather is that you can get lots of inside jobs done.  I  worked on my Silver Star blog (I manage some properties up there in the winter for rentals – once a travel agent, always a travel agent!).  We’ve also read some great books and we play bridge at Happy Hour.  We are actually studying bridge using the bridge lesson books I brought on board (yes, lawn bowling might be next!)

We were hoping that David and Suzi from Sidewinder would be over here with us, but they have been delayed in Vuda Point waiting on a new chain and battery.  We received word that they got everything yesterday, but now that this storm has broken, they won’t be going anywhere for a few days.

If the weather clears we are intending on sailing with them to the Yasawa’s for two or three weeks to go swim with the Mantra Rays, among other things.

Peter emptying out the dinghy…a common occurrence all week.

Notice anything unusual in this picture?

Another storm rolling in

 

The calm before the storm

The tourists are making the most of the weather and it doesn’t stop them from kayaking, windsurfing or parasailing.

One tourist couldn’t make it back in from windsurfing, so the board was getting a tow and the surfer humbly hitched a ride back on another kayak. 

 Lots of young families go cruising…here’s our neighbour with a baby.                  (Hint, hint..our grandmunchkins would love it!)

One of the many bures (cottages) at Musket Cove (Lesly..this is for you)

The Island Bar is back in business after the cyclone!

To get back and forth from our sailboat to land, we use our dinghy (or our blow up kayaks, but the weather hasn’t cooperated enough to do that).  When we were heading back to the boat, we saw these two cranes.  Love all the birds here.

Looking out to sea

Framing the kayaker

Stand-up paddling is the big rage here.  I’m going to give it a shot – hopefully all those balance poses in Yoga will help me.  It’s supposed to be hard work but good exercise (Peter says those are the very two reasons why he isn’t going to do it, ha,ha)

Stand Up Paddling

We also learned that the lightening strike of a couple of weeks ago that burned down the coffee shop and grocery store also hit the sailboat Gimme A Break.  They lost all their electronics – luckily no one was hurt.  For us, what we use as lightening protection is hooking a car jumper cable to our stainless backstay at one end and then we put the other end in the water.  The theory is that if the lightening will hits the boat, the electrical current would be diverted in to the water.  Neither Peter nor I are too sure whether it would work, but it can’t hurt.  We just hope we never have the system tested.

The grocery store after being hit by lightening

The makeshift coffee shop, showing once again how resilient the Fijians are.

If we do make it out to the Yasawa’s for a couple of weeks, I may not be able to do the blog every Friday, as it is very remote, but I’ll do what I can, when I can.

On a final note, today is a very special day.  Our youngest daughter Kylie and our son-in-law Taylor are taking possession of their first home together in Ashcroft, B.C.  We are so excited for them and wish them all the best as they create the next chapter of their lives.

As I conclude this blog, the storm outside is raging.  Visibility is about 2 feet with the rain coming down in buckets.  Nothing we can do but sit here snug as a bug while the winds are gusting over 30 knots.  So, I'll grab Peter and we'll do some kitchen dancing to "Oh Delilah"...go Tommy, go.

 Until next Friday….May you have a great weekend filled with at least one      “delightful surprise”

P.S. In the photo..notice anything unusual?  It is a plane in the mooring field besides the boats.  People can fly in here from Nadi airport (about 15 minutes) or take the fast cat from Nadi in about an hour.