Nice to have a lie in. According to Rowan and judging by the amount of water in JeldiJeldi (dinghy) there was torrential rain last night which I managed to sleep right through!
Rob and Frances on Alia Vita who we hooked up with in Savusavu arrived at midday, they also had a bumpy ride and motored the entire way. We asked them to join us at the Fijian evening at the Resort. The resort has got really busy and many more boats have arrived. There were 5 boats when we arrived and now there are about 12, at least 3 or 4 are on the Oyster World Rally. Oyster is a very fancy British boat manufactured in Suffolk. We had 4 on our World Arc rally, and in Whangarei we had an Oyster in front and behind us, bizarrely both had male owners who had died of heart attacks, the one in front had been sold on and the one behind us was still for sale!
We met the owner of the resort at the bar, a very unassuming Australian guy. We complimented him on his friendly staff and he said it is just the way the Fijians on this island are. The resort has made Yachties so welcome, when you sign in they set up a tab for you, they do laundry, provisioning shopping and have a little bakery on site. Chatting to the other guests from all around the world, this place is a diving mecca, it is what people come for. We have booked in tomorrow morning, a snorkel at Rainbow reef, on the other side of the bay.
The Fijian evening started with a Kava ceremony, this is the slightly hallucinogenic drink they make from the roots of a special plant. It gets crushed into powder and then water is added. We all got a little bowl to sample, not a pleasant drink and certainly didn’t have any dramatic effect. Or maybe I just did not notice after a couple of G&T’s and some wine! There was a lot of convivial camaraderie amongst the staff, it seemed as if they were really having a good time too. Lots of singing and guitar playing, with some dancing at the end.
Rain filled skies and rainbows
The rain water in JeldiJeldi
Kava making!
Rowan Cava drinking
Resort dog checking out the dancers!
Rob and Frances
Very happy!
A little boy nearly stole the show from the two grass skirt dancers
We are devastated by the dramatic impact of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean. Rowan has been in touch with the lovely Alison who ran the Paradise Beach Bar in Cariacou, she was legendary in the cruising world. Below are pictures of us at the bar in 2022 with friends and then photos of what is left today. We also contacted Romeo, of Romeo and Juliet, who did our beach feasts at the Tobago Cays. His home has been demolished on Union island. So terribly sad for all of them, such a big hurricane so early in the season. Scary stuff!
The Crickmore’s with us at Paradise bar in 2022
Today what is left
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