Life in Fiji

The fifth week                       (12.18-12.23 Translated by Laszlo, AA7UY)

 

2007.12.18 (day 450)

 

Sometimes I talk to myself which I consider normal, but not so by everybody. Practicing Hungarian a little and swearing in Hungarian is better J

 

Got up early in the morning and didn’t do anything. There’s no Net, everything is wet from yesterday’s rain and there are too many mosquitoes. So, I was packing things away in the ship.

 

Lunch: canned fish with rice.

 

I was hanging out and talking with sailors and locals all day.

P.M.: we drank some beers.

 

Talking with sailors after 7, they’re organizing Christmas get-together in a small local village that I’ve already been to. It’d also be expensive so I’ll skip it.

 

Watched DVDs in the evening.

 

2007.12.19 (day 451)

 

Bused into town at 7:30 in the morning (bus ticket 1 FD) to net. 1 hour costs 1 FD next to the movie house, though not too fast but good enough for e-mails. (20 machines are using 1 modem).

8:30-12:30 neting.

Uploading yacht-log and pictures to the Page. Then I tried to answer some letters.

Lunch:

1 churry roti 0.8 FD

Fish & Chips (much larger fish in this restaurant) 2 FD

Walked in town, then I met an acquaintance (Bem), which gave me a free lift to Vuda Point, from where I hitchhiked to the marina.

 

Rained in the afternoon, so I couldn’t work much around Carina though there’d be plenty to do. Helped Bobby to alter his electrical system in his ship, we installed a 220V-110V converter and changed some connectors from USA to NZ standard.

Then we drank some wine.

In the evening I resumed composing my book.

 

2007.12.20 (day 452) 

 

Got up at 10 and started planning after a quick coffee. Washing, drying and packing sails. Started patching the old Genoa. Scraped and re-painted the solar panel holding fixture because the paint has peeled off in places. Paint also peeled off the starboard seat in a few places in the cockpit, re-painted that as well.

 

Early afternoon went to talk with Melli to ask when the WLAN net will be good, but alas he said nothing encouraging.

 

Have been looking for aluminum stock for weeks now to repair the cross-tree (21 mm ID), but was unable to find any so far. Also talked about this with Brian and Moroua.

 

 

Then shopping in the store:

12 eggs           3.95 FD

can of tuna       0.79 FD

1 liter soft drink 1.2 FD

  Ice cream      0.35 FD

 

Lunch: scrambled eggs with biscuits.

 

Bobby helped me to redraft 1 - 2 English language letters. Then we dined on curry chicken together and had some beers in his ship.

 

In the evening composing and writing 1 - 2 chapters for my book.

 

2007.12.21 (day 453)

 

Morning:

Gluing the Genoa

Painting the solar panel’s frame

Painting the cockpit and side slat.

 

Lunch: scrambled eggs, crackers

 

P.M.:

Disassembled the motor: the main shaft is broken. Talked a lot with Gerry about how to procure a used one.

 

Dinner: beef, biscuits

 

Had some drinks in my ship with Joe, (Captain of Monki, a 28 ton iron hulled charter ship), then later with Bobby and another Joe ashore. Then with the barman (Phil) the waitress (Marianna) and later at night went with Bobby to Lautoka to party. 

We saw neither white men nor tourists as usual. First into the Cave then to the Zoo. Dance and party! The Cave is a more dangerous place, the Police came several times, there were a few serious fights and there was quite a bit blood on the ground 1 – 2 places.

 

Of course all night-clubs close at 1, and bused back to the marina after a short street party (microbus 4-5 FD).

 

2007.12.22 (day 454)

 

Got up before 8 in the morning.

 

Finished gluing the Genoa and put it away. Sail project finished.

Also completed painting cockpit and side slat.

 

Spoke with several people and also with a repair shop, which has a lot of used parts and he said he has one like mine. Will visit his place next week.

 

Early afternoon in the bar I talked with Phil, Ana and Mike, invited them for a beer. Mike spent 30 years in the Navy in England then 5 years in New Zealand as commander. Nowadays I’m collecting good stories, so I had plenty of notes to take.

 

Stella Rosa (65 feet): Australian solo sailor in his 60’s, who has an aggressive dog.  Left the harbor today along with another cement (hulled) ship. They’ll spend Christmas on another smaller island.

 

Then talked with Max in the afternoon also went to see his cousin and had some beers. He also gave me a medal. His cousin is a very interesting man and he invited me to call on him again. The theme was Bob Marly J))

 

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay long because I had to go to Zaki, his youngest son had his first birthday party.  I was the photographer who came a little late L

 

Here the first and 21st Birthday parties are the greatest. These times the whole family gets together, even the neighbors come over. Evening: drinking kava, music and talking. The kava was very strong, so everybody got loaded quickly. There’s no Godfather, but Name Giving Father here, whose duties are similar to that of the Godfather. He too was there then the mood got elevated like on holidays. Midnight supper “washed the kava down” with beer.

 

2007.12.23 (day 455)

 

Got up at 7 in the morning, one of Zaki’s sons slept next to me, but edged me out completely. It rained all day, so the morning went by slowly. Total calm, the apex of doing nothing.

Morning coffee and biscuits, then we cooked lunch.

Peeling dalo, then played with the kids all morning.

 

The Sunday holiday lunch:

Chicken soup, chicken with pineapple, potatoes and dalo.

 

Then watched a DVD: Batman. A short siesta then Zaki loaned me an umbrella, so I walked back to town, then by bus to Vuda Point and hitchhiked to the marina.

 

Pasted an ad on the marina’s wall that I’d like to go to New Zealand, perhaps I can find a sailboat. Though it is hard to find a ship from the middle of December. Rewi Kemp whom I was supposed to go to NZ with, won’t sail after all, perhaps in January….

 

Dinner: scrambled eggs with biscuits.