The Life in Fiji (2007.12.24 - 2008.01.01)

The sixth week (Translated by Laszlo AA7UY)

2007.12.24 (day 456)

Bused into town in the morning. (0.75 FD), interneted for 3 hours (3 FD), then had lunch (corn - 0.5 FD; banana – 1 FD; roti – 1 FD).

Afterwards went shopping for an engine part. Firstly at two service stations (Dan’s Outboard, OffShore Marine), but I couldn’t find the main shaft, then walked over to the Yamaha service, but they were missing the Yamaha 8B catalog. In other words perhaps will order one this week.

Afternoon walked from Lautoka to a village called Banaras. Max’s cousin, Ruben was a defining experience for me and could talk with Titus fairly well, so I spent part of the afternoon with them again.

Evening time bused back to the marina (0.75 FD). Met with Bobby and his younger brother on the terrace of First Landing. Bobby has been writing two books for years, so we have a common theme: books.

Around 9 in the evening we taxied into town (3 FD/each), where we attended 3 parties. In Lautoka all parties begin at the Cave, then we went to yet two other Indian places. Shindig and dancing. Today all places closed before 1.

2007.12.25 (day 457)

Got up early, and in the morning chewed the rag with a couple of buddies in the forenoon. Then around noon went to the beach to catch crabs and shoot some fish. Alas my flippers were left in Carina, so I wasn’t fast enough for the fishes. However, snorkeled pleasantly for 3 hours. Lunch: canned tuna and biscuits. Afternoon after 5 p.m. I fell asleep while reading, so missed the barbecue of the sailor community. Jo came to my ship at 11, by then I was awake again. The security people invited me for dinner (pork stew Fiji style with rice), ate my holiday dinner ashore from a table. Thank you.

2007.12.26 (day 458)

Harvested about 2 kg of papayas on my way to the main thoroughfare, Queen Road. Then bused to Tavua, then, before Rariraki spent the forenoon on a beach and early afternoon.

Got acquainted with Seru, a detective, who told me about Tavua. Here lives the oldest person in Fiji, a 105 year old Indian man. The town was fairly quiet because today also is a holiday, so the beach was pretty quiet as well. Talked with a few people. The people are very easy going. Ate the usual Fiji pastries for breakfast: 1.6 FD.

Travel expenses: 10 FD

Shopping for food: 4 FD

Returned to the marina in the afternoon. Jerry, a local buddy gave me some mangoes, three different kinds yet. So I had fruit day today. The good news is that Hans gave me a 30 cm long 21 mm inside diameter aluminum pipe, that I couldn’t find in the whole town even after a several day search. You can find almost everything in Hans’ iron ship. A very kind sailor, always ready to help.

Then talked with Sam briefly, though sometimes he’s tiring to me, but I’m polite.

Evening: DVD watching at the Yacht Club.

2007.12.27 (day 459)

Writing all morning, then afternoon went to Lautoka to shop and to internet briefly.

Bus ticket: 0.75 FD, internet 2 hrs: 2 FD, Fish & Chips: 1 FD, fried cassava: 1.6 FD, Roti: 1 FD;

Fruit drink: 0.2 FD; 2 Large beers: 6.2 FD

Afternoon: taught Jo, the crew of Mon_ki how to use the GPS, then in the evening he came over and we had dinner: scrambled eggs with biscuits. He has no gas bottle in his ship. The story of Mon_ki also is very interesting. Drug smugglers used it from South America, but because the Interpol also was looking for this ship, the smugglers changed ships and set this one adrift on the sea. Found by the Fiji Coast Guard, they then later sold it to this New Zealand farmer. The ship is in pretty bad shape, but basically there are no major problems in the iron ship, nor is more serious rusting. Will continue the crews instruction tomorrowJ

Evening: started to read Michael Crighton’s book Prey.

2007.12.28 (day 460)

Morning: built a tent to protect Carina from the sun. Not too sturdy but I like it.

Then edited pages for my book and collected the thoughts that should be clarified by myself.

My mast got bent and deformed and am now planning how to bend it back. Hans had a few good ideas in connection with this. I.e. we should put something inside to strengthen it, and make sure it won’t break.

For example: a PVC pipe filled with polyurethane foam. That’s a light and strong construction. Up to now I had many problems with the mast during my voyage. If this mast filling is successful, perhaps there won’t be any more problems with it. Earlier I got an aluminum pipe from Hans that I’ll secure to the outside of the cross-tree for strengthening.

The rudder blade also isn’t in good shape, I’ll have to think that out too, whether it’s worth fixing and if so: how. It looks as if the part repaired in St. Lucia were rusting again, the acid resistant piece welded to it isn’t too good, in other words suspicious.

Shopping:

Canned tuna: 0.78 FD

Frozen vegetables: 1.56 FD

Soup noodles: 0.4 FD

Beer: 3.5 FD

Dinner: rice with vegetables and tuna fish. Jo brought the canned beef and I cooked in Carina. We ate in Mon_ki’s deck because of rain, then drank beer.

Evening went to Lautoka to party with Philipe, Marianna, Tony and the others. To the Cave naturally.

There weren’t too many people tonight, but there was an unbelievable shindig as always. The place closed at 1 and I slept at a buddy’s in the house occupied by police, in other words: in securityJ

2007.12.29 (day 461)

Morning: curry chicken in town, 3.5 FD, then bused back to the marina.

My foot hurts badly, it’s got infected again in a spot and the sandals kept irritating it continuously. So I started to take Dalacin (300mg clinamycin, 4x1), recommended by Adri and put betadin on it too. This is a constant problem with me, I don’t know how I could avoid it in the future. So today there is no work, only it’s planning and organizing, because it’s better to rest it and keep it clean.

Jo came in the morning, his boss keeps calling him on my phone, the owner of Mon_ki. So he sat here all morning and we talked.

My foot isn’t getting better, could be that I have to go to the hospital. Of course I have no insurance…

Got a 12V fan from a neighboring sailor that made existence in the cabin bearable.

Afternoon talked with Navi and the others on the beach, but I didn’t go partying, drinking today because my foot is in very bad shape.

Ate couscous for dinner with canned chicken. My foot hurts plenty and rested it all evening in the ship and was reading.

2007.12.30 (day 462)

My sis’ is 30 years old today. Happy B’day Bogi!

Breakfast yesterday’s leftovers. My foot hurts I can only walk with difficulty. Before noon I stayed in the ship and read, then interneted in the afternoon at the café and copied music. I have new music:

Edit Piaf, Brell and other less well known French chansons from the 30-40s years and I finally got Elvis too.

Later I was treated with herbal medicine by local buddies.

When I walked through– this is an exaggeration – limped through the harbor, everybody gave advice. In other words I’m full of healing methods!

Shopping:

frozen vegetables: 1.5 FD

0.5 kg onions: 1.05 FD

12 eggs: 3.95 FD

1 pineapple drink: 1.6 FD

ice cream: 0.7 FD

Ate couscous with vegetables, eggs and onions. New recipe, new invention, but not good, I don’t recommend it to anyone. I ate it though.

My foot hurt all night, stayed in the ship, reading, then tried to sleep.

I’ll quit taking Dalacin because it’s worthless.

Nathan and Maggie wrote e-mail, they’re fine, again back in England. Arrived with their ship in Australia in November, now they’re trying to sell if for 400,000 pounds. We’ve met in Colon back in April. It isn’t rare that I receive e-mail from a sailor some months after a forgotten meeting. Of course I too write an occasional e-mail sometimes.

2007.12.31 (day 463)

Got up at 4, talked on the phone with the family at 4:30. Then tried neting, but here the WLAN kept breaking up, so didn’t connect as usual.

Soaking my foot in warm soapy salt water based on Nick’s suggestion. Elias keeps changing the water, I can hardly move.

In the morning went to Nandi with bus and hitchhiking then walked to the hospital there. The antibiotic and hospital cost 20 FD, they gave me a card too, I was registered into the system. In Nandi they charge 30 FD at the private clinics, that doesn’t include the price of the medicine. The locals get free medical services, but they also have to pay for the medicine. There are long lines in the hospitals, third world conditions…

Afterward I lunched in town at the largest local eatery: potatoes with sausage 2 FD.

After a short walk I bused to Banaras, where I spent 4 hours with the Rubens.

Afterwards ate the earlier bought Indian sweets 1.5 FD)

Around 5 in the afternoon I got acquainted with Punam and one or two Indians, drank coffee with them until 9 p.m. then bused back to the marina. I didn’t want to strain my foot any longer, I could hardly walk even as it was. It’s too swollen.

Dinner in Lautoka:

Fried potatoes with fried sausage (2 FD)

Fried potatoes and fried chicken: (3 FD)

Around 11 in the evening I looked into the Yacht Club, but the party was very boring so went back to the ship to rest and treat my foot (antibiotic ointment).

2008.01.01 (day 464)

Reading all day, afternoon I soaked my foot in salt water, perhaps it helps.

Ate a soup for lunch (0.4 FD)

Alas the internet isn’t OK at the marina. So I had to go to town again. Asco didn’t call me either about the engine shaft. It’s fairly difficult to organize it here.

Dinner: scrambled eggs with biscuits.

Evening: watched Bobby’s DVDs.