Life in Fiji.

(Fourth week). (12.10–17 Translated by Laszlo AA7UY)

2007.12.10 (day 442)

Cockroach and black beetle are the same kind of bug:

According to Brehm:

“They can also catch them with beer. Set pans on the ground with beer in them so that the cockroaches can access them easily. They’re rushing to the pans for the beer smell, but they get drunk or drown in it.”

Got up at 7 in the morning, breakfast (scrambled eggs) then shower.

(Morning shopping: 1 liter of milk, 6 eggs – 3.5 FD)

Worked on Bruce’s ship from 8 to 16 with Meli and Vani. We scraped off the old lacquer layer (blew hot air on it), also used sandpaper to clean the wooden parts of the ship. It was a lot of work, very tiring, the bruises on my hands are full of sawdust (gloves didn’t help), couldn’t feel my hands near the end of it. In addition the heat: although I’m used to the hot sun, it’s summer here now and it’s even hotter!!

Invited a ship’s captain in the evening for corn porridge because he was born in Romania (Transylvania) but immigrated to the United States in the 70’s. So common themes: Transylvania and the schnapps.

Watching movies in the Yacht club from 7 p.m., then talked with the locals, (There wasn’t any net).

2007.12.11 (day 443)

Got up at 6:30 in the morning.

Again purchased cockroach killer for 9.5 FD

Then spoke with “focus”, Czakó József over the phone J

Talked with a captain, with whom I’d go to New Zealand, but he’s got work to do here yet.

He is a naval architect and has problems with one of his ships. Start on Thursday.

In general, I don’t remember names, so I call everybody captain – it became another style J

Its disadvantage: if there are several then everybody looks at me J

A.M.

Put things away and killed some cockroaches. It’s hard to get rid of them because new ones fly in if I leave the door open.

Re-installed the starboard middle railing with two larger wood screws, after stuffing with polystyrene and drilling with a small bit. (There’s a through bolt as well but the other two are woodscrews – no place for nuts).

Glued some polyfoam to the edges of the radar reflector, so that they won’t cut the sails in the future. (with contact cement).

Ate nothing during the day, I wasn’t hungry, had fried eggs with biscuits for dinner.

Watched DVDs in the evening (Perfect Stranger, Fracture, Hotel Rwanda), then wanted to net but alas it wasn’t working.

2007.12.12 (day 444)

Got up at 6:30 in the morning and went to town after a quick coffee. Luckily Bruce gave me a lift with his car, he even took me to a place where they sell aluminum tubing. There wasn’t any in the correct size of course (need 20 mm i.d. for the crosstree). Then found one almost perfect at another place and they gave me a short piece to try it with (Better Boat).

Bussed to the town of Ba (2 FD), looked around town, bought an automatic fuse for 10.50 FD (was using the spare since Moorea), and 2 rolls of insulating tape (0.55 FD each).

Then looked around at the marketplace, where I drank coffee and talked about life with two old men.

Breakfast and lunch: Indian sweets, cookies 1.60 FD.

Started out to the village of Navala by bus (2 FD) on a dirt road with steep inclines, we made slow progress. Navala is a traditional village, with traditional houses only. Very beautiful!! The entrance fee was 25 FD. There was a guide too, Josef who was pretty well illuminated from the much kava. Even so, he perfectly explained everything.

Suggested link:

http://www.pacific-travel-guides.com/

Fiji Visitors Bureau: http://www.bulafiji.com/

www.ttf.com.fj

Later a car took me back to the town of Ba.

Dinner: fish with coconut sauce and kasava for 3.5 FD (traditional Fiji meal)

Then went back to Lautoka by bus, the ticket cost 2 FD, from there back to Vuda Point (0.95 FD), then walk to the Marina with Adam (Morua’s son) and Jerry (Evening shift of Total Gaz security).

Evening: movie at the Yacht Club, again, no Internet today unfortunately, so I watched 2 DVDs (Wallace & Gromit, Flushed away).

2007.12.13 (day 445)

A.M.

Glued the radar reflector, railing repairs.

Finally interneted 1 hour.

Helped Ana to put her correspondence system in order J

Lunch: millets and half a can of tuna

P.M.

Hans gave me some material for sail patches. Then talked with the buddies and drank beer.

Bobby’s webpage (ocean sailor), a pal in the harbor:

http://www.barraveigh.com/

Writes articles in the Escape Artist Travel Magazine:

http://www.escapeartist.com/

http://www.escapeartist.com/Travel_Mag/Issues/09/EAT09.html

In the evening drank some beer with Billy, from a local neighboring village.

Then watched loaned DVDs at night: Spartan, The numbar23

2007.12.14 (day446)

Neted early morning, in reality I was only trying to, because it was very slow.

A.M.

Replaced the hinges on 2 beds.

Lunch: soup

P.M.

Re-glued the side-slat.

Evening went to have some fun in Nandi with Bobby and a few other locals, looked at all the good shinding places, and danced/had some fun until 1. All party places close then. Then come policemen and soldiers, turn on all the lights and “the party is over”, they help you to leave the club J

2007.12.15 (day 447)

I was wondering if I should suspend writing the log. There isn’t much to say/write. Well, there would be some, but nowadays it’s harder for me to do. I’ll try to continue, because I think it’s important to register the day’s happenings, even if it is a little similar here in “Paradise”.

The “bed project” is finished, replaced the hinges on three beds, the ones on the fourth one haven’t broken yet.

Started to repair the main sail, this also will take several days. (Gluing patches on it with contact cement, may even sew it around).

Lunch: soup.

Drank some beers in the evening with Mes, the gardener.

2007.12.16 (day 448)

A.M.

Painted the cockpit, it peeled of in a few places.

Lunch: millets and pork patties (Biopont)

P.M.

Gluing sails.

Later Bobby cut off my beard. I feel very funny.

We drank some beer with Bobby at the Club, then at the First Landing Resort. There they held a crab race for the tourists, we looked at it too, it was terribly boring. Then Nils and his girlfriend, from Denmark, invited us for a bunch of beers and we got stuck there. Night swimming in the pool.

Dinner: millets with cocoa powder and sugar.

2007.12.17 (day 449)

Bused to Lautoka in the morning. (ticket 1 FD).

Shopping:

10 FD Drill set (a few broke again)

12 FD Lacquer

11 FD Contact cement

Then went to a local village called Abaca and the Koroyanitu National Park. Beautiful view to the islands of Mamanuca and Yasawa, forest, waterfall, swimming in the river…(see pictures). Because I went alone I got a “little” lost sometimes, and fell off a ridge as well, although my leg didn’t break I’m walking with a limp. So this was a long 2 hour tour. (Found a large tick on my leg in the evening that I removed).

Koryanitu National Park

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/pacific/fiji?poi=103608

http://fijiguide.com/Recreation/trek.html

http://asiarooms.com/travel-guide/fiji/fiji-parks-&-gardens/koroyanitu-national-heritage-park-in-fiji.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/national-trust-of-fiji

Expenses:

8 FD park entry

32 FD transfer fee (negotiated down from 50 FD)

(If I’d gone there organized the expenses would’ve been 108 FD)

Lunch in town.

1.5 FD fish & chips

0.8 FD meat pie

0.2 FD fresh fruit drink

0.5 FD corn on the cob

P.M. walked over to see Lautoka’s carneval, a week lasting party lasting from past Saturday to Saturday. Then back to Lautoka (0.75 FD bus ticket). The bus tickets are cheaper since I cut my beard because I can negotiate better J

Couldn’t work around the ship because it was raining all afternioon.

No movies in the evening either because it rained, and, ;as usual, there was no net!! L

Hindu language lesson (official language, 44% of the population are Indians):

Rámrám – Good morning!

Námásté – Good day!

Dhané vád - Thank you

Hám tumsé Byar kátáré – I love you!