Paradise?
Storyteller
Mon 6 Jul 2009 05:02
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Position 16.26S 179.56W
We have been fortunate to be able to visit some of
the most beautiful and bays and anchorages in the Caribbean and South Pacific
and while I generally resist the temptation to rank them Albert Cove on the Fiji
island of Rambi has to be close to the top of the list. It have everything
....crystal clear water, white sandy beach, fringing palms and deep green
vegetation on jagged inland peaks, very good snorkelling and spectacular
coral. Three generations of four families live on the shore and after
presenting kava to the head man we were officially welcomed and invited to use
the beach and the bay. With enough good books and plenty of beer and wine we
could easily spend a couple of weeks here. However, Grant and Sue who have been
with us for the last week fly from Savusavu to Nadi on Thursday to attend an
Indian wedding so we'll leave here tomorrow morning.
We made the 80 mile trip from
Savusavu, stopping off at two anchorages on the way. Navigation through the
extensive coral reefs has been challenging. Surfing into a 70
metre wide dog-legged channel with large following seas breaking on the coral
either side is exciting Surprisingly, we are finding that the Navionic
charts we are using on our plotter are accurate to about 5 metres. In one bay on
the way here the anchor had barely touched the bottom when the local chief
appeared in a smart looking fibreglass dinghy with a new outboard..a present
from the Chinese who have established a small fish farm in the bay We
invited him on board for tea and biscuits and the kava presentation. Formal
permission was then given for us to visit the village and fish in the bay.
During the ceremony the generator shut down when a huge jellyfish was sucked
into the raw water intake. We then realised that the bay was full of these
blue and brown monsters. This charming old man had excellent English and
keen to talk about his village and their traditional way of life. He has
seven children and takes the bus to Savusavu each week so he can go to an
interenet cafe and use skipe to speak to one of his sons who is a fireman in Los
Angeles.
Next weekend we will start working our way SW
through the islands toward Musket Cove where we will meet up with Paddy, Sally,
Sid and Quincy and Marg and Rob Bucket.
Cheers, John
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