Lautoka
Spindrift
David Hersey
Tue 14 Oct 2008 05:32
14/10/08 Lautoka
Well I’m not quite certain how a container port can creep up on you like a
noontime nap…. We arrived late afternoon after a stop at Beachcomber
Island which turns out to be full of young people who stay up drinking
until 4AM every night and sleep all day to recover, There are a few
having a Happy Face parasail ride...and a few others walking about the
beach in a daze…..
Having arrived at our delicious container port we were really pleased to
discover that as we didn’t have a pass from customs we couldn’t leave the
boat. Andit waas too late to get one, so we ate on board. This morning we
got our pass and went to town to for a few more provisions and a quick
look. The way in is dominated by a huge sugar mill with dozens of local
lorries waiting their turn to unload the sugar cane. It can’t be a
sensible way to work…going through the gate in both directions no one
actually wanted to see the pass. The customs clearance took 5 minutes but
they couldn’t find an immigration officer and when they did, an hour and a
half later, he couldn’t find his stamp. Ahh, Fiji Time, we know it well….