Snorkeling with Manta Rays

Bula.  This is the video that our buddy Riki from sv Guava Jelly took when we all went snorkeling with Manta Rays in Manta Ray Bay.  It was an incredible experience - we snorkeled with the current and the manta rays came straight at us against the current.  Freaked me out the first time, since they are 3 times bigger than I am.  At the last moment before contact - the manta ray swam underneath me.  Just magical!

A jam-packed week at Waya Island, Yasawa’s, Fiji

A week ago, we cast off our lines and sailed off to the Yasawa Islands.  These islands were made famous by Brook Shield's remake of Blue Lagoon.

Doing the blog while at sea (how cool is technology????)

The day-long crossing was a perfect sail…just like you read about in the magazines.  To top it off, as we approached Waya Island we couldn’t believe the beautiful volcanic scenery.

Sailing In

Once all four of us (buddy boats…Sidewinder, Guava Jelly and Helena) all anchored we had a quiet night.  The following day was Sunday, and unfortunately we couldn’t attend the church service as we had not presented ourselves to the Chief yet, due to the fact that we arrived too late on Saturday.  Once all the wonderful singing was over, we knew we could head to town to pay our respects and ask permission from the Chief for us to stay in their magical spot.

Peter making fresh bundles of Sevusevu (Kava root) which we give to the Chief

The village

Heading in to see the Chief and his family

After Sevusevu was accepted we were  welcomed to his island to hike, fish, snorkel and be his guests in every way.

The adorable kids hamming it up

More kids

Young girl on swing (missing our grandchildren – big time!)

Following this ceremony, we all went for a walk across the Island to Octopus Island Resort.

Peter and I on the beautiful Waya Island Beach

Suzie, David and Peter walking along the beach (notice David’s traditional Fijian skirt to show respect to the villagers)

Fishing boats at low tide

 Peter on the bridge along the hike

Coconut Bar at Octopus Island Resort – great place to refresh for the return walk

View over the bay

Resting atop the hill 
(note Riki's traditional Fijian skirt as well as David's as shown earlier)

Peter on path with the view of the ocean on the other side of the island

View across bay to the peaks

Pigs wandering all around following Peter

The village has a population of about 400, consisting of two clans who co-mingle.  This is a successful, productive village, as almost 95% of the adults  work at the Octopus Resort – plus they all fish.  The village is totally self-sustaining with the exception of flour for bread, which is brought over from the mainland. 

The kids attend kindergarten on the Island (ages 4,5,6,7).  They then go to primary school on the opposite side of the island.  Up until about 5 years ago the kids had to make the 5 hour trek home on Friday after school and then do it again on Sunday to be back at school.  Because the village is now wealthier, they have purchased fishing boats and the kids are now taken by sea (one hour each way).

The village owns all the land, but they welcome tourists.  We took the necessary guide and paid approximately $10 per person for a very strenuous, but awesome,  all day hike to the top of the peak. 

Boats below the highest peak which we would climb

 Starting on our trek

At the mid-way station overlooking the peninsula with Tico, our guide in the foreground

Peter and I having a pit stop mid way up the hill

Looking out over the Yasawa’s

Almost there 

There was a group ahead of us (as you can see from the picture atop the peak).  We made our final ascent (which was pretty intense – I left my walking stick, and camera below the final rocks we had to shimmy up – so no pictures from the very top.)  At the end of the hike, we stopped and enjoyed a fresh water waterfall and surrounding pools.

Peter and I enjoying the waterfall

That evening we invited Tico (our guide) and his girlfriend Heather over for a Kava evening.  Kava is an alcoholic drink that the Fijians drink in massive quantities.  This was a first on QuickStar and we loved hosting our boating friends  for this special occasion.  All of us got a little buzz and some numbing of our face.  Everyone slept well afterwards!

Peter bringing Tico, Heather and Suzie to the boat

Making Kava

The coconut drinking bowls

Peter gets the first drink as the host

Riki and Tiko playing guitar

Peter & Di  serving our guests

We got a jam session going (Peter and I played dried goat balls – not kidding)

 Every day that we were there this past week, we went snorkeling.  It was some of the best snorkeling we’ve done for quite a while.  Thousands of fish and really bright live corals.  We only dragged ourselves out of the water when we got too water-logged. 

The next afternoon David caught a large Spanish mackerel, so David and Suzie invited all of us aboard Sidewinder for a pot luck fish feast.

David’s fish

Peter and David on Sidewinder for dinner

The final day before leaving all the boats went to the freshwater pools to wash their clothes.  We felt rather decadent doing our laundry with our washing machine on board (at least for a moment anyway).  Later we dinghyed over to the fresh water pools to check them out.

Cool cloud formations above the peaks

 

Walking in to the fresh water pools

Peter in a waterfall

Di swimming in the water holes.

We cast off yesterday morning and headed to the world famous Manta Ray Bay.

Riki dropping anchor (Ricki is a solo sailor aboard Guava Jelly –                              and sorry gals – he’s taken!)

Last night after we went to the Manta Ray resort for Happy Hour and pizza, we were all invited to Helena (Glenda and Eddy’s boat) for homemade beer.  Glenda is from Venezuela, and she got all of us up dancing doing the Mamba and Salsa (which wasn’t an easy task on a rolling boat – but way too much fun!)

This morning will be a definite life-time memory.  We swam with giant Manta Rays.  I’m still just so pumped about it.  Truly an amazing event.   I’ll report back on this next week, as I will be getting photos from Riki.  We are heading to his boat tonight for sun-downers and to look at his under water photos.

We don’t have internet access, but Peter & I will head in to the resort and see if we can get online there so I can post this blog and to take care of any business that may need attending to.  Thanks for coming along for the journey.

Until next week…..

On the road again....

Keeping watch

Another week has flown by, while we’ve tried to cram as much as we could into it.  At the end of last week there was still lots of rain and windy conditions.  

During a rain storm

Monday morning the storm had abated and we were treated to a week of normal beautiful Fijian weather.

The gazebo off Musket Cove Resort

Our friends Dave and Suze from Sidewinder, and solo sailor Riki Bailey aboard Guava Jelly joined us at Musket Cove.  Riki brought over two new-found friends who were holidaying in Fiji...Christi and Greg from Seattle.  They rented a lovely 2 bedroom full kitchenette/living room cottage right on the lagoon.   This meant that all of us were able to visit them via dinghy.  Too cool! 

View of their cottage from dock

They kindly hosted us all for cocktails.

Suze &David from Sidewinder

We followed that up with a barbeque at the Island Bar.

The next day was a beautiful day to tour around the island and take in the incredible 360 degree view from the top of the hill.

An overview from the top of the hill.   

The lagoon cottages in the forefront are where Greg and Christi stayed
 

Walking through the golf course

Love the “honour system” for the golf course

Beautiful day to be out walking (sans Peter)

The pool at Musket Cove Resort

Heading back to the boats

The following day will always be one of those “special” memories.  David and Suze took all of us out in their boat to watch the World Surf Championship at the famous Cloudbreak (reputably one of the top 10 surf areas in the world).  

Riki and Peter working hard!

A lousy picture of the famous wave

The rescue boats at the ready

Judges tower

The brand new “floating bar/restaurant aptly named Cloudbreak

 This new bar can hold up to about 100 people and is close to the surf site, with snorkeling right outside the door.  It will be interesting to see how well this does as it is about $250 a day just to get a ride out to it, spend the day and get a ride back.  While you are there you buy your drinks and food.  They are targeting this for wedding groups, reunions and any tourists that want a taste of something really different.

Enroute we saw lots of turtles, and as we were motoring in to the viewing area, we were escorted by a pod of spinner dolphins who played in the bow wake.  Throughout the afternoon we were treated to not only an exciting surf competition, but the dolphins kept coming back again and again to show-off.

My pictures are pretty lame, but Riki took lots with his telescopic lens, so I’ll post them next week.   I will spoil you though with a taste of one of his photographs.

Shot by Riki Bailey (wow)

 Stay tuned for more of his amazing photography next week.

We had ordered some boat parts from Canada and they arrived, so we returned to Vuda Point Marina to pick them up.  We spent three days playing at the marina, getting groceries and installing the new parts.  We got lazy and went out for dinner both nights with Greg and Christi who had returned to the mainland resort.

Christi and Peter onboard QuickStar for Happy Hour

 Last night the bar had a two piece Reggae Band that truly sounded just like Bob Marley, especially since he sang all his songs.  Peter and I enjoyed dancing while maneuvering around coconut trees and the supports that hold up the roof of the bar. 

The view from QuickStar at sunset

As I am writing this, we are sailing out to the Yasawa Islands for the next 2 or 3 weeks.  We are having a beautiful sail with about 15 knots of an aft- quarterly breeze. (Listening to Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond - You don't love me anymore) This is my favourite point of sail, with minimal heeling and a following sea.  It just doesn’t get much better than this.

Until next week…..
P.S.  It is now blowing 25 knots - Peter is in his element and we are flying! (Plus we are now listening to Lucinda Williams - Peter's favourite singer.)