Month: July 2022

Bula Bula Boatbloggers ®

We had a couple of weeks to get to Vuda which is where are going to moor the boat (thats park it for you landlubbers) while Lyn goes back to England to see baby Magnus and Orson not to mention Rory, Joe and Alice. So we thought we would call in at some of the islands on the way back from the Lau Islands.

This was where they filmed Castaway. 

We looked out for Wilson, but no matter how much we shouted his name, “Wilson! WILSON!!” he was gone.

We couldn’t stop at some of the islands because they are filming the TV series of Survivor here, and given that the contestants are supposed to be marooned on an deserted island with nothing to eat apart from what they catch with their bare hands, the producers thought it might not be too good if there were people supping cocktails on a yacht in the background.

But the ones we could stop at were well worth it.

The snorkelling is fabulous,

…though you have to watch out for sea snakes,

…which are ten times more poisonous than a cobra. Though apparently they never bite people. But that didn’t stop Ju from climbing over Lyn to get back on the boat.

The beaches are deserted.

Eventually we arrived at Musket Cove where we were offered Lifetime Membership of the Yacht Club, which is only available to the most elite of sailors – the ones who sailed here from a foreign port. Which is basically everyone here.

Our steering was starting to give us problems, but once again Troels and Karsten on Atreju came to the rescue and got it all working again. 

We are going to miss Atreju when they head off ahead of us to Vanuatu and beyond. And not just because they keep on mending our boat! They are great people to spend time with. And they have an uncanny ability to find the local speakeasy on islands where alcohol is forbidden.

They are very thirsty on Atreju…

We just stuck to the Thali’s.

Not bad for four quid!

Lyn wanted to look good before she went back, and there was just time to go to the local beauty centre for a cleansing mud bath, and a dip in the hot springs.

There were four pools to dip in to clean the mud off which got progressively hotter as you went round, starting at bath temperature and then going up to boiled lobster, all followed by a nice massage.

But by the time you read this, Lyn will be back in England.

So its Moce from Ju and it’s bye bye from Lyn.

But before we go, did you know you can get pink bananas?

Amazing!

Bula Bula Boatblog ® Fans,

In Fiji, even the plants are welcoming.

Our last instalment left you just as we had arrived at The Bay of Islands in Vanua Balavu which is the main island in the Lau Group. It is all very remote and stunningly beautiful, and we were the only boat there. 

Well almost – our friends on Atreju were in the bay round the corner which was nice – but apart from that we had The Bay of Islands to ourselves.

We stayed a few days there and then went round to the other side of the island, eventually ending up in a little village called Susui. 

Fortunately for us, the day the we arrived there was an important festival going on. The roving church minister was coming to the island and they were all looking forward to hearing The Word of God. As part of the preparations for his arrival, they had arranged an enormous feast, and Domini and Atreju were lucky enough to be invited. They asked us to dress for dinner, so using some of Lyn’s sarongs we improvised a traditional sulu, which is the Fijian skirt that the men wear for special occasions.

The feast was mostly fish caught that day or freshly harvested taro and coconut,

…all cooked in an underground earth oven.

It was absolutely delicious,

… though we were a little squeamish about eating the turtle.

The next day Jacob who is one of the village elders, said he would take us out on an oyster hunt.

The oysters grow on the mangroves and you have to dive under the roots and then whack them off with a hammer.

To the untrained eye, they are almost impossible to see.

But with a bit of perseverance,

…and a lot of help from Jacob,

…it wasn’t long before we had a bucketful of oysters.

Add some lime juice and bongo chilli and you have a really delicious slap up meal. 

Even for an oyster-phobe like Ju.

Thank you Jacob!

But now we have to race back to the main Fijian Island of Viti Levu, so that Lyn can get back home. 

Because the most exciting news of this blog is that Alice & Ben have had another baby.

Bula Bula Magnus!

Ju & Lyn

What – no sunsets? – Ed

Oh, go on then.