Ni sa moce - Farewell Fiji!

Sadly we prepare to say good-bye to this magnificent place and begin the 34 hour trek back home. The good news for us is that there are only 5 flights (vs. the original 7) to get us all the way back from Tonga to Fiji so 2 of those were behind us last Tuesday. Our first leg back is a 2 hour ferry ride,which ends up being a trip around the Fijian Islands, what a nice last treat. We pick up our flight to LAX at 10:00 PM Saturday Fiji time (I think that is around 5:00 AM on Saturday back home as we are once again crossing the dateline and will arrive in the good ole USA at 1:30 Saturday afternoon - we get our day back, yea!) Thanks to our wonderful kids we have a room in LA so that we don't have to spend our 11 hour layover in the airport. We are now trying to manage our eating and sleeping so we will be somewhat reacclimated by the time we reach NJ - good luck with that! We are hoping that the first class upgrades that took years to earn on our Visa cards will help.

We spent our final day (rainy of course - rain also cancelled the torch lighting last night so we will have to come back for that) sailing a Cat and getting a head and foot massage (complete with hot coconut oil drizzle for the road - do we really have to go home????) It's been an amazing and restful 2 weeks - thanks Joanne D for telling me it is not really a vacation unless you go for 2 weeks - AMEN!

Thanks to all who shared our journey and sent well wishes and comments via blog, e-mail and Facebook - we loved hearing from you. See you soon - Liz & Bob (aka Mom & Dad, Izzie and Cappy)

Can it really be Friday already????

My crappy old PC has decided it has had enough and is once again not working so we are relying on the resort computers when they are available and working. One connects via Google UK and the other via Google Australia while the one in our room goes through Google Fiji - pretty cool to see the different logos pop up. Sean and Elle made our day with a video that we could only access via Bob's i-touch (that on top of the ongoing laptop issues have convinced us to return to Apple when we get home - anyone have suggestions, let's hear 'em). Anyway, my precious little Elle popped up on the little screen and with only a little prompting from her dad wished us fun in Fiji - gotta love the WWW and thoughtful children. Thanks Sean and Elle, we love and miss you!

Yesterday as we sat on our deck drinking the complimentary bottle of champagne that came complete with apology note (for what we still don't know other than maybe the guys painting and sanding 2 bures down) and the afternoon snacks, cookies and ice delivered to our room daily, we heard the distant sound of volleyball on the beach. To prove that real men can wear sarongs and play beach volleyball, Bob took off in the direction of the beach (pics coming later). He returned sweaty but with a smile on his face, not that he needed some guy time or anything after so many days with just his wife for company.

Today was another lazy day in paradise, we read by the pool and I celebrated Matthew introducing me to the Kindle so that I could carry as many books as I wanted in only inches of my carry on and less than a pound of added weight. As we walked from our bure to breakfast, we saw 2 baby sharks swimming in the very waters we walk and swim through. Tonight on the way back, Bob was followed like some kind of pied piper by a school of what looked like zebra fish that changed direction every time he did and I stood at the bathroom sink counting starfish - unbelievable! I have now seen blue starfish in Tonga and Fiji, red starfish in Belize and I am wondering why the starfish at home are so colorless - blah just like the ocean.

So we are posting while we await the torch lighting ceremony that is listed as happening at 6:30 but apparently Fiji time is a little loose, as we have managed to miss it every night. Tonight we were told to be here by 5:50 so as not to miss it. No sign of any lighting yet - maybe they will do it at the manager's cocktail party that we are all invited to attend followed by a traditional Fijian feast that has been baking in leaves in the ground all day somewhere or so we are told. Anyway we are looking forward to both and will report in tomorrow if we can.

Thursday - Liku Liku Lagoon, Fiji

Just another day in Paradise... a little cloudy, but still idyllic. Liz's laptop continues to have intermittent lapses, now it can't find the wireless in our room, even though my itouch has no problem at all. Sean sent us a video of Elle, which we couldn't view on the laptop, but the itouch handled it... No Problem!! We'll try to get the laptop's problems sorted out so we can post more pictures and share what its like here.

Here's a few pictures to help demonstate the beauty of Liku Liku Lagoon. The bure pictured below is our "home."

Liz & I went out today on a kayak... don't think that it was a good thing for her back... even I found it uncomfortable... must be age related... maybe tomorrow we'll try the Hobie cats, if there's any wind... we've gone from Tonga's Southeast Trades howling 25 - 30 knots almost constantly to almost no wind at all... we're reporting... not complaining...

Wednesday - at least I think it is

It is so easy to lose track of time in this beautiful place which looks and feels like paradise. And did I mention that I am a SPOILED AMERICAN GIRL???? I am lazing around, reading books, having massages, swimming in the infinity pool, watching fish swim through the windows in the floor and by the sink as I brush my teeth, eating amazing meals and just generally grooving on life - Bob read me the NJ weather this morning and I'm seriously contemplating never, ever going back!

Today's big decisions were what time to eat dinner (can you believe you have to make that decision early in day - I thought this was vacation) and whether or not to go out on a Hobie cat once the winds picked up (too tired by 5:00 - needed a nap :-) which may seem silly having just spent a week sailing, but I have decided that I need to learn more about sailing than how to decorate the boat (my favorite job), how to cook yummy meals and plan tasty happy hours and how to drive her in and out of the slip - it's time to learn a little about sail trim. So we are thinking we might tool around on a Hobie and see if that will help, but I digress - that sounds like work and I am into some major relaxing today!

After our couples massage we hung out by the pool and read books and admired the scenery then went back to the room so Bob could snorkel and I could finish my current book by a female cruiser (I guess I just can't get enough; I like living vicariously through them, but have no desire to sail 17,000 miles to Hong Kong).

Today's pics include a view from the infinity pool (I may sound like a major dork, but I am fascinated by this pool having never actually seen one in person before), a view from the Dining Room, watching the sea plane land to drop off/pick up resort guests, and my handsome husband sporting one of our matching complimentary sarongs (just don't tell him I posted this, the sarong thing is supposed to be a secret, shhhhh!). You see in both Fiji and Tonga the men wear these wrap-around sarong/skirt things so he is right in style at least here in the room. I haven't been able to coax him out to the pool in it yet :-) What I can't help but wonder is, what is the dress code under the sarongs and is that why the guys don't seem to mind wearing them?????

BULA Fiji

Oh my gosh we have found paradise!!!! We took the 10:30 flight out of Tongatapu and arrived back in Nadi, Fiji at 11:05 (lost another hour going west again). We had to move quickly through immigration and customs to make the noon ferry to Likuliku Lagoon Resort in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji. We couldn't wait to get to the resort and we have not been disappointed!!!!!!!!!! If anyone is reading this and looking for the trip of a lifetime, this place should be on your short list. From the moment we left Nadi on the high speed ferry we felt we had entered a whole new world. It took an hour and a half to get here, but that is because we stopped at multiple island resorts to drop off and pick up others who were spending days or weeks at the numerous Fijian resorts. Of course we were the last stop, but the scenery was so magnificent we didn't care if we had to ride the ferry all day. The trip from ferry to resort was pretty exciting as we had to get off of the ferry and onto a little power boat that took us into the lagoon. The driver was having fun, and just when I thought I had wiped the last of the salt spray from my glasses, he made sure to hit a couple of big waves that reminded me that being on a boat means getting wet regardless.

We stepped onto this magical property to be greeted with music, welcome necklaces (which have been set aside as presents for my grandgirls) and a yummy cold passionfruit tea. Bula, bula, bula (the Fijian hello) from each new person we encountered. Even our bed spelled out the welcome home message! We were ushered into the open air dining room so we wouldn't miss lunch and then had a golf cart chauffeur us to our over-water bure (room) where bags, air conditioning, cool drinks, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and anything else we could want awaited us. This place is heaven!

Now don't get me wrong, I love sailing. The opportunity to experience the world from a vantage point that few will ever see, but it is a lot like camping - cold showers (under something akin to a water pik), what is essentially a port-a-pot (with accompanying smells), a bed that is a couple inches of foam over fiberglass (ouch!) and rain in your face in the middle of the night - I wouldn't trade this for anything. BUT . . . how grand to have a real hot shower under a rain shower head (I have already told the captain I need one of these at home), use a hair dryer and dress in fresh clean, non-salty, dry clothing and even have a mirror to apply the much needed make-up - now this is living. Again I confess that I am a spoiled American girl, but I am digging the pampering, and we just got here. Can't wait to post again - this is only going to get better. Oh, and did I mention that I have been sitting on the floor looking through the windows that are cut into the floors and watching the fish swim by - tonight I have seen 2 blue starfish and a ray along with the fish - how kewl!

And best of all - the staff welcomed us with a "Bula Bob and Liz, we already know all about you!" Hmm - what in the world???? Seems my darling daughter and her family arranged for a special Mom & Dad's Day treat - we are having a couples massage. Well, if we never come back you know where to find us :-)

Keleti International Resort, Tongatapu

With Break Away turned in and the charter closed the sailing part of the adventure was over. But the adventure was still on! We had a couple of hours to kill in Neiafu and since we'd read good things in another blog about the Mermaid Bar and Grill (aka Vava'u Yatch Club), we went there for lunch. The Mermaid promotes their fish & chips as internationally renowned, so we both opted for fish & chips. The Mermaid's claim was absolutely true... totally excellent!! Travel from Vava'u to Tongatapu went off without a hitch, until we enterd the airport in Tongatapu. The hotel had promised to pick us up, so Liz went to look for our ride while I retrieved the luggage. She was greeted by the same lady from the Moorings that had handled our outbound airport transfer in Tongatapu, who proceeded to help us load the luggage in her van and head off to the hotel. Although confused, because reality wasn't matching well with my expectation, we headed out of the airport for the hotel. The trip took longer than expected and concluded down a long dirt road. Thankfully, at the end of the road was the. After I made arrangements with the "Moorings Lady" for the return trip, we met Kala, who advised us that the hotel. The Keleti "boss" had been at the airport looking for us. Hearing that I stopped the "Moorings Lady" to cancel her for tomorrow morning. I'm still not sure what happened, but Liz & I might be the first Americans to have two rides from and to the Tongatapu Airport.

Keleti is located on a high bluff above the South Pacific Ocean. Very large waves roll in breaking on miles of large plateaus of rocks that resemble tree trunks the size of a house. The crashing of the waves & the resulting blow holes were impressive.

Monday morning – farewell Vauva’u

I was awakened at 6 AM to the same beautiful sounds I heard in the church yesterday morning. Apparently choir practice for the Catholic church is at 6 – now that’s commitment! So I went and sat up on deck to enjoy the music one last time before we leave Vava’u and head to Tongatapu for the night as we await our trip to Fiji.
So we are taking turns posting and packing as we are not sure how long the computer battery will last and when we will have another opportunity to charge it. Interestingly enough we have a little inverter that plugs into the boat but once we leave the boat we will be faced with trying to power up using our converter – not sure how that will go. So, hoping to post again soon – farewell Vava’u!

Sunday – Mother’s Day the Tongan Way

After church we spent a lazy day in the Tapana Harbor, said our good-byes to our new American friend, Larry, owner and resident of the Ark Gallery. We decided that since our favorite part of the trip has been the Tongan people and learning about their culture, we headed back to the main harbor to enjoy the Mother’s Day dinner we had been invited to at the Mango Restaurant. First, though, since the winds had finally laid down a bit we decided to make one last day stop at the beautiful island of Ovaku. Despite the winds having quieted, we were blown quite a bit at this tiny little island that was completely exposed to the trades. It was really beautiful, just what we envisioned a tropical island to look like and uninhabited other than a herd of goats who seemed quite fascinated by us. We made the stop a quick one as we had to be back in before dark so at 4:00 we headed back to Neiafu.

Mother's Day at the Mango was yummy and a treat for me as I did not have to cook. The staff had been invited to bring their moms for the evening - their first trip ever to a real restaurant! They were a friendly group and their kids (the staff) performed a routine to a Tongan song that closely resembles the American country hit "No Charge". If my sibs are following, they will appreciate that as our mother took great pleasure in often singing "for the 9 months I carried you growing inside me, no charge . . ." Although we didn't understand the words, the staff told us that the children were asking for money and the mom was reminding them of all she had already done for them. Somewhere in the heavens, my own mother was smiling down at the irony of this evening.

Happy Mother's Day to my girls back home!

After mass we met a local family, we nicknamed the son (in sunglasses) ‘Hollywood’. He works for the local radio station, but he was not too cool to wear a ‘mame’ around his neck and to share with us that he had to leave and go cook for his mother on her special day. He tied one of the beautiful flower neck pieces around both of our necks and we headed back to the boat.

Love and hugs and kisses to Amy and Amye - Happy Mother's Day, I miss you!

Sunday – Happy Mother’s Day

We walked about 30 minutes to find a church on the island of Pangaimotu. A chorus of voices greeted us long before we saw anything but jungle, so I tied a sarong around my yoga pants and added a long sleeve shirt so that I would be properly dressed upon arrival at church – Tongans are very modest, particularly the women and it is a sign of respect to honor that when visiting their villages. Momentarily we came upon a Catholic church, Sangata Telesia, the source of that beautiful sound, and went inside. Although we did not understand a single word as the service was in Tongan, I was able to follow the service a seemingly traditional Catholic mass. I was so taken by the music, a chorus of voices with no accompaniment that was surely the most beautiful singing I have ever heard. I imagine if there is a choir of angels in heaven this is what they sound like. I was struck by the colorful clothing everyone wore, beautiful ‘tapas’, woven cloths around the waists of both men and women, beautiful neckwear made of fresh flowers that gave off a wonderful fragrance, and all of the children wandering from friends to adults throughout the Mass which seemed to bother none of the adults and kept the children quiet and happy.

This post was by Liz (lest you wonder what has gotten into Bob :-)

Saturday – Tapana and the ‘Ark Gallery’

The morning Cruiser's Net promised another windy and cloudy day with possible rain showers. That's been the standard for most of our time in Vava'u. Each morning the Cruiser's Net has a time when people on boats and around the islands are given the opportunity to make contact with one another. During the contact portion, Larry from The Ark Gallery in Tapana contacted us. After the Net concluded, we chatted briefly about a problem he was having and how we might help. Since we planned to be in his Anchorage that evening anyway it was decided to discuss it further upon our arrival. With a number of destinations still unvisited, though, we set off for Tapana, aka Anchorage 11, hoping to make a couple of day stops along the way. As we motored out of the lee of Vaka Eitu we discovered that the southeast trades were still very strong, and, oh by the way, Tapana is east southeast of Vaka Eitu. Its a well established fact that one can predict, with 100% accuracy, wind direction on the Chesapeake Bay by first finding out Hurry Sundown's (our Catalina Morgan 440) destination for the day. I had hoped, since Tonga is south of the Equator, that the reverse would be true here, and we'd always have a following wind... NOT! Since our intended day stops offered little to no protection from the howling trades, we motored directly to Tapana arriving around noon. Larry met us and gave us a hand with securing Break Away to a mooring ball. Larry and his wife, Sheri, previously cruised the South Pacific on their sail boat. At some point along the way they fell in love with Tonga, sold their boat and built The Ark Gallery, which is a small barge that serves as Sheri's art gallery and their home. As we got to know Larry, he became another in a growing list of very friendly and generous people living in Vava'u.

Friday – Vaka’Eitu

Our departure from Hunga Lagoon had to be timed with the incoming tide, which meant that it was time raise anchor and make way to our next anchorage Vaka’Eitu, aka Anchorage 16. The southeast trades were still very fresh so I chose a less direct, but more protected route. It should be noted that navigation in the Vavu’ archipelago is not difficult… the second time through. But the first time can be challenging, because there are many small islands and rocks which must be identified… and … GPS lat/long coordinates are so imprecise that they're not useable. Basically, navigation here is like keeping track of exits along the New Jersey Turnpike, except you use islands/rocks instead of exit signs to know where you are . Even though the chart of the entrance to Vaka’Eitu seemed straight forward, as we approached the anchorage there seemed to be small islands/rocks everywhere. It took a few minutes to sort out, but we were soon out of the howling trade winds, tucked behind a high palm tree studded bluff, just off of a small beach. And, we were the only boat and apparently the only humans, in another picture perfect spot. Later, after dark and after the clouds moved on, the Milky Way became visible. Without the interference of any ambient light the view was spectacular.

Friday - Hunga Village – Vaha Maamalea

The southeast trade winds howled again all night last night and continued to blow throughout the morning. Longing for a more tranquil South Seas setting, Liz & decided to drop the mooring ball and move to what appeared to be a more protected part of the lagoon. We dropped anchor in about 7 meters (21 feet) of very clear (and calm) water, just off of a small beach. The spot was picture perfect, complete with swaying palm trees, a cool gentle breeze and a guy paddling slowly toward us in a dugout canoe with an outrigger. It was clear that he was coming to see us. Hoping that we hadn’t anchored somewhere forbidden by some unknown local custom, we waved to him, which encouraged him to approach the boat. In response to my explanation as to why we’d chosen this particular spot to anchor, he advised me that we’d chosen well, adding that he owned the beach and the land from the beach to the top of the bluff. After talking a while, we invited him aboard the boat, which he accepted. Our new friend introduced himself as Vaha. We spent the next hour with Vaha sharing Diet Cokes and learning about his family, the concrete road (see previous post), his plantation, cultivating pearls, and about life in Hunga Village. Along the way we shared a little about our lives, but I’m sure Vaha educated Liz & me more than we educated him. Vaha hadn’t come empty handed, but with backpack full of items for sale. He showed us a conch shell, vanilla, and jewelry made from pearls that he’d harvested. We ended up buying a necklace that his wife had made. Before leaving, he gave Liz another necklace as a gift, and another in trade for a promise from her to mail him some necklace clasps. Meeting and spending time with Vaha may well become the highlight of our time in Tonga.

Thursday - Hunga Village – The Villagers

The villagers were quite friendly and we were greeted at the road’s end by a local woman who wanted to sell us a large conch shell and locally grown vanilla. While we wanted to buy and help support these very poor people, we knew we could bring neither home with us – the shell is too heavy and you can’t take produce on the planes – so we had to pass. She also wanted us to give her a ‘C’ battery so she could hear the weather on her radio, but we only had ‘AAA’ batteries with us on the boat. We were followed by lots of small children who were friendly and curious, saw the local boys playing rugby in a field and were invited to watch the local women as they wove ‘tapa’ cloth in a large community hall. These are made from tree bark into large mats and then dyed and used at weddings and funerals. We also saw them on the floor of a local home and guess they might be used as bedding. These people are very poor, but according to all that we have read they value God, family and friendship over material things and live a communal lifestyle sharing everything and caring for one another. They certainly seem happy despite their very primitive existence - spoiled American girl that I am I cannot imagine living without running water, electricity, growing my own food and living among the hundreds of pigs that wander through these villages!

Thursday - Hunga Village - Arriving

While I had some trepidation about entering the local village – I kept thinking how it must feel to have strangers traipsing through your neighborhood – we decided that we should not miss the chance to experience a bit of local culture. We were amazed to see a concrete road complete with sidewalks that was steeper than most roads in San Francisco which greeted us when we motored our dinghy up to the village. Not so surprising was the fact that it ended quite abruptly at the top of the hill into a dirt path. We wondered to each other as to what this road is used for as there is no adjoining road and it is so steep I would not want to try driving up or down it.

Thursday - Hunga Island – A real Tongan treat

With a bit of bright sunlight to help us navigate, we headed to the westernmost part of the Vava’u island group to spend the night in the beautiful lagoon formed by an inactive volcano. This lagoon has to be carefully accessed as it is surrounded by high cliffs and coral with only 3 small openings, only one of which is navigable. Take note of the rock in the entrance requiring some good navigational skills including the ability to differentiate the shades of blue in the water (hence Liz stood watch while Bob steered us in) and bright sunlight which has not been readily available so far this trip. We made it in without incident and attached ourselves to a mooring ball which provided some sense of security as the winds howled all night – not unlike sleeping in a subway station.

Wednesday - Cinco de Mayo in Tonga

The outlook for going out this week looks grim as we have apparently hit the ‘shoulder season’ and everyone has either gone on holiday or is doing maintenance at their resorts and restaurants. We are one of only two charter boats out this week coupled with one ‘cruising’ boat so I guess the locals think it is a good time to take their own vacations. We decided to head back to Neiafu and join the Cinco de Mayo party at the Aquarium Café owned by Americans and staffed by friendly locals who could not pronounce the names of the Mexican dishes on the menu. They did know enough to tell us that there was mostly tequila in the ‘Tequila Sunrise’ and that was an understatement! Despite a power outage (we were told “That’s Tonga”) we enjoyed an excellent Mexican dinner which will have to suffice as our night out – even the traditional Tongan feast is not an option as the locals require a minimum of 10 people to put this on and all 3 boats cannot produce that many guests. Ah well, I probably would have been afraid of most of the food although our charter company told us that the Tongans are used to the finicky eating habits of the ‘palangi’ (foreigners).

Computer died may not post for a while

Day 2 & 3 - Tonga Port Maurelle, AKA Anchorage 7

After a leisurely morning of coffee at the Aquarium Cafe, shopping in Neiafu, and a very thorough chart briefing by Martin at the Moorings base, Liz and I departed Neiafu at 3:00 pm for our first night out. It was cloudy, but not raining as we headed for Port Maurelle, Anchorage 7. The anchorages have names, but the names are so hard to pronounce all of them ae numbered. 90 minutes later we had picked up a mooring ball in the secluded bay and were enjoying a glass of wine. All night long the wind howled and it rained several time, so it was a relief to be on a mooring ball.

We awoke the next morning to sunshine, the first we'd really seen since arriving in Vava'u! But it soon clouded over... the cruiser's net that broadcasts every morning at 8:30 promised some sunshine, but also a lot of clouds and wind... they were right! At one point, we were sailing along in the lee of an island, living large on a comfortable point of sail, only to be almost knocked down by 25 to 30 knots of wind as we sailed into open water... (future accounts of this event will set the wind speed at 30 to35 knots).

We did get a chance to do a little beachcombing when we set a lunch hook at anchorage 8. The sun was actually out and the place was as you would expect the South Pacfic to look like. Note the picture.

Day one Vava'u Tonga

Liz & I crashed last night at about 8:00 local time... I woke up a couple of time during the night to close & open the hatches due to the rains that came through. It looks like its going to be cloudy for the next couple of days, but we're about ready to head out to the first anchorage. Earlier today we went shopping for fresh veggies and a couple of things like spaghetti sauce & coffee... was able to buy some fressh beans, but no sauce or coffee! But, we're on the boat, picking up a relatively fast wireless connection... imagine that!!

We made it!

It was a long haul and for anyone planning to do this trip, I suggest you try not to replicate our itinerary, but we are here and it is lovely. It was a day of firsts: first time west of California, first time to cross the date line and we really did lose Sunday (left LAX on Saturday night 11:30 PM and arrived Fiji 4:45 Monday morning), first time to see a rainbow while flying (saw 3 actually), first time to hear the emergency flight instructions in a foreign language (and after 7 flights I could recite them for you), first time seeing a lime that is orange on the inside and first time that I was on a plane that was sprayed with a 'non-toxic' spray throughout the cabin just prior to landing (the Tongans are serious about keeping foreign bugs out of their country!

How Far is it anyway??

Without doing a lot of research... Philadelphia to Vavu' is roughly 9,000 miles! WIth about 3,000 down, there's only 6,000 to go...

Since we've been to Los Angeles before, the Adventure starts in earnest once we depart LAX aboard Air Pacific flight 811 for the longest leg of the trip of almost 11 hours and 5600 miles. That's probably not news to those who are experienced international travelers, but its a record for Liz & me. We're both getting a little weary since its almost midnight back east... so maybe we'll be able to sleep part of the way to Fiji... the Adventure continues...

Travel, travel and more travel

We have just completed the 2nd leg of our journey and are now enjoying a 6 1/2 hour layover in LAX. As we write this post we have 24 hours to go and having only gotten this far in 12 hours now realize that our travel time is 36, not the 29 hours I originally posted (but that should come as no surprise to my darling husband as math has never been my strong suit).

So we enjoyed luxuriating in first class so much across the USA that after being subjected to a 30 minute check-in wait at Air Pacific staring at pictures of the seats that recline into beds and the happy couple enjoying cocktails that we decided to inquire about an upgrade. They would be all too happy to oblige for the small fee of $750pp one way on the next leg of our flight. So we'll be experiencing the next flight from the back of the plane in preparation for the 4 'local' flights across Fiji and Tonga.