Fun Times in Fiji (Part 1)

People make this beautiful country even more special

My time in Fiji was superb, and the secret ingredient was the people, both foreigners and locals. This post could be about the amazing beaches with the sand that’s just the right shade of this color or that; or the solitude of an anchorage at one of the 300+ islands that make up this island-archipelago. But by this point in my travels, it had become very clear that I favored places and experiences that involved interacting with people, listening to their stories with curiosity, and using Wind River to bring them all together.

Marcus and Lily were gracious to give me the initial tour of Savusavu town. We went to the government offices where forms had to be filed and fees paid, and they took me to some of their favorite restaurants where we dined on Indian, Fijian and Korean food while discussing sailing destinations and life’s dreams. One evening, they invited me to their boat for drinks and dinner with a few other cruising couples, and busted out the Karaoke machine (surprise!). From me, out came Lou Rawls and Willie Nelson.

Brent and Emily have created a life for themselves where they manage a hotel in the US from their boat half-way across the world (they can do this for most of the year, and have to occasionally go back to see their teams). Emily led yoga classes at the marina’s events hut, and taught me some Tai Chi moves. Brent is a fount of knowledge and ideas on everything mechanical and technical. Together, we had conversations about politics, business, sailing, and Japan (where Brent spent time as a US Marine). They joined me, no questions asked, on a “tour” of the island, and one evening we shared the wonder of the VOU Fijian Circus (the video below is long).

The crew of the Norwegian sailing vessel Ali Baba were the most intriguing people I met, at least from a sailing perspective. Four 20-something friends had been sailing this 31 foot vessel for several years, beginning in Norway. They had hardly any electronics aboard, no fridge, no chart plotter, and no autopilot. Think about that: Someone has to be at the helm at all times on passage. The extent of their sophistication was Navionics nautical charts… on a mobile phone no less! When I think who might be a better sailor, each one of these four remarkable people exceed that definition.

Many meals were had in town for roughly US $10, or $20 if I was feeling lazy and went to the marina’s restaurant/bar instead. My favorite was a Korean restaurant with very savory organic food and an unsavory reputation for some of its other activities. The covered outdoor market directly across the waterway from the marina had all types of fruits and vegetables, including my critical three: lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I have since learned that Cook’s Illustrated considers these ingredients “boring” when they are combined in a salad. My boring recipe follows at the end of this post.

Friends arrived and friends left. Marcus and Lily (Sula) left for Indonesia and a few days later Jan (b’Atitas, Germany) arrived, followed by Kevin (Andante, Canada) and several other boats. I took them to all to the government offices to complete their check-ins. Some came to Emily’s morning Yoga class. We had lunches and dinners and great conversations. Nights got hot and I ran the air-conditioning for the first time.

Dinner in Savusavu with friends, celebrating the imminent departure of Marcus and Lily (Sula) on their onward passage to Indonesia.

I also had to settle a promise I’d made to Kevin back in Tahiti, when he had predicted that Biden would drop out of the presidential race. While I had hoped for fresher faces for from both parties, I doubted Biden would go, and promised that I would crack open a bottle of very good rum and share it with him the next time we met. And sure enough, it happened, and a promise is a promise. I gave him the option of a Santa Teresa or Zacapa (he chose the latter).

I spent time with my neighbors Jeanne Socrates (the oldest woman to circumnavigate the globe by its five southern capes) on SV Nereida, and Ding on SV Chiquita, and later sailed with them to Yadua (pronounced Yandua) Island and the Yasawa Island group.

In my next post I’ll talk about the rest of my visit to Fiji and the preparations for the journey beyond. In the meantime, bon apetit with the boring recipe below.

Raffi’s “Boring” Salad

• Romaine Lettuce (tear 6-8 leaves from the stem)

• 1 thin cucumber, cut into 1/2” slices.

• 1 medium-sized sweet tomato, sliced into wedges

• Feta cheese (not too much, maybe a heaping tablespoon’s worth)

• Green olives (8 to 10, preferably marinated with oranges, chiles, and artichokes)

• Croutons (better if made yourself by brushing with oil and toasting in the oven)

• In lieu of croutons, a breaded chicken breast if more protein is desired

• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt and pepper to taste