FIJI: Suva and Beyond

Since our repairs couldn't be done in Suva, we completed some errands and left as soon as we could.

Purchasing bundles of kava root, called yaqona, to present as a required gift
to chiefs in the villages we visit

From Second Wind, we left our dinghy at the police dock on the outskirts of Suva
and took a taxi into town for provisions.
Hopping in the car to go to the store will forevermore feel like a luxury.

The dinghy dock at the Royal Suva Yacht Club
isn't especially royal, 

though clearly the club has some meaningful history

Levuka, on the nearby island of Ovalau, was Fiji's first capital and is now an interesting UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The main street still looks like a frontier town

In the early mornings, young children squeal and chatter
and jump into the water from this bridge...

...while older ones climb into the back of this truck,
which serves as the island's school bus

Only a handful of the many formerly thriving establishments
have survived repeated cyclones and economic downturns.
Despite its outward appearance,

this little restaurant serves excellent food--as it has for decades

A day's sail away is the island of Makogai.

These structures are all that remain from what used to be a leper colony

Now the island is known as a breeding site for endangered giant clams

These one-year-old clams will soon be transported (transplanted?) to various reefs around Fiji

Inoke, village spokesman, with a giant clam shell washed ashore  by Cyclone Winston

Endangered turtles are also cared for here

Namena Barrier Reef attracts divers from around the world.

Unfortunately Winston devastated the dive resort on Namenalala Island;
more than 2 years later, it still has not recovered

The reef was severely impacted as well: most of the upper level corals are dead.
Beneath this unusually placid surface, though, we had ideal conditions to snorkel for hours in crystal clear water
with an astounding array and quantity of beautiful fish

We made a previously unplanned stop in Savusavu for a couple of days, needing access to a phone for post-collision business. I realized too late that I didn't take a single photo, no doubt because we already spent lengths of time there in 2015 and 2016 and had plenty of pictures. It's still the best town in Fiji for cruisers, because everything--customs clearance, provisioning, shipping of parts, cruiser camaraderie--is so easy (read: close, and inexpensive).

The only event worth mentioning is that during one lunch I cracked a tooth on a seed in a cracker (apparently appropriately named). A visit to a very competent dentist cost $5.70 FJD, which is $2.74 USD. Yes, the decimal point is in the correct place.

A 4' wahoo Art caught underway.
Wahoo!!!

We are in more remote places than ever this season, and therefore without internet access for long stretches at a time. Apologies for the lengthy gaps between blog posts!