Monica and Adam come to call

We do meet the most interesting people along our way. That is the most different and great thing about cruising compared to living in 1 place, you meet so many people who share the same interests as you and are doing it in a similar manner. We also meet fellow travellers from backpackersto jet setters and all forms of travel in between. At 1 island, we went ashore for a predinner cocktail at a back packer resort and met a young Norwegian woman, Monica. We were all so taken by her natural, sincere charm and dry Scandinavian humor that we invited her to join us for dinner on Don Pedro. By the end of the evening, we had asked her if she wished to travel with us for awhile. I guess we all got along famously because she was with us for 2 weeks and at the end, were sad to see her go. Monica was a breath of fresh air, sang, played the guitar, cooked, did the dishes, kept Pat in line and shed a light on Norwegian history, culture, humor, music etc. Following are some photos of the time she spent with us, the places we went and some people we met along the way. She departed on the same plane that brought Adam(Linda's youngest son) back to us from his 5 month stint in Australia. He has been with us for 2 weeks and will be departing for Canada in 5 days. We have had a blast with him and will be sad to see him go too. EVERBODYS LEAVING US!!!! Next week we depart for the enchanting, exotic Isles of Vanuatu after being here in Fiji for the last 60 days. We have loved every minute but are ready to move on.

Exploring Fiji's Yasawa Islands

Off of Fiji's west coast is a chain of islands known as the Yasawas. They can be reached in a 5-6 hr sail from our "hub", Denerau Marina, on the main island of Viti Levu. The Yasawas, are a bit of a paradox, having small villages with no electricity or running water yet there are also a couple of mini resorts where guests spend anywhere from $175.-$4,000 per night, yes, $4,000./night. That includes almost everything!!!! I would hope so. However, they are beautiful, some mountainous, some low, yet all have beautiful beaches, crystal clear lagoons and are very lush. Most of the photos on this posting are from these islands. One photo shows a number of people on a beach including Linda, Pat and myself. The man in the center, Moses, is the owner of the land and chief of the village that we anchored off. In Fiji, when you visit a new island, you have to perform, Sevusevu, a ceremony where you present a parcel of Kava root to the head person and ask for his blessing to spend time in his "area". This is done by placing the offering of Kava at his feet and asking him in Fijian if you are allowed to spend time in his area. You do this as opposed to handing it to him so he has the option of saying NO! This never happens. Once he accepts it and goes thru his welcoming ritual, he now accepts the responsibility for you while you are in his "domain". Kava is a plant whose root has a numbing effect on your body. Too many "shells" of this and you need your friends to supply you with a substitute pair of legs to get you home. You have trouble walking but you are very happy about it. It has been used in welcoming ceremonies in the South Pacific for almost 2,000 years. Great stuff !!! Another photo is of Aquarius, a very lovely motoryacht that Pat will be working on for 11 days starting mid July. Thats it for now, next time I'll introduce you to Monica, a young, charming Noirwegian woman we shanghaied from a backpacker resort on one of the outer islands. She has been travelling with us for a week and her main job is to keep Pat in line-she has no problem with this! She has become a good friend and travelling companion. Until later, John Linda and Patrick PS Frank, I'm the guy with the machete in the group photo-I haven't changed a bit in the last 30 years....