Farewell Fiji

Saying goodbye was tough. Its been home, I have loved it here. If I didn't have such itchy feet to explore the rest of the world I could have happily stayed. This country & the people are amazing. Their government maybe in constant turmoil with coups & the people may not be rich in comparison to Westernised standards but if they could bottle their smiles & genuine friendship they would be the richest country in the world. We in first world countries may have financial wealth but Fiji beats us all in societal richness.

As with most of our trip, leaving was not without its own story. I headed into town to collect some last minute supplies from the market & a secret stash of goodies for those times when we both need a pick me up out at sea. I returned to the marina to discover both Bobby & Barraveigh missing! Was this a huge not to subtle hint?
We were due to check out the following day but Bobby discovered it was a public holiday. Unable to leave checking out until Monday due to an expiring visa in Bobbys passport he had hot footed it over to Lautoka with quickly recruited Bill (s/v Creola). For some reason the officials want to see the boat from their office window even though they never come aboard. The boys made it back just as the sun was setting so I didn't have to make myself a bed on the dock.#

Saying goodbye to the staff at the marina was hard. They had become such a part of our everyday life. Bobby has promised them he will return in four years time! We were both quiet as we slipped our lines from the dock, wrapped in our memories of our months in Fiji. We made our way slowly out of the marina, past the grassy area where we had watched movies under the stars & past the bar where many sundowners had been consumed before we made ourselves look forward to the adventures that lay ahead.

A final night out at the islands with s/v Creola & s/v Emelia. It was a fab sail out there, all in convoy passing one another, taking photos, lots of laughs & even a dare to take your bikini top off competition started by a cheeky Linda! Most sailors begin their experience with day sails, sailing with other boats & even just leaving the dock for the hell of going for a sail. For me its been a means to get from one country to another & these fun times are a real novelty. I had sailed all the way from Panama to Tonga before experiencing day sails!

If Bobby & I thought we were going to have a quiet night we were greatly mistaken. An offer of dinner & cocktails on Creola can never be turned down followed by chill time on Emelia with Gene (American country songwriter) on guitar & singing. Listening to the music & looking up at the stars, a prefect way to spend the last night in gorgeous Fiji. She will be sorely missed as will our good buddies Bill & Linda on Creola with whom we are parting company as our itineraries take us in different directions.