We were complaining about the cold in New Zealand so I better not complain about the heat here. But it is hot. Hot enough to make you forget the cold we left behind. And it’s humid too being the end of the wet season. Nevertheless, it’s all good.
Yesterday we got into arrival jobs. Once we’d all woken up (I slept very late) we all went ashore and headed off in separate ways. Paul sorted out his flight home and a local SIM for his phone. Helen picked up some food and the meat we’d had set aside the night before. Sam and I set off on a number of quests. We also arranged a local phone number. We also spent some time in the Courts receiving technical support from their guru to get our internet working. The fix could not have something I could have guessed so I’m glad I went. Now we’re up and running. We then took a long walk to the hospital to pay our quarantine fee. It’s really a tax because all the quarantine guy does is come aboard to let us fill out a form. For that we are charges F$172. I asked. This all goes to the government, not the hospital.
Leaving the hospital we bumped into Paul who’d come for the walk. We headed back to town together picking up some ice creams to cool us down. I checked out the chandlery at the Copra Shed Marina in case they had any suitable spares for our damaged traveller. They didn’t. Paul bought us a beer there which was pleasant. Before returning to the boat Sam and I showered at the Waitui marina with whom we have the mooring we are on.
We had a few hours to relax in the afternoon. Sam got on with his tutorials. With my new internet connection I dealt with what the outside world had backed up over the last week and I researched the parts I need to repair the traveller.
At 5pm we had Jack & Zdanka from Kite and Joy & Gordon from Promise over for sun downers and to share information about Fiji. We’d chatted to both of them on the way up over the VHF. They’re both 2011 puddle jumpers having got to know each other first in Fatu Hiva. We’re all on a similar plan this year so we could well be meeting up again.
After sundowners the crew from Dignity headed ashore for a meal at The Deck. The food wasn’t quite as good as last year and the price had gone up but we enjoyed it all the same. By the time we returned to Dignity we stayed up a little chatting until fatigue washed over us.
It wasn’t long ago when we slept with a sheet and two blankets over us and were still cold in the mornings. Now, nothing is required. Nice.