More from Suva city

August 25, 2007 Suva

I finally got a chance to get off the boat today! I really didn’t do too much with my 3 hours in town. Just emailed and skyped mostly. Today was the last day of the hibiscus festival in Suva, so there were hordes of people everywhere. The festival is held in the park, a parade goes down the main street, and there is a hibiscus queen and king that get crowned…you know the normal festival happenings. Had to go back to the boat and be on guard all afternoon. At 6, a group of us met Rachel at the yacht club, had a couple drinks, and then headed off to dinner. The really good sushi restaurant was booked, so we opted for this other sushi place that was just ok. During dinner Rachel noted that when we’re on the ship we talk about being off the ship, and when we get a chance to be off the ship, we talk about stuff that happens on the ship. If that makes any sense… After sushi, we all went to this bar/club called Traps. It was a pretty good place and packed. There were 4 different bar areas with different music playing in each, a main dance floor, and a few pool tables. We met up with some of the dancers from the Oceania center and Rachel’s friends that were there. Fun night. Michel actually met us at the bar too, and was really dancing his heart out. Ha! I had a few rum and cokes, but the locals drink pitchers of beer in shots from a cup a little larger than a shot glass. Its called tat-tat or something. Sometimes they even put a few shots of tequila in the beer too…yuck! When the bar closed, we had some BBQ from a group of stands that set up on the side of the road for the late night munchies. Took forever to get a taxi back to the yacht club, b/c everything in town shuts down at 12 on Saturday, because they all wake up for church on Sunday. Ahhh…relaxing Sunday tomorrow.


August 26, 2007 Sunday in Suva

On my 6 AM watch this morning the police patrol boat was slowly drifting by us, with no sign of anyone on the boat. So I wake up Carol, and Udi (yes, Udi from Somosomo is still here) and I take the dinghy over to tow the boat over to the side of the Infinity. Udi grabs the bow line that’s in the water, and we try to turn this pretty big boat in the right direction to tow it back. This isn’t very successful, and pretty soon we’re alongside the boat. I start hollering “Hello? Hello?” and I notice a guy’s boots in the cabin. He was asleep! The engines were off and he was just drifting out channel, out of Suva harbor. We woke him up and he barely even said thank you. Well that was my excitement for the morning with a splitting head ache from the night before. I slept until 10, watched a couple movies and just relaxed the day away. In the afternoon, Zack was going in to do a pickup and have a hot shower, so I jumped at the chance to go in and have a hot shower too. I was driving the dinghy, pretty much wide open with the 40 hp, and we suddenly lurched to stop and the engine quit. We had run right over an unmarked mooring line that was partly submerged underwater. There was no seeing it from the surface. After about 15 min we managed to free the engine from being tangled up in the line, and finally made it to the yacht club. What an ordeal though.

I was on Sunday night dinner with Heather tonight. We made really good veggie lasagna, steamed carrots, cucumber salad, and fruit salad that everyone liked. It was a success and Heather doubted me the whole way. Not sure if she was really doubting me, or doubting herself, but all in all, dinner went good. She just gets so stressed out about everything being perfect when she cooks. Our skit, with Zack too, was about a wishing bag. It was pretty funny, involving stuff from my care package and wishing for the dinghy back and wishing for an engine. Pretty funny. I got out of the bag dressed as Udi holding a yellow sponge that was supposed to be the yellow boat. It was Fred’s last Sunday night, so everyone mentioned him in their speech. I felt bad that I didn’t mention him, but I already planned my speech out ahead of time, about the dancers and musicians from USP. Two new crew members to the Infinity tomorrow. Prob will do maintenance projects all day tomorrow, and won’t get a chance to go into town. I do hope I make it in at some point this week, so I can answer some more emails and make some phone calls.


August 27, 2007 Suva

Today was a Monday and we spent the day starting all on the list of maintenance jobs that need to be done. Cleaned out both fridges, started on the cleaning of the chain locker (mucky job), and greasing the turn buckles on the shrouds. The new guy, Arie pronounced R-E, got here today. He is nice. 34, tall, from Holland, was a banker in NY for the last 4 yrs, a racing sailor, and wasn’t prepared for the hippyness on board either. Matt and I went for a burger (that was about half a cow) with him tonight at this touristy restaurant. We were giving him the scoop about life on board, but I was being careful not to totally sway his options about things we do before he’s even tried it out. He’s bunking with negative attitude Matt in the foxhole, prob not the best idea. I got a chance to skype and email after dinner, which was nice.


August 28, 2007 Suva

Lab/mediation first thing in the morning and then a busy work day. I cleaned the chain locker of all it’s muck which was a serious dirty job. They should get that guy to clean chain lockers for his TV show Dirty Jobs. I was covered with mud from head to toe, and sweating like crazy. Just more exercise for my weight loss plan on board! Ha! Others on board were finishing greasing the turn buckles, painting a gas drum, and cleaning the hull…busy day. When Fred and I were checking the bilges in paradise, he forgot to put the cover on one of the bilges near the computer. Well, I was the one that went to use the computer first and fell hard with one foot into the bilge compartment. Really hurt! I have a huge bruise in the shape of Australia, maybe Texas, it’s just now turning purple. Reminds me of those huge bruises you get on your butt after a long day of snowboarding! Tonight Joulelie (prof at USP, from Gau), Rachel and her boyfriend Warren, came on board for dinner. Michel cooked the best pork, fish, salad, and fruit salad for dessert. Really delicious. Maintenance day again tomorrow, and some of us are going to watch a performance at the Oceania center either tomorrow night or the next night. I think the other new guy from France will arrive tomorrow.


August 29. 2007 Suva

Wake up at 6 this morning…yuck! We had to pick up anchor and dock at the fuel dock to get all fueled up. The diesel is cheaper here so we’ve gotten topped off. We gracefully inched up to the small dock, wedged in between 2 large ships; and then they told us we need to tie off to this mooring and have the stern at the dock. I think they just wanted to see our boat maneuvering skills really. Another huge passenger ferry pulled up along side of us once we got the stern set, so there was little 120’ of Infinity squeezed between these 2 ships. We got our fuel, but had to wait around for the ferry that put their lines on the mooring over ours, to leave before we could leave. So we docked at 8:30 and left at 2:00. Some people went to town when we were stuck at the dock, but I just slept and rested as I’m not feeling too hot today. I don’t know what it is, not allergies. I don’t get allergies! But I don’t feel sick like a headache, I’m just all congested. Taking lots of vitamins and resting today, hope it passed before our voyage, that would stink to be sick and have to do watches for a week. One last trip to town tomorrow afternoon and going to the Oceania center performance at night.


August 30, 2007 Suva