Day 36 - 39 - Saturday thru Tuesday, September 30 - October 3
Saturday, September 30
We sailed the short distance into Savusavu Harbor, arriving around 9:00am. We were greeted by someone working at the Copra Shed Marina who guided us to a mooring ball. This was a bit of a unique experience as usually we’re “on our own'' to figure it out. So we were off to a great start! We raised the quarantine flag which is required until we clear customs, sat back and waited for the usual band of officials to swarm the boat and deem us fit to enter the island. OK, there’s a little bit of snarkiness going on here on my part, you’ll see why as you continue to read.
At 1:30pm, the health official showed up at our boat to begin the entry process. Yes, that’s correct, a full 4.5 hours after we moored this morning. She completed her questions, surveyed the boat, and took some pictures in about 30 minutes. Then we waited another hour for customs, immigration and biosecurity. When they arrived we completed all the required paperwork and afterward were asked to move the boat to a nearby dock for further inspection. No problem, right?
They boarded the yacht, asked their questions and then brought a drug-sniffing dog on board. You guessed it, the dog alerted to something in mine and Mickey’s cabin. A full hour and a half later, they had disassembled our entire cabin, pulled out the mattresses, pulled out everything stored in all the bins under the bed, the closet, the utility closet in our cabin….absolutely everything. The customs agents, though respectful, handled all of our clothes, shoes, bags, etc. looking for something. I was asked to be below deck and watch to ensure they weren’t accused of stealing anything. It was unnerving to say the least!
When they didn’t find anything, the agent began drilling me on how much money we had on board, which we had already declared up front. He wanted to know what we used this one area of the cabin for - we used it to charge electronics; if we ever went into the utility closet - we couldn’t even open the door, Xavier had to do it.
Finally, after all this time, the agent told me that the dog had signaled for the presence of cash and firearms. As I said, we had declared our cash up front, the amount is well within the legal limit. Neither Mickey nor I have ever owned a firearm. He was finally satisfied that we weren’t cash/firearm smugglers, and approved our entry into Fiji.
We also found out that we can’t leave Savusavu until we receive our “cruising” certificate, which won’t be processed until Tuesday or Wednesday because, of course, Monday is a national holiday. Which means we can’t leave Savusavu until most likely Wednesday, leaving us little time to visit the other islands (based on Xavier’s schedule of when he wants to leave for New Caledonia.) You have to just “go with the flow“ and know that it’s all island time.
After a little venting and a wonderful dinner, all was better. We went to dinner at a local restaurant called Surf N Turf. Chef JaVie greeted us at the door. He personally went through the menu items and assured us everything was made fresh by him that day. He used to be the executive chef at the Cousteau resort where we had anchored the previous night. Dinner was delicious and my mood improved tremendously.
Sunday, October 1
Fortunately some shops are open today, unlike Tonga where everything is closed on Sundays. We were able to buy some provisions for the boat. We even found a clothing store that was open and Mickey bought a Fiji Rugby shirt. Xavier is doing some maintenance and repairs on the boat.
In the late afternoon, we took the dinghy next door to a new, more upscale marina called Nawi. It’s still under construction, but open to the public. There are dozens of slips for boats, a marina and restaurant. We were exploring a part of the island and were “caught” by security because it’s still under construction and they don’t allow visitors. So we chatted with the security guard as we walked back to our dinghy. He said that the area is being developed by some Americans. They started with the boat docks and marina because there’s such a shortage of places to dock here in Savusavu. The next phase will be the hotel and resort. We had a nice dinner and listened to live music.
We ended up back at Copra Shed, where Kanoa is moored, enjoyed adult beverages and listened to live music at the Savusavu Yacht Club. We certainly felt more “at home” here at our home marina. An observation about Nawi, the new marina, is that there were few sailors at the restaurant and bar. Anyone from the mainland can take a ferry ride over and enjoy the restaurant, and they do in droves! That’s the majority of the people we saw even though there were a couple dozen or so boats docked there. We enjoyed the night cap at Copra Shed and the Savusavu Yacht Club, listened to live Reggae music and chatted with fellow sailors into the evening.
Monday, October 2
Our leisurely day started with a quiet breakfast at a nearby Sunflake Cafe, an interesting name for a cafe in Fiji that doesn’t see snow. But hey, what do I know?
In the afternoon, we hailed a taxi and traveled to the nearby mountains to a beautiful overlook of the Urata village and ocean.
We continued on to the village of Vuadomo, where we were greeted by the local women collecting a small fee to hike to the nearby waterfall and to show us (and hopefully sell us) some local crafts. We purchased a few small items that helps their economy and provides a souvenir for us.
After paying our entrance fee, we entered the trail to the Vuadomo Waterfalls, and they didn’t disappoint! The local men were there clearing the trail, making it very clear and nice for any tourists making their way to the waterfalls. It was exceptional!
After our drive to the waterfalls, we headed the short distance to the hot springs. These are geothermal pools and there are various places where they surface on the island. One place is very near the downtown area of SavuSavu. The locals bring pots of cassava roots to cook in the thermal pools.
Tuesday, October 3
Xavier has paid all of the fees to be in Fiji - health and bio fees, customs fees, immigration fees, marina fees. We plan to leave this afternoon if our cruising permit is processed in time. Will post again soon. Cheers!
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