9/25/15 Friday
Savusavu, Fiji
Wendy's off getting her second massage in a week. I'm hopeful that this is a record, but I'm doubtful. We mailed off our purchases to date to the States. This is the result of restrictive import conditions in Australia. It's just easier, we hope this way. No confiscations or fumigations and more room on the boat. Wendy is keeping her black pearl collection on the boat, but my carved wood bowls and our woven baskets are in the shipment.
We had a meeting of friends to settle out our route around the big island thru the reefs to Vuda Point our next official destination. We picked up all the waypoints from experienced cruisers in town. We have 3 packages of a 1/3 kilo of cava root on board now. This is the customary gift to village chief as we ask for permission to anchor off their island. Here, each bay, island, near waters and tidelands are privately owned by a family and administered by a village led by a Chief. The cava ceremony is really a request for permission to stay on our part. And, if granted, we become members of the village during our stay entitled to all the assistance and support that would be given to any other members of the village--on the Chief's part.
We've tasted cava before in Tonga. It's tan, milky drink that often tastes peppery and numbs the mouth. Traditionally, the root was prepared by village women chewing the root which was then placed in a bag (like cheese cloth) and stirred into water in a large wood bowl, then ladled into a wooden cup and passed from person to person around the big bowl. Thing are a bit more hygienic now with the root being ground instead of chewed. But the common cup is still passed from person to person. The ceremony can go on for hours, but the minimum is three rounds with the cup. We're also moving into more remote areas where money has little value. Everything is based on trading. We'll be carrying small parcel of staples and other desirables worth about $2.50 to trade for vegetables, fruits and other perishables. I'll let you know how it goes.
It's still raining here although the day has been sunny so far. We expect to get back to rain and limited visibility any time. It is slowing our departure for a bit. If you can't see reefs you can't travel around them.