How different it is some twenty miles northwest of Lautoka. We have been at anchor here (Navadra) for some three or four days. Bill has told you about what has happened during the first couple of days here, but I noticed that he hasn't told you anything really about where we are and what it is like.

Navadra is a triangle of three islands that must at one time or another been a caldera of a volcano. The islands are volcanic and are tall and steep with goats meandering about on the cliffs at sunset. The water here is deep, about 70 to 90 feet and such a gorgeous color of blue. Sometimes the sky and the water become one in color and it becomes magical. It is the world's largest infinity pool. The islands are covered in verdant green. Lots of coconut trees with scads of older coconuts on the ground and green drinking coconuts still in the trees just waiting for someone to find a long stick and jab it off the tree.

The islands are all surrounded by white sand beaches of varying degrees of fineness. Most is fine sand that you sink up to your ankles when you walk, it makes for a great aerobic exercise just walking from one end to the other. They are also surrounded by a living reef that goes out about a 100 yards from shore that makes landing your dink interesting. A couple of days ago, we snorkeled into shore over the reef on the island of Vanua Levu (one of many in Fiji). It took your breath away. There were so many different sorts of hard corals of all different colors and shapes. They went from 70 feet up to just under the surface. Everything was alive which is a new experience. There were colorful reef fish darting everywhere, blue cromis, Sargent Majors, and tons that I haven't a clue what they were. I really do need to study a fish guide. I did recognize the two White tip reef sharks though! Except this time my heart didn't jump out of my chest in fright.

During the sojourn to shore we found two coconuts that we were going to husk and bring onboard to use as fried coconut for appetizers to go with our Sundowners. Well, let me tell you coconuts want to stay where you found them undisturbed. They fight you every step of the husking process and beyond!!! We found the "husking stick" and started to bang the nut down onto it. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes later we are still trying to get the husk off the nut. Bill persevered with the husking eventually banging it on a sharp rock and eventually stomping on it while it was wedged between two rocks to get the last bits of husk off. Then on the boat I proceeded to try and get the meat out of the shell. I did get it open, but then ended up using a flat bladed screwdriver and a hammer to get out the white nuggets of meat. Whew, we earned the right to eat that baby! Into the frypan until it was golden brown then out to the cockpit to munch upon with our drinks.

Today, Bill and I are going to take Puff out for a spin to take a look at the reef that is in the middle of the anchorage as well as the surrounding reef wall on the west side of the islands. We will probably be diving on the reef in the middle of the anchorage. Four guys went out there yesterday, so it must be shallow enough to anchor the dink.

Three boats have left so far today, so now we are the only monohull boat here along with three other catamarans. The sky is clear, the temperature is in the mid eighties with the humidity at 70% and currently no breeze, so the water is going to feel wonderfully cool to swim in today.