Our quick trip away from the Blue Lagoon found us traveling a little further north to the last anchorable island in the Yasawa Group called Yasawa Island. Our first stop was to an uninhabited bay - we were hoping for some extra good beach combing (shelling) and snorkeling, but the anchorage ended up being so swelly, we didn't even get off the boat. Now, once you're used to it, the rocking can be great for sleeping - just like the rocking of a cradle. You just have to make sure nothing can roll around in cupboards, in the fridge, or off of counters. You also have to make sure that all lines are pulled tight so they don't creak. It's amazing how noisy one little bottle rolling back and forth an inch or two, a halyard tapping the mast, or the dinghy rubbing against the hull can be!

Our second stop was much better. We backtracked a bit to the south end of Yasawa Island and entered a pretty area called Sawa-I-Lau. The anchorage, which turned out to be smooth as glass, was right in front of a little village. Following protocol, we donned appropriate attire (for ladies, everything should be covered from the shoulders to mid-calf and for guys a shirt and shorts) and headed in to offer our sevusevu to the chief of the village. After getting his blessing, we went out for a snorkel and walk on the beach - although we did have to go to the island across the way. Since it was Sunday, they didn't want us walking the beach in front of the village. They keep Sundays pretty sacred. During the blessing of the sevusevu, we met a man who is a teacher at the school on the island and I quickly got us invited for a visit on Monday morning. There are 54 children who attend Ratu Namasi Memorial School. There are 4 combination classes a 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. The head teacher welcomed us and immediately turned us over to a year 5 student named Nathan, who became the ultimate tour guide and host. He showed us all 4 classes, the library, a science lab, and the head teacher's office. There were only 2 teachers present and we were told that one of the other teachers had gone to the mainland for a few days and the other one was on maternity leave. We were amazed at how well spoken all of the children were and how engaging they were. The boys loved asking Glen all about the motor in the boat and the dinghy and I felt like a celebrity being asked all sorts of questions about my school at home. It was a little tough explaining about our mascot being a bronco, but they loved hearing about our "Bronco Way." They have a big sign in front of their school with the slogan "Learn to Love" and "Love to Learn." It was easy to see the children had mastered both. The children in the classes without teachers were all as busy as if someone were watching them and there were a few of the older children in helping the little ones. They have prefects that look after the class when the teacher is not there. We took in a few dozen pencils, but found out they really need ball point pens. We'll look into sending them some when we get back to a city on Viti Levu (when we were buying for the trip, we were worried pens would either dry up or leak, so only bought pencils). Before leaving, Nathan made us promise we would write to him and send some of the pictures we had taken. It was a lovely visit.

On an island across the way from the village, is a limestone cave. We dinghied over and were ready to go in when a boat from the village came over and told us we had to pay $10.FD to go in (okay, someone is getting in on the entrepreneurial thing!). We paid and were then guided by a young man named Libby. The first chamber of the cave was huge (the guide book says the dome-shaped walls go up 15m above the water's surface) with enough daylight streaming through the top to be able to see fairly well. A cement staircase had been made to climb up the rocks to the entrance, but the handrails along the edge were completely rusted through - don't think OSHA would have approved! The pool in the first chamber was refreshingly cool and super clear. There were a few "ancient" carvings in the limestone walls and several pieces of clothing that people had thrown to be forever hooked on crevasses, but thankfully no graffiti (like the Swallows cave in Tonga). Libby led the way for Glen and Frank to swim under the water into a second chamber of the cave. I really wanted to do it, but the tunnel was so confined and dark, I "freaked" and chickened out. Glen says the inner chamber was completely dark except what little light our dive light could put out. It also had high walls and clear water. It was fun to listen to the guys whoop and holler and bang the water - it sounded like a cannon had been shot. I was surprised at where we were hearing the sounds - very far to the right of where they entered. Glen says it was a very good thing Libby went with them because they never would have found the underwater passage on their own. The snorkeling on the reef outside of the cave was beautiful and we saw our first lion fish (although I think it should be called a zebra fish with its gorgeous black and white stripes). We had seen pictures and had heard about them, but seeing one just a few feet from us was a real treat. It looked like it had feathers that were gently swaying in the water and moved so gracefully we all agreed it was doing ballet. Hard to believe something so beautiful could be so dangerous (poisonous). I got a couple of pictures, but they don't do it justice. The coral in the area was very healthy and we keep being amazed at the variety and quantity of fish. I found a piece of a nautilus shell on the beach, but still haven't found a whole one, darn it!

The winds were once again supposed to get heavy, so we headed back to the protection of the Blue Lagoon (and a dinner at the resort!). We still have no internet, but am going to try to send a picture through winlink - it is looking in at the village from our anchorage.