10/14/2009, Savusavu, Vanua Levu
.... which, as we've said before, is to remain flexible. My Fijian visa expires in early November, Judy's in late December. We have options to rectify this situation, most of which would put a crimp in our time on Vanua Levu before returning to Vuda Point. All also involve some expense. A fourth (modestly pricey) option is to apply for a temporary (12 month) residents permit which I've done, thus eliminating the cost and time of travel outside Fiji. Judy's visa issues will be resolved if we leave for NZ before Christmas.
We're having a good time in Savusavu which for a small port has an amazing number of excellent, inexpensive restaurants. Yesterday we visited the quietly elegant, ridiculously expensive Jean-Michel Cousteau Eco Resort for lunch. It was worth the price and the facility is worth a Google. This coming Saturday we've been invited to a local Hindu merchant's home to help celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights honoring the goddess Lachsmi. Judy has already acquired the proper costume and bling to blend in and is working on skin tone. Next week we hope to put Savusavu to our rudder and head east to some more remote anchorages and the Garden Isle, Taveuni.
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10/08/2009, Savusavu, Vanua Levu
Approaching Savusavu yesterday around noon we received a tsunami warning for Fiji over the VHF radio. Considering the devastation caused by the tsunami in the Samoas last week we took this news seriously. Fortunately we were still out in the deep water of the Koro Sea so we were in no danger, but local radio confirmed that cities in western Fiji were emptying out. The warning was triggered by a series of three magnitude 7 plus undersea quakes in the vicinity of northern Vanuatu some 400 miles to the west - about an hour's traveling time for a tsunami. Fortunately no tsunami developed, but after events in Indonesia and Samoa people in the South Pacific have become very jumpy about seismic activity.
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10/04/2009, Nananu-i-Ra
Tomorrow we plan to cross the Vatu-i-Ra Channel from this lovely anchorage to Nambouwalu on Vanua Levu. We'll be back this way again we're sure as the north coast of Viti Levu contains some of the most spectacular country we've seen in Fiji.
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09/25/2009, Vuda Point
By now just about everyone has become aware of the tsunami that rocked the Samoas and parts of northern Tonga yesterday. and, although some areas of eastern Fiji saw small tsunami waves, none were seen on the western side of Viti Levu. We followed developments closely on the internet as we still have friends in American Samoa both on and off yachts. And, the harbor in Pago Pago where we anchored for a month two years ago was one of the most devastated locations. Tomorrow we head out for Vanua Levu and another chapter in our Fiji experience.
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