Somosomo
08 July 2019
Steve Watford
Somosomo for fruit and vegetables
We made our way across the Somosomo Strait from Viani Bay to the Somosomo Anchorage.
This was a fairly deep anchorage and the anchor did not set as well as we would like. It looks like dark sandy mud and the anchor just cut through it like butter. The weather was very settled and we would only be off of the boat for a few hours to run to town to restock on our fruits and vegetables and a few nonperishables. We took the cart because beer was on the list and no one wanted to carry that back to the boat.
The town was a small section of road with a few shops and stores, a handful of very small restaurants, a few fresh fruit stands and a school. The locals grown a nice selection of fruits and vegetables. We did find the prices more than in Savusavu and the selection slightly less but we got almost everything we needed. Carrots and celery for the hummus, nowhere to be found. These are mostly imported items.
The ferry that supplies all of the out islands was shut down by the government. This ferry also supplies the people with medicine, imported fruits and vegetables, and nonperishable items. This ferry is also the way on and off the island for many locals. The shelves in the grocery store were empty after only a few days of no ferry service. We heard the ferry had not paid their taxes in years and were providing unsafe conditions for passengers so the government closed them down until they made some changes. Many of the islands and villages do not have cars or roads, they are all based on boat transportation for food, supplies and fuel. They make the run across the strait to Taveuni for supplies etc. Luckily, it seems the situation did not last long. We heard the ferry was to start running again today so hopefully, the shelves will be stocked again soon. We made our way back to the boat and loaded all of the fresh supplies below. It was a little later than we wanted to head to another anchorage and the weather was mild so we stayed for a slightly rolly night and headed out the next day.