Our daily life in Fiji
23 May 2013 | Musket Cove, Malolo Lai Lai Island, Fiji

The last few days we’ve been up to exactly the things we love. Actually we’ve developed a bit of a routine.
We usually awake just before sunrise and watch a beautiful day start with a cup of coffee in the cockpit and watch the sun come up over the Island as we discuss what’s on today’s agenda. Then a little breakfast. Then we’re off to do what we planned out, then a nice sunset viewing to end the day. We’re usually asleep by “cruisers midnight” 9pm. Then rinse and repeat.
We’ve snorkeled several of the reefs around here but still have ten or fifteen yet to explore, and several that we want to do again (actually every swim has ended with “we want to do that reef again!”). While the damage to the coral from a cyclone two years ago is evident, the reefs are still teeming with gillions of fish. We’ve seen a couple new species, but not a huge difference from Tonga’s variety. During a swim yesterday, we did see some Lobsters for the first time. We were tempted but didn’t harvest them. We’ve only seen one crown of thorns (a scourge on reefs that’s under eradication attempts across the South Pacific), but since we didn’t have the spear, he lived to continue wreaking havoc on the reef.
On days we don’t snorkel, we go for walks on the beach, we have yet to climb the peaks around us yet, but their on the to do list. During our most recent walk, we went around half of the smaller island before calling it a day. We saw lots of feeder fish being fed on by juvenile tuna and a small sea snake that startled Tom since he almost stepped right on it. Sea snakes are very very toxic to humans but pose almost no threat since their mouths are too small to bite anything other than the webbing between your fingers or toes. We still give them a wide berth, but they are very curious and like to inspect the source of heat we represent.
Last night we attended a Fijian pig feast. It was wonderful to sit on the beach watching the sunset and eat while a couple Islanders with guitars played and sang, they both had wonderful voices and even though we didn’t know the words, it was a great accompaniment to the good grub. Just as we were finishing and saying our goodbyes, the band broke out in a rendition of “Take Me Home” by John Denver, and we got a chuckle, but it was well preformed. Then we walked down the beach by the moonlight and back to dink for the ride home.
A few nights ago, we experienced our first thunderstorm aboard Tanga. Right after sunset, we watched lightening in the sky, in three different areas, mostly coming from the west, which we were right in the path. By 11pm, the first of two storms was on top of us. Thunder roaring, lightening cracking and lighting up the sky, huge down pour of rain, and very strong winds (around 40 knots); all lasting for over an hour. We were both glad we were safely attached to a mooring ball, specifically, a mooring that is attached to a sunken bull dozer!
After the hour pasted, the winds slowed down to steady 20knots until the second storm passed over us. The second storm was not as intense of the first, but still brought thunder, lightning, rain and wind. Tom stayed awake and alert through both storms while I went to bed right before the second storm.
We added a few more pictures in the Fiji Photo Gallery.