Still in Limbo
21 May 2020
Diane Brown | Fall here so cooler and windy
22 May 2029
In a Good Limbo
Hanging out with other cruisers at an anchorage just waiting for better news on a Covid free Fiji and cruising permits to allow us to move to outer islands. There are really no hospitals and only minimal clinics once you leave the main islands. Viti Levu is a huge island so there are many small bays and local inlets here to enjoy. The weather is a good deal cooler now that their Summer is over (low 80's) and windy with much less humidity in Fall. We actually had to pull out a light blanket last couple nights (mid 70's). I think our body thermostats have been officially been reset.
The resorts at Musket Cove are all closed but there are enough boats out here they have a small yoga group going every other day. I so wanted to hug Terry when I saw him for the first time in months but refrained as we have been around so many people in Denarau doing our shopping. The low tides have been mid day so lots of reefs and locals walking the reef and beaches again with families and dogs collecting edibles along the way. John always puts us out as close to the reef as he is comfortable so I can swim over easily.
We are using the good wifi to work on research and keep up with any new updates from New Zealand and OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) cruisers about the South Pacific "bubble" that may open reciprocating countries to cruisers. They may even allow the time in the passage to count against any quarantine time, if still required within the "bubble". It is all just rumors, surveys and press releases at this point but several governments are working on it as Australian and New Zealanders are a huge portion of the tourist industry here in Fiji and Oceania.
John is learning to play with his drone and I am still working on the under water camera options we have onboard. Our GoPro Hero 3 is quite old as we bought it thinking we would leave over ten years ago but it does still work; if I am just patient. Johnny always asks about what fish we have seen or caught so I want badly to be able to send him some live pictures other than the dead fish we catch to eat. I ordered via Amazon some micro cards and cables we are missing so DeLisha will have a care package to assemble for us soon.
If you are interested further, please check out the "Sea Mercy Ship" efforts here in Fiji and Vanuatu to aide outer islands with staples and simple potable water recovery systems. Many of the expats here do volunteer support work. There is also an excellent article done by CNN.com on the 500+ boats that left to cross the Pacific and are now stranded out there between countries-some with young children. Titled "Trip of a lifetime with no end in sight".
We are grateful to be in limbo in Fiji!