A Letter to Shelby’s Mom From Fiji
Hey Mama LLama,
I’m writing because I think of you every day and yet you don’t hear from me in a way that indicates that constancy. I also know that you have a keen interest every time Dave and Kelli join us on the boat because you heard it all from the beginning: how we met on a catamaran delivery and became fast friends that would share significant nautical miles together. Our memories multiplied as we shared time aboard Calla Lily in Fiji!
It was a wonderful reunion of friends / sailors / adventurers. We are still so compatible; as if no time or distance ever comes between us. To get to the boat, they flew in from the big island of Fiji to Savusavu. An easy taxi ride to the airport and we were there to greet them. I had purchased a shell necklace for Kelli and it meant a lot because she had noticed the resort staff putting necklaces on their arriving guests. That made me smile.
We got to the marina and dinghied out to the boat. They had brought us boat parts with one that was top priority for our power supply. Dave and Mike got right on that project as Kelli and I inventoried lockers and made notes for provisioning. We had dinner out and an early night. Kelli and I laced our day in town for provisioning with some fun >> I asked her to help me choose new fabric to cover the settees in the saloon. You know me :: shopping and fabrics! I was a very happy camper!
Not wasting any time, the next day we set sail for a small bay about 10 hours away. To our horror, Kelli and I both got violently ill! (Good thing there are two heads on Calla Lily!) We were barely able to move and were really dehydrated. The boys had charge of sailing and got us anchored then went ashore at Vianni Bay. There was nothing for them to do on board so they shuttled in the dinghy to shore and shared Happy Hour with the lovely resort owner and other yachties. It was really something that Kelli and I were both sick as we were. The two of us usually create meals and the guys clean up but that was NOT happening. It was a scary, hard start to the trip but with LOTS of rest we got through. I even missed my first night watch completely. We sailed out to the eastern edge of Fiji to the Lau group, a place called Bay of Islands.
The snorkeling was some of the best yet in the Bay of Islands. And the rock formations there are breathtaking. Some of them look like giant black mushrooms with tufts of green on the dome. The unusual formations popping up out of the reefs are limestone that is getting eroded from below by water and waves and sanded down around the edges by wind and rain. The plants that find a foothold are exotic and tenacious. What a wonder!
This was also our main destination with them because of the unique and limited access for rock climbing. We anchored in this area for a few days to allow Dave to indulge in his lifelong pursuit of climbing challenges. My oh my I could not have imagined someone scaling those formations and rock faces unless I had seen it myself. Dave has been a rock climber for 35 years and has climbed in many areas of the world. He was super excited by these bouldering challenges where he accessed the rocks from the water’s edge (off of a paddle board) and then pulled himself up. The water had to be deep enough too so that he could safely fall into the water when he needed to. It was quite the spectator sport for us! Truly and thoroughly amazed… He was thrilled with a personal best.
We made our way around the central island which is home to eight different villages. The tradition in Fiji is to bring kava root to the village chief in exchange for their welcome with an invitation to participate in village life, enjoy the land and water and hospitality. Most villages require this "sevusevu" ceremony and you come under their care while you are there. It’s lovely. With Dave and Kelli we had to hike 6 kilometers to get to one village from our anchorage but that is also part of the adventure. We did two ceremonies in one day for a total of four sevusevus. Fiji is best enjoyed with the locals!
The last day of sailing we had together, we sailed all day to the middle island in the Lau chain where they would catch an airplane to go back to the main island of Fiji. We decided to make that a daytime sail, but there were still some unexpecteds! We encountered several squalls and an unanticipated jibe due to the wind shifting hard and fast. Then the lull after the squall makes the sails flog and the boat wander. They got a variety of experiences on this trip for sure but bottom line, everyone felt secure and confidant in Calla Lily’s blue water ability to handle many and varied conditions. We were tested, and everyone passed!
Mama, I love you so much. You are near in heart when I see birds, sea turtles, a beautiful sunrise and sunset, feel the nudge or hug of a wave on the hull of the boat, and of course... all the variety of clouds that we look at together when we go for a desert stroll.
That's my story. I hope you enjoyed the telling and I would love to be near, squeezing your precious hand and seeing the twinkle in your eyes!! I love you! winging hugs and kisses your way EVERY day mama-san,
Shelby