Fiji-Time - No Hurry, No Worry

It's dark and we're running late. In accordance with the regulations, we have fitted the dinghy with a green/red light at the front and a white light at the rear. I say as we get in: “Take care of the lights.” But it's already happened. The front light is simply smashed away when Gaby gets in and lands in the water. She looks wide-eyed at the light as it floats away from the boat. I try to reach it and lean far out of the boat. It happens as it must: I end up in the water. That wouldn't have been so bad if the bag with the cell phone hadn't fallen in with me. All the advice on the internet doesn't help. The cell phone remains dead. So at the moment, contact with the outside world has been cut off for me. When I'll be able to find a new cell phone is still written in the stars, but I've already adapted and all I can say is: Fiji Time - no hurry, no worry.

Sunk in the sea. Lonely beach, Musket Cove, Fiji

The next few days will be a challenge for me. In principle, everything works via my cell phone. The bank app only works via two-way authentication. I usually check the weather on my cell phone. I record our trip on my cell phone. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram - none at the moment. Of course, our guests want to experience Fiji, so you can't spend time on things like buying a new cell phone. So I have to improvise for now. The cell phone purchase will be made tomorrow; Fiji time - no hurry, no worry.

New shores of Monoriki, Fiji

After spending a few days exploring Musket Cove, we set off for new shores. We want to go to Yanuya Island. Here we ask for permission to anchor and enter Monoriki. Monoriki is the island where Tom Hanks was stranded after a plane crash in the movie “Castaway”. The island belongs to the Yanuya group and in Yanuya Village you have to ask the boss for permission. This is done with the traditional Sevusevu ceremony. So we land the dinghy on Yanuya beach and ask our way to the village chief. We are asked to take a seat on a mat and told that they are very happy about the gift we brought with us, the kava root, and that we are free to move around the islands if we pay the 20 FJD landing fee (per head, of course). After nothing more happened, I asked, somewhat irritated, whether there was no sevusevu. We were told that no kava was drunk in the first week of each month. But if we insisted, they would prepare the kava for us. Of course, we respected the village customs and gave up the drink. 

A kind of sevusevu. Yanuya, Fiji

There will always be an opportunity somewhere. We have time, Fiji time - no hurry, no worry. After visiting the village and returning to our boat, we take a look at the offshore reef. The water is crystal clear and the corals are intact. Large fan corals in all colors alternate with hard and soft corals. A colorful variety of small reef fish can be seen. Beautiful colors.

Village life in Yanuya, Fiji

The next day we move to the island of Monoriki, two miles away. We anchor on twenty meters of sand. The island is so famous that many excursion boats from the surrounding resorts populate the island. By four o'clock, the party is over and we have the island all to ourselves. Katinka Enjoy is the only boat at anchor. We cross over with the dinghy and explore the sandy beach where Tom Hanks was stranded. Today, “Help me” is still written in the sand with coconuts. We sit under palm trees in the warm sand and drink the beer we brought with us. The landscape with the neighboring islands is unique and we take in the sound of the waves and the evening atmosphere. We decide to explore the hiking trails the next day before the tourists descend on the island.

Katinka Enjoy off Monoriki Island, Fiji

The next morning we swim over and walk across the island. The turn-off to the viewpoint is very overgrown, so we don't recognize it straight away and walk past it. We find the gravestone that Tom Hanks used to bury his buddy, who was stranded dead on the island a few days later. We eventually find the path and follow the markings on the trees. The path climbs steeply. The thicket provides shade. Nevertheless, we work up quite a sweat.

Tom Hanks still lives on Monoriki, Fiji

Once we reach the top, we are a little disappointed as the view is severely obstructed by all the undergrowth. So it's not really worth going up there. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the hike and gave our sea legs a bit of exercise. We decide to drive to Waya Island, twenty miles away. Maybe we'll experience the Sevusevu ceremony there. Otherwise, we begin to suspect that this ceremony only exists in Fiji's stories. But come time, come Fiji time - no hurry, no worry. In any case, we wish you always fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.