labasa

while in savu savu we decided to explore the island of vanua levu by bus. this was a good idea only to the way to labasa. after that town, it was not the greatest of plans. labasa is a crowded town in the north of the island where most of the Indian population lives. historically, this is where the indians were brought to work in the sugar cane plantations. the sugar cane still exist and according to our 1992 guide it is the major economic activity of this island. we have never been to India but being in this town made us feel as if we were there and certainly not in fiji. they have maintained their culture and do not mix with the local fijians. they dress to their traditions, listen to their music, eat their very spicy curries, etc…. seeing this mixture was interesting, however the town was not the best of places.




i had the terrible idea of getting a cheap haircut in that town. it was dreadful. at the end i cried… maybe that is why i also did not fancy this city very much… coming back was hard. we took the same bus which did not seem to have other gears different that “first” and we went slowly back to savu savu sitting patiently on the wooden chairs with very little foam and breathing up all the fumes because the wind was faster than the bus itself…. then we did not feel so bad of our average boat speed of 5 knots per hour!

the landscapes however were wonderful.

savu savu

savu savu is an entry port in the island of vanua levu. it is the northern most island of the group of over 300 islands that make up this amazing place called fiji. we entered the lagoon and went to the copra shed marina at the entrance of the manuka creek. the marina has been the most boat friendly place we have seen so far. affordable moorings and dock, super internet, gas station just around the corner, shops and the fresh market just feet from us. the prices have been the best and the variety incredible. there are tangerines, all sorts of spices, veggies, fruits, fish, crafts and excellent bread. the restaurants have spicy food with lots of curry and roti. the place is very influenced by indians and the indian population is huge. the people are very friendly. we are surrounded by many sailboats, quite a contrast from the quiet wallis. we have met old friends from boats we’ve seen along our path and made new friends form literally all over the world. the entire bay is pristine and the city itself is very clean. a very interesting place that we will come back to any time!

sailing to fiji

another 360 nautical miles, exactly 72 hours after leaving wallis we arrived in fiji. this crossing was a good one. i again felt sick the first day, but soon recovered and the conditions also improved. the wind decreased a bit from the almost constant 20-25 knots we had for the last days. the seas also got a little calmer; we had sunny days and nights full of stars; we caught a mahi mahi and a little tuna on the koro sea just before arriving.

on the last day we were accompanied by very excited dolphin. these ones were big and were jumping around the boat much more than ever before, one so high that we thought it could touch the genoa. we were also excited on board and were walking up to the bow to see them while enjoying the show… when less than a 100 feet from the boat i saw a BIG humpback whale jump up in the air, turn around and fall belly up into the water making a huge splash. we were astounded and also a bit nervous after having read stories of whales hurting boats. but soon saw a second whale breathing further away and yet another smaller one jumping further out. so we knew they were not getting any closer… a relief! and an unforgettable memory to have seen such a show so close to us! i guess this will be a difficult crossing to top.

assumption day

assumption day, or the day the virgin of charity; is a very important religious ceremony celebrated in wallis. it is a day of worship and an opportunity to donate money to the community to help the ones that need it the most. everyone from the three main districts of the island gathered at the main village to celebrate. the king and all the ministers presided the celebration and were seated at the center of the stage. we were lucky to be in the island and have been invited to such a picturesque celebration. the entire day of festivities included:



a parade with all men, women and children covered in flowers and carpets bringing foods, tapas, and offerings to share with the community. music and dances with the local dresses where the dancers asked for money for their communities and while they danced for hours, the spectators gave them money which was either deposited in a basket in the middle of the yard where they were dancing or somehow placed in the dancer’s bodies, in their heads or inside their clothes.



there was also a big feast and everyone that attended was invited to eat lamp, pork, shrimp, salads, chicken and just about every type of food imaginable. There was a display of flags made form different pareos form the island. most impressive of all, there was a ceremonial blessing of the offerings which were huge wild pork cooked by the different families and placed on the grass in the center of the ceremonies. after they were each blessed one by one by a committee they were carried back to the different houses to be eaten by the families. these animals, once cooked weight hundreds of kilos. they are emptied inside and then filled with hot stones to cook their meat. the stones are left inside and to lift every animal becomes a job of up to ten very big men… they must have done this 100 times as there were over tha many cooked wild pork on the yard… a truly shocking image! quite unique.



at the end of the ceremony we went on a dinghi trip around the island and back to the boat to rest after so much food we eat. we talked about the dresses and music and dances, and mostly the animals for days after the festivities. we were very impressed with the generosity of the people in wallis and their beautiful celebration.

wallis island

wallis is one of the islands of the french territory called wallis and futuna. the territory includes three main islands: wallis (the most populous), the island of futuna, and the island of alofi which is uninhabited reportedly because all of its people were eaten by the cannibals from the other two islands...

wallis is a big island inside a lagoon with several smaller islands in the outer reefs. the pass into the lagoon was complicated. we approached the entrance in the morning with over 25 knots of wind. we tried to enter but felt the strong current pushing us out, the rip tides and the big waves breaking in either side of the reef. we were afraid to be dragged by the strong current and finish on top of the scary rocks, so we decided to sail back out to the ocean and wait a few hours until low tide and the slack before trying to go in again. this second attempt was easier and we were able to go negotiate the pass with no problems at all.




once in, we discovered a paradise which is hardly visited by anyone. as opposed to the french polynesia this is not a common sailing or otherwise tourist destination; there were only three sailboats anchored of the village, us included of course. maybe this is why the locals are extra kind to the occasional visitor that stops by. here there are no buses but there is hardly any trouble getting around hitchhiking. all doors to every house are open, cars are left with open windows and keys inside. everyone pretty much knew everyone else, I have a strong feeling that they were even related. after the second day esteban started to recognize the people! a quiet place, not crowded at all with great views and beaches and islands to explore…. not a bad spot at all ah?!

crossing to wallis

in the morning of august 6 we left pago pago harbor towards wallis island. the crossing was 360 nautical miles due west, a 72 hour sail. we had strong wind blowing steady from the east and the seas were rough. the boat rocked from side to side like never before and I for the first time got my seasickness experience. It was not pleasant. and the worse of it is that it leaves the sick person useless and the other all alone to sail the boat. Fortunately the sail was a short one, for pacific crossing standards at least, and we arrived in wallis safely and very fast. we had no fish in this crossing; two misses though, one of which took the lure and line with him.

leaving samoa

we finally explored the rest of the island. turns out the western part, in particular the village of amanave was the most impacted by last year's tsunami. the houses are totally destroyed and today; almost one year later; the people are still living in tents. but aside from the shocking scene of nature's devastation, that part of the island is as all other parts: beautiful. lots of green and big waves breaking in the reefs. there are not that many sand beaches in this island, most of them are simply coral heads. it is more beautiful than pleasant to go in, but makes a very dramatic sight to see all the waves breaking in the coral reef all the time.


this was the place with the most stray dogs we have ever seen . this was rather disturbing (even for us, that we come from south america!!); all the dogs are in terrible condition, they look sick, hungry and mad, to the point we were scared sometimes to walk around with so many of them loose. but at the end, with stray dogs and tuna smell (from the cannery) we enjoyed this place very much, its great internet, cheap and abundant provisions, and all the movies we wanted to see and could possibly rent.