sv evi

The Jellies (that’s us three) are en route to Tacoma, WA. We are sitting at a restaurant in a hotel across the road from the airport in Nadi. Tomu is sacked out on the floor, lying on our pool towels. Riki is working a crossword. We have a 10 hour layover, so we’ll have plenty of time to play in the pool after lunch.

The past week Guava Jelly has been on the dock at the Copra Shed Marina in Savu Savu. Riki has been working like a madman from dawn to dusk, getting Guava ready to sit alone on a cyclone mooring in the tropics until we come back next summer. He is very conscientious with how he takes care of his boat. He washes & dries all the sails & stores them down below. He washes & dries all the lines & stores them inside the mast to minimize sun damage. I have been full-time running around after Tomu and cooking dinner during his naps. Tomu has been playing on the dinghy docks, pulling the painters of the dinghies and then fending them off again. He also drags his own toy dinghy around behind him on a string almost everywhere he goes. Tomu & I have also been hanging out with my friend Anjana during her break time each day. Riki & I fall into bed exhausted about 7:30 pm, just after Tomu goes down.

We spent our last night in Savu Savu in a hotel, as we had an early flight to catch. There was nary a dry eye as Riki & I hugged Anjana & her mom, Shishila, goodbye. They came to meet us at our hotel at 8 am bearing gifts for each of us. Anjana and I didn’t say much as we hugged–just cried. There was a present for us from Dolly & Robin waiting at the hotel reception–a scroll with the Isa Isa Fijian farewell song. And Siteri, Tomu’s Fijian grandma, sent along some placemats. On the way to the airport Riki and I remarked how out of all the friends we’ve made during these 10 months, both cruisers and locals, none were better than our friends (the employees) from the Copra Shed Marina. That place has been a real home away from home, and everyone there dotes on Tomasi.

We sure will miss how Fijians love babies: how they offer to hold him and take care of him so we can finish our meal; how they always engage with him when we walk down the street; how they make us feel special just for being in his company. Tomu especially will miss the plentiful fresh fruit here–papayas, mandarin oranges, and passionfruit for breakfast and little lady finger bananas that are so sweet and flavorful.

But Fiji has a firm hold on our hearts, and we’ll be back next summer because Guava is here. We plan to come back every summer for 6 weeks or so for the next few years…I don’t think my principal will go for another year off from teaching so soon. 🙂 After that..we’ll see.