Clouds,Rain Cakes, and Marlyn

Leaf me alone!

Know how this leaf got to be so big? Rain, rain, rain, and more rain. Everyone just walks around wet; funny how the Fijians carry umbrellas on a sunny day but walk around soaked when it rains.  Best guess is, the rain cools one off from the hot humid day's of the monsoon season.

Rainbow

It rains really hard and just when you think it can't rain any harder....it's as if the roof will collapse under the pressure. The good thing is that there is almost always a rainbow after the rain.

The Yacht Club at Savusavu

Savusavu is a quiet little town on the northern island of Vanna Lavu ,and is considered a hurricane hole for boats seeking shelter from cyclones. Believe me, you do not want to be out on the ocean when those kind of winds kick up.  Savusavu has a cool little yacht club called the Copra Shed where on any given day you can see the cruisers gathered together for their afternoon libations. There are two supermarkets but the shelves are pretty empty when the supply boats do not make it in due to bad weather. The saving grace is a little store called Wine and Spirits run by a Kiwi man and his Asian wife. Wine and Spirits not only has reasonably priced wine and alcohol (Smirnoff vodka is $150.00 Fiji; that's $70.00 US$!!!)  also carries  Asian and American foods. Then there is the butcher where I can get good steaks for the boy's, chicken breast, and danish bacon. The open market was disappointing, because the heavy rains inhibited the crops of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables. Pineapple, papaya, bananas, and watermelon were plentiful, so we have been eating alot of fruit salsa and fruit salad.  

Neighbor boat here in Savusavu bay

Fruit Bowl

Poor Trinidad has had to endure some very bad grooming by the Slow Dance crew, as it is impossible to find a dog groomer in the South Pacific. Ron brought back a good pair of electric dog sheers and we all had fun creating a new hair style for Trini; her new name is "Spike" and she is happy her dog friends back home will not see her new do! They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but i swear, Trinidad is like a new dog, fetching sticks with a fierce growl, swimming out to the dingy on her own, and trying really hard to stop whining every time we approach shore. 

Trini got a Mohawk

The cruisers gathered for a jam session at the Decked Out Bar and some locals joined in as well .I played tambourine, and popcorn in a glass jar. (should have bought those morocco's  in Mexico)

Standard fare from the market

Gifts from our California guests. Thank god for Wholefoods

This is what Sour-Sop fruit looks like inside; the outside looks like a cactus in the shape of an ass I put it in the food processor after removing the big black seeds, with dash of cinnamon. Once placed in the freezer, you have excellent sorbet. Sour Sop is naturally sweet.

Italian coffee cake made with rocotti, chocolate, and crushed almonds

Two wines in hand are better then one in the bush? How does that go?

Welcome Marlyn, our new crew member, a local girl from Suva, soon to be world traveler.

We first met Marlyn on Denarau Island, working as a hostess at a cafe called Lulu's. Marlyn was on her way to attend sea school in her home town of Suva and had big dreams of getting a job one day on a mega yacht. Slow Dance needed another deckhand/stewardess and captain Sean decided to give her this incredible opportunity to get training and experience. The Nobel House crew has tried to steal Marlyn away from us but she wouldn't think of leaving us; she is loyal and true blue! Welcome Marlyn, you are a peach and a fast learner, which has allowed me to return home for a visit with my family.