The food here is a treat for the eyes and palate, offering a buffet lunch with eggs and omlets made to order, crepes, exotic fruits and juices... you name it! Most resorts on the islands have a compulsory meal plan, so might as well take advantage of it, since I'm paying either way. The lunch menu includes a variety of items including curried chicken with saffron rice, fish cakes, and my favorite was the large green salad loaded with papaya, pineapple, watermenoln, coconut shavings, seeds, pumpkin, and fresh fish. Dinner is always a 4 course affair, with appetizer, entree, main, and dessert options. I feel so spoiled!
The reef here is my playground! Thousands of fish, some with up to 7 colors. I made friends with Angela, and Italian living in Belgium, who works for the UN as a lawyer of sorts involved in fish management. She gave me a few lessons on some things to look for and notice along the reef, which gave me a new lens and context to all that I was seeing. In the afternoon of my second day I ventured far out following the reef's edge finding the cuddlefish I had heard about. About 6-7 inches long with squid like arms and a ruffling skirt, the pair I spotted started out dark brown in color and changed light iridescent while I dove down deep to follow them a bit. The farther out I went, the better the sights. The water was a little choppy, and it was getting later in the day, so I decided to just go a bit further before making my way back to shore, when I suddenly came upon a reef shark! He was very curious about me, and followed me for a while, perhaps expecting to be fed, as snorkeling with reef sharks is a popular excursion, and they often need to be lured into an area by treats. At the time I did not know this, and definitely freaked out a bit. My rational mind told me, "He's harmless. You wanted to go snorkeling with the sharks. Enjoy this." The primitive, emotional part of my brain shouted, "Get the hell out of here!" It was a little nerve racking when he followed me around, but I was able to enjoy the experience... ok, I might have gotten a leg cramp from how fast I was kicking myself out of the area, haha. After calming down I saw a sea turtle on my way back- the Yoda of the sea- and felt safe again.
The following day included a visit to Sara-I-Lau, the limestone caves, by way of a thrilling motor boat ride. The weather had turned, with threats of a cyclone coming in, and the seas were rough. The caves were a really special experience.
Hosting a mix of fresh and salt water, we saw eel and red snapper in the clear water. They say if you haven't visited the caves, you haven't really been to the Yasawas. From the shore you climb a few steps up the hillside, then down into the first cave, lit up by sunlight streaming in through openings up top.
From there, you can enter a second dark cave by way of an underwater tunnel, using a diving light to navigate. Our guide Petè found me to be somewhat brave and a strong swimmer, so he had me go first to shine the light for everyone else as he guided them through the tunnel. The beauty of this was being the only one in the dark second cave on the way in, and the way out. I definitely let out a big howl while alone in the cave that echoed for what felt like minutes.
The storm began to come in with full force, and I had to make the difficult decision to skip my last island to ensure I'd make it back to Nadi to catch my flight to New Zealand... smart choice, because all inter-island transportation was cancelled the day I was scheduled to come back for my flight... Seng na lenga- no worries!
The boat ride back to Nadi was packed, and I took the advice of some older wine loving ladies, and upgraded to the "Captains Lounge" for about $20 US. Free wine and beer and snacks, cushy couch seats, and roomy. Good thing, because the 4 1/2 hour ride ended up being a stormy 7 hour affair. When I left the the lounge to use the loo, it was horrific- people all wet, huddled together, sitting in isleways, green faced and puking everywhere. Feeling great and a little wine drunk, I felt like a jerk, and tried not to smile and draw attention to my purple teeth and dry clothes as I maneuvered my way through the miserable masses while the boat tossed back and forth.
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