Let me commence today’s post with an observation, my dear reader. Moustaches. To echo the pathetic attempt to curb social drug taking by the Howard government of the ‘90s, “just say no”. To moustaches. You can make up your own mind on drugs. I’m not your dad, I can’t tell you what to do. To see a young man shuffling in for breakfast, squinting eyes and wearing the exertions of last evening’s festivities across his brow, is confronting enough. When that young man is also wearing a moustache that appears once to have sported waxed ends … no, no, no. It’s enough to put one off the bad coffee one is drinking. This is 2022, not 1922. It may be in fashion but fashion is not always in good taste.
Life has settled into some sort of pattern. Not completely regular and regimented but there is a pattern. Once again, I rose before Jayne to swim laps in the pool. Exercise always allows one to feel righteous. It also excuses any excess at the breakfast table. Today was a carbon copy of the last few mornings - cloudless, with a slight breeze. The pool was empty and the restaurant only slightly more populated by the early breakfast fraternity.
Laps achieved, it was time to shower, dress and return with Jayne for the breakfast dilemma. To omelette or not to omelette, that is the question? No omelette today, but a promise was made to the staff that she would have one tomorrow. There will be no omelette passing these lips. Or any other egg concoction, if I can help it.
We lingered over breakfast, allowing the tide to rise a little higher, in preparation for another assault on snorkelling. Today we opted to walk to the Island Bar, which has become a haven for yachties and other assorted ne’er-do-wells. Think Jane Austen gypsies, but more annoying and not so scary. Our reasoning revolved around the very limited areas of clear water in which to snorkel. If the visibility is low, there is little point being out there, particularly as Jayne is snorkelling without lenses, the contacts being safe and sound in Sydney (along with the Aeroguard). While the goggles have a magnification effect, it is not enough if there is no water clarity.
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| The breakfast bulbul planning his next attack. |
The water closer to the island is a little clearer and we floated our way towards where the vision was best yesterday. Then we turned our attention to the coral that borders the deep-water channel that provides boat access to the marina. It was the clearest we’ve seen. Not brilliant, but very good. There were plenty of different coral varieties and colours. Orange, yellow, iridescent blue, purple and other less vibrant colours and more fish than we’ve seen all week. It was certainly worth the effort today and our 45 minute (self-imposed) time limit in the sun was soon reached.
The water clarity spawned today's title. Yes, dear reader, I know the Hothouse Flowers version is a remake, but it is one of the best versions. Have a listen.
We followed a slow drift back towards the beach in case there was anything else worth seeing. There wasn’t. The sun was high in sky and letting us know it was time to re-occupy the chairs on the verandah to read and relax until lunch/cocktail time.
Our allegiance for cocktails has switched from the Island Bar to the restaurant. There is no particular reason for this except that I am interested in the lunch options to minimise my dinner intake. I think it’s an age thing. For the last two days I have had lunch, coinciding with swimming laps of a morning. The cocktail today was unchanged from yesterday, a Blue Malolo. Jayne opted for the safety of a Pina Colada and I went for the experimental Island Itch. The passion fruit seduced me. Like many a seduction, it didn’t live up to expectations. Or so I’ve been told.
It has been firmly established on this trip, dear reader, that the less one does, the more exhausted one feels. In the mid-afternoon on our last full day, I am struggling to raise myself from the deck chair to walk the 20 metres to the lagoon to cool down. I am uncertain if this is just island malaise or the impact of the cocktail at lunch. It is an effort, but one must succeed.
Post-lagoon exercise, we are back lounging on the verandah. There is a new yacht in at the marina this afternoon and as the day winds down, they are winding up. Why is it people with appalling taste in music feel the need to share that fact with everyone? The music, if it can be called that, is, unlike the water, crystal clear and can be heard quite a distance away. Hoping they shove off soon. (See what I did there?)
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| A Vanikoro Flycatcher |
One of the nice touches of the resort is the hibiscus flowers that are used to decorate the buré. They are placed upon the bed, the bar, the side table on the verandah, the bathroom – just about anywhere there is flat surface. Soaking up the scenery the other afternoon I looked at the grass in front of the verandah area. Hibiscus stamens in various states of decay littered the ground like the cigarette butts of a previous generation. I’ve seen very few people here smoke. We have a coconut ashtray on the verandah that I place the flowers in every day.
Pre-dinner, I summoned the strength to chase tiny little birds. The Fijian Parrot Finch was back in the area and I finally managed to get a couple of reasonable close-ups – I hope. I won’t really know until we’re back home and I’ve loaded the photos onto the computer.
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| Nailed it. |
Our last dinner. Tonight was curry night. As mentioned previously they are obviously following a set program. I don’t get why this can’t be published to the guests. Regardless, dinner was lovely and the sunset stunning. We thought we would celebrate our last night with a relaxing bottle of red after dinner and listen to the local musicians. Well, that was the plan, but nobody came near us all evening. So, no red wine.
We walked back to the buré where sometime later Jayne suggested someone was at the door. I thought it was the clicking frog until it spoke. Our final bill, minus tonight’s wine, had been delivered. Which also delivered a surprise. We had been moved from the 3:45pm Cat back to Nandi to the 12:15pm trip. That’s a whole lot of wait time at the airport that we hadn’t factored in.
Too tired to discuss this tonight, we opted to leave it for the morning.
Until next time.
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