Sea Grape Salad

Day 6 of our adventure with Te Kaihōpara. Our solid old girl sat well at anchor overnight during a cool southerly. The bay we’re in - Somosomo - is full of other cruisers who also thought this would be a comfortable anchorage in the weather. All coffeed up, the crew went ashore to visit the village of Gunu (pronounced noo-noo) armed with kava, toys, gifts and a cricket set. Welcomed into the village, we presented the kava to their chief and headed down to the school to see the children. What an absolutely memorable moment when we turned up to 135 kids all wanting to know our names and ages! Let the games begin! We played cricket with a set brought by Callum (Simon caught a kid out but then ‘accidentally’ dropped the ball), running races lead by John 11 who won one race, then lost the other, frisbee, skipping rope, bubbles blown by Patti full of giggles and an impromptu show with singing - they organised their choir for us! The kids sang songs including the traditional Isa Lei again then got rallied by their teachers back into the classroom. We saw their lessons on the chalkboard were impressed - they were learning about democracy and fascism, countries that aid Fiji, global warming, parts of the brain…. well behaved, the teacher rang the bell and they all trotted back to learning. Every face we saw, Patti says, were all happy, healthy, smiling and had bright eyes.

Callum and two of the villagers

Ecstatic cricketers

John 9 (L), John 11 (C) and Simon (R) in Gunu

Look at the line up waiting to bat!

After the school classes went back to their lessons, we were mobbed by a coconut man called Morris who gave us all a fresh one to drink. Waddling back down to the dinghy, we were again approached by another family with coconuts for us! We sadly had to say we’d just had one but Lisa brought one from them to give to me on Te Kaihōpara. How delicious!

Leaving Gunu

As we left, the kids came running after us with the frisbees and cricket set to return to us. Their grins of elation when we said they were to keep the toys was fantastic. They all sprinted off again whooping and leaping and set the cricket up again to continue playing. Hearts full, we arrived back on Te Kaihōpara to a yummy pasta salad for lunch which I had whipped up for the crew while they were ashore.

The afternoon brought more snorkeling at a neighboring bay. Patti, Lisa, John 9, Simon and I piled into the dinghy and pottered over to an adjacent boat to get the down low on the best spots around here. This yacht had a family of 4 - two young kids - who have been cruising around all the way from St Helena Island! Very friendly, they suggested we try around the headland, so around the headland we went. Wow what a beach! Miles of white coral sand in little disks, lined with coconut palms and shallow turquoise water stretching out to a stunning coral reef. Simon spotted a turtle that zipped away before I could see it, there were a few different types of fish but you had to look carefully to see them, and I even saw an eel! It was low tide while we were there which meant we had to engage full float mode and suck in our tummies to get over parts of the reef, then we were on the ocean side and were able to dive down and explore the layers of life.

It was paradise

Our lovely lady in the sunset

Simon on the snorkeling beach

Corals! Taken by Patti

We had a time schedule to keep to because when we were at Gunu Village earlier, we were invited to return for dinner! The villagers would do a boat transfer and cook dinner for us this evening. Our host’s name is Ili, we had the meal in her home and she cooked for us with some help of other village ladies and kids. Our boat driver was Emos and his eldest son Jonathan: Emos is Ili’s brother-in-law. The boys picked us up on island time then carefully put us ashore. They lead us through the beautiful buildings, lawns and paths to Ili’s house where the banquet was laid on the table all ready for us! I think Ili was working to a set time, whereas the boys on the boat were working off island time. The meal consisted of many interesting and delicious plates. There was whole fried fish, roast pumpkin, fresh pineapple, octopus salad, charred eggplant, uvi (yam root), steamed rice and seagrape salad! My oh my what a spread! The octopus was deliciously soft and creamy, the pumpkin sweet, the eggplant was superbly cooked, I enjoyed the starchy uvi and the seagrape salad was something different! Crunchy, vinegary, salty sea grapes tossed in coconut milk and onions left a refreshing bite to your mouth and a loud crunch in our ears as the grapes popped when you bit down on them. Star of the minute was Simon and a cat called Tinga who would not stop pestering him the whole meal, while it’s sibling One Eye (dua mata in Fijian) kept our feet company and picked up any dropped food with a growl. Patti played with the children and Jo danced with them. John 11 and Callum took down Ili’s clock to see what sort of batteries she needed while Lisa kept feeding the cats scraps of fish. John 9 kept shuffling away from the moggies while Kingsley and Sally just laughed from their end of the table.

All with a full puku (stomach), we found Emos to take us back to Te Kaihōpara, but not after a massive round of hi-fives, hugs, handshakes and thank yous to everybody present. I felt so emotional that these generous people welcomed us into their home for dinner and really made an impression. We really made great connections with these people and can’t wait to go back. On board Te Kaihōpara, Emos and Jonathan came for a tour and chat. They were mightily impressed with everything on board, especially the amount of mechanics and electrics. Jonathan got deep into conversation with Callum about fishing and rugby while the ladies (myself included) crowded around Emos and heard about his life. He had caught the fish we ate for dinner and that was how he made a living. The ladies in the village collect the sea grapes and sell 50kg bags of them on the mainland for $100FJD. It’s a very different and captivating way of life, working to make a living and surviving off the land. They all are very happy and content though, when I grow up I think living in a Fijian village would be pretty cool.

Loading Emos’ long boat to head back home

Once we said moce/goodbye to Emos and Jonathan, we retired into the saloon and couldn’t stop smiling and marveling about our evening. It was truly fantastic and very special.

Hannah - Chief Mate - Te Kaihōpara