Friends

We had a very social day today. Mary, with Martha in tow, took us to meet her friend, Phyllis, who lives on “the hill.” Phyllis operated a dive shop in Fiji from the mid-1990’s to the mid-2000’s and became part of the local village community. The village granted her land, on a hill, where she built a beautiful home. When we arrived, Mary refused to go up the driveway, which is steep and rugged. I was relieved when she said that Phyllis would drive down and pick us up. Although not long, the driveway has a steep grade up the hill. Once we reached the end of the driveway and piled out of the car. The interior of her home is a dark wood, with decorative weaving, where the ceiling timbers meet. There was little evidence of her American nationality, as the small home was simply decorated with a local influence. I turned to to the right, where her property opens to an incredible ocean view. Her wrap-around deck provided continuous opportunities to take in gorgeous views of the sea below. Had I been asked, I would have suggested we sit on her porch for the whole day and watch the ocean roll in and out. But, there were other plans.

We got changed and headed down the hill to a cove, hidden from anyone’s view. We donned our snorkel gear, but Kim came across an azure-colored starfish before she even stuck her face in the water. A new experience for her, she was delighted in her immediate success. Mary, on the other hand, was not as interested in snorkeling. She’d previously had a bad experience in the ocean and was content to wade in the shallow water. Somehow, Phyllis managed to coax her into using a mask and taking a look. We were all delighted, when Mary shrieked with excitement. She’d come across some colorful fish, “I never knew...” It was fun to see her light up at the possibilities that swam below the surface.

After our snorkeling adventure, Phyllis offered a huge lunch spread. We ate our meal on the deck, overlooking the ocean. I’m pretty sure I could do this everyday. From what I understand, it doesn’t get old.

On the way back to Suva, I had a minor medical emergency. Luckily for me, Mary’s daughter is a physician, and everything was taken care of without too much disturbance to the end of our day. Following the unexpected stop at the pharmacy, Kim and I thanked Martha for her hospitality and drove to Pacific Harbor, where we had rented a bure on the beach.Read more