Coconut Bay

		Coconut Bay

norsk tekst

We had great expectations to our stay at Coconut Bay, - and our dreams were fulfilled

Weather: - varied, - some days were cloudy, and some days were windy.
Snorkeling: - superb conditions, like an aquarium full of colourful corals and strange fishes.
Walking: - limited possibilities, 2-3 paths through the shrub to nice points of view..
Accomodation: - plain, we stayed all 5 of us in a "bure", a cottage with one room, and a shower and toilet. The price was very nice- 10 US Dollar a day for full board and lodging
Food: - excellent, plentiful and varied.
Staff: - great! - very nice and friendly! They came from a village at the Eastern side of the island. They had only been in tourist business a few years. But they seemed well educated, as for both cooking and entertainment.

	We took the catamaran "Yellow Boat" to Yasawa. Passing Waya with its beautiful mountains.

	Waya and Waya Lailai had nice mountains for hiking.

	BULA! We were welcommed by song! - All guests, every day, all year are recieved this way!

	Main activity in Coconut Bay was the hammock

	Seri taught us how to make a basket of palms

	A clever technique. First we made a round ball, - when we finally split the stilk, the basket opened up.

	The baskests we got as souvenirs. Eirin is satisfied with her product.

	They sang many times a day, welcom and farewell to all guests, - and as entertainment in the night. The bass was plainly a wooden box, a stick and a string

	The Monday night we had stickdance (Limbo).

	Trere were tracks to some view points. Here Lise looks north down to Coconut Bay. The ness in the rear was called Honeymoon Point.

	The beach was nice and clean, when the tide was high you could swim all the way in

	There were great opportunities for snorkeling Diving masks were for hire at a little shop at the north end of the beach.

	By the edge of the reef there were many fishes. Atle and Lise took pictures under water.

	A snake and one of the common blue fish.

	Lots of small fish

	The Tuesday Lise, Atle and I were on a boat-trip to get close to the monster rays.

	We put on dive masks and jumped into the water. Atle swam close to the monster rays and made pictures. The sea and waves were very rough, so I did not succeed in contacting the monster rays, - I was glad to get into the boat again.

	The boat-trip was an adneralin kick to me. But my greatest adventure I did on my own. One afternoon I made a walk up the track along the water pipe.

	Down near the ground the there was some open space. In the middle there was a net of tangled branches and lians, and above was a tight green blanket of leaves. I clawled down the creek, which by luck was dry all the way. - by six o'clock it became dark

	It got completely dark, and I had to feel my way down the creek. Some glow-worms were the only lights. At seven I finally got down to the beach, sweaty and messy. - An exiting adventure!

	This was the right season for bananas. Just help yourselves! But there was generally little varation of seaons. Most crops could be grown and harvested all the year.

	Thursday was Fiji-night, with traditional food and presentation of local culture. A fisherman delivered fresh fish. It was The fisw was cleaned at the beach

	When I photographed the fish, the whole staff wanted to join in. - To the right is Cordy, the son of Seri.

	The food on Coconut Bay was excellent. They had an educated cook in the family. At every dinner you got several dishes, - just help yourselves!

	FIJI-night. - The kitchen staff present the dinner To the right is Litia who was in charge of the night. She was an excellent host. She was educated, with a 3 years study in tourism.

	Chief of the village! Seri gave me the honour to be the chief for a night. That meant that I should open the formal kava ceremony

	Seri was solemn. It was important that I was placed in a higher position the rest of the participants.

	When I recieved the cup I should clap once. Then I should drink at one go, and finally clap my hands three times.

	The FIJI-night was on! They were real great singers. They sang polyphonic and very resonant (they had their training from singing for boat passangers way out at sea - )

	The conductor was amusing. He used his full voice, jumped around, made funny faces and a lot of fuss



	After chief Harald had solemnly opened the kava ceremony all could have their cup of kava. The cup was passed round. It was custom to for all to drink a cup.



	Time for farewell to Coconut Bay. We are on our way out to "Yellow Boat" on our voyage further north.

	Waya reminded of Norwegian trolls

	NAVITI, - that was our island! The catamaran could not go closer because of the reefs, so we had to be transported by a smaller boat to the shore.

	Some of us flat on the sand You can see a glimpse of our cottage behind the trees.

	Volleyball on the beach. The reception in the rear.

	An activity for the more daring Bang - bang! We were bombed with coconuts

	The coconut was peeled with a knife, - a hole was made, a straw, - a coconut drink served, HELP YOURSELF!.

	Entertainment and dance in the night Wednesday night the young boys from New Zealand did the show - dei mimmed, danced and made a great fun.

	I got to the final - One of the New Zealand kids won -

	The view southwards.

	In south-east we could see the main village on the island. The families running the Coconut Bay resort came from that village.

	ISA LEI! Here they sing farewell to some tourists. The tide is low and you can see the coral reef.

	The coral reefs were thrilling, with a grat variety of colours and shapes. At low tide you might walk all around.

	The water was crystal clear and the colours were beatiful. It was difficult to photograph, because I could not see well through the lens.

	It waws like swimming in an aquarium. - But the colour of the picture are more dimly that they were in real

	Fish and corals

	Meri and her mother went out in the low tide and caught an octopus. In the rear you can see the singers preparing to welcome new tourists..

	We made a trip to the Honeymoon Point. The track passed through a coconut plantation.

	The track led up to a little dam, high up in the hills. I there followed the dry creek downwords.

	I got a problem. Suddenly I was above the green blanket and had a great view. I was on top of a steep dry waterfall, high above the green roof of the jungle. I climbed down the rocks, and carefully made may way out on top of the green blanket. Then I crawled down through it, and eventually got down again on the dark bottom of the forest.

	Seri was the senior in the family that run the resort. He was a nice and friendly man. He showed me around and told me about the place. He told they used to keep goats. The goats kept the bush down. Now they could not keep goats because of the water supply

	Here is a field of tavioka (kassava / sago). That is a root that is grown by gren cuttings, and is harvested after two or three years. A coconut has also started to grow.

	Tavioka was used almost as we use potatoes. They prepared it outdoor in a traditional way. First the roots were peeled.

	Then the taioka was cooked. They made up a fire under a pile of stones. When the fire had burned down, the tavioka was put onto the warm stones.

	This night the dinner was served as a buffet. All dishes were of local tradition.

	They poured water in the kava plate, yaqona was dipped into it and the kava drink was squeezed out.

	Seri brings me the first cup of kava.

	Chief Harald approves the kava!



	They were not just giving a performance - they enjoyed themselves!





	After a kava night you get a bit drowsy the next day


Sist endra: 14.08.2005	© Harald Storaker	E-post: hasto @ online.no