Wednesday, June 22, 2011

2011 - NZ To SF - Day 40

Day 40: (22 June 2011):
- Wake up tired for breakfast.
- 6 ppl for shark snorkelling. Small speedboat, very bumpy ride.
- Stop for catching a fish to feed sharks.
- Next stop: jump in water. Immediately see shark below. 1m reef (?) bull (?) sharks.
- Swim over, dive down to see sharks more closely.
- Guide scrape fish, attract sharks up. Grab them, bring them over so we can touch, some he lifts out of water & throws. They docile, feel smoother than expected.
- Dive down to see some coral "caves" where some sharks hide/swim through.
- "How do you go that deep?" Clearing ears trick helps lots.
- 2nd boat arrive, more people, sharks dive down. Leave a bit later.
- Popped blisters & open wounds from using fins too much. Infected cut on finger.
- Snorkel a bit, then sit & write journal. Lots of strangers. See clear jellyfish & rows of bubbles with black inside.
- Beach lunch. Fish again" seems like fish at every meal. Delicious chips/wedges.
- Nap on beach in shade. Relax in hammock. French guy join beside. Beer.
- Young coconut from tree.
- Watch boat arrive. Canadian & girls leave.
- Can't find anyone to do the summit walk with.
- More relax in hammock.
- Decide not do summit walk due to only me & some clouds & wounds on feet. Clouds clear up for sunset.
- After dinner entertainment was "coconut race." Knock coconut through door with one tied to waist.
- Bonfire on beach after. Quiet kind of overbearing American: Stanford business grad school.
- Wind taking sparks away from glowing embers was quite pretty. Nice stars.
- Join for kava inside. Get small bowls while others have large. They look at my photos then take pictures. Ask me & Americas to pay. 10 bags of kava each, $10. Bill say something after we agree, hear "America" and "China," then the people playing instruments chant something. Thanking for kava? French & I leave ~10pm. American stay until 1am. French tell me asking for things in Fiji is not rude. He gave some rum to the people before.

Photos available at: http://mandarinmanmarktravelbriefs.blogspot.com/

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