Fiji > Deep sea fishing

The alarm goes off at five o’clock again. It’s not easy to get up after such a short night. The sky is clear, and the weather looks good. The stars are clearly visible in the sky. At exactly 5:45, Mohammed drives the car up again. Although the open sea is still very windy, he is confident that the trip can start. But the final decision depends on the skipper. When we arrive at the boat, the skipper also seems to believe it will work. “We’ll give it a try anyway,” he says. “If it’s not possible on the open sea, we’ll turn back.” He looks as if he hasn’t slept much either. Jaijy looks more awake. He is the fisherman on board and explains the fishing rods. One by one, he casts the lines behind the boat. In total, the boat tows four lines, each of different lengths so that the lines don’t get tangled. This proves unsuccessful. At a bend, the lines still get tangled. Jaijy has to cut one of the lines. The waves are high at times. The small boat bobs on the swells.

Fiji - The fish arent biting but the waves are getting stronger

I have to hold on tightly to avoid falling and carefully keep my eyes on the horizon. With the huge waves, seasickness is a real risk. I have less to worry about regarding the fishing rods—all four stand motionless on the back deck. Jaijy regularly calls out to encourage the fish to bite, but without success. We do, however, spot some dolphins swimming right beside the boat. They swim along for a while. Meanwhile, the sea becomes rougher and rougher. I estimate some waves to be over two meters high. Our boat is no more than ten meters long. Even the skipper begins to worry. “I want to be back in the harbor before it gets too rough,” he says. He suggests converting our booking to a four-hour trip instead, and we would get part of our money refunded. We don’t have much choice, and I don’t mind. I start feeling quite dizzy from the constantly rocking boat. Less fun is that we haven’t caught any fish. Without a catch, we return to the Cuvu harbor. Unfortunately. Because the trip was shorter, we are back at the resort earlier. Today we were supposed to switch rooms—the room we had was only available for four nights. In exchange, we get an upgrade to a more luxurious villa for the last night. It was agreed that our luggage would be moved during the fishing trip. Now, just after ten o’clock, the previous guests are only just checking out, and the room still needs cleaning. As compensation for the wait, we are offered a house cocktail. The wind in the bay has also picked up considerably. Many loose items blow across the grounds.

Fiji - A bucket list item fulfilled the New Years swim

In our new villa, we change for the New Year’s swim. Wearing the famous Unox hat, we run into the water. Many local Fijians, spending their day at the beach, watch the spectacle in surprise. When we explain that this is a Dutch tradition and that the seawater is very cold there in winter, they laugh. We realize we haven’t had breakfast this morning and haven’t eaten anything so far. For lunch, we go to the adjacent InterContinental Fiji hotel. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing. In the evening, we say goodbye to some of the staff. They clearly regret that we are leaving. We have shared many laughs with the ladies serving us over the past few days. We are hugged as we leave the restaurant.