sunday November 30

It snowed over night… and although there is brilliant sunshine the little bit of snow is still on the ground.  When I returned to the island after the knee operation it snowed the next day also.. is it me?

last pictures

HOME AND HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE DID

OUR last day on the island of Hawaii.. the Big Island, was spent visiting a young friend and then driving.  We went up over to Wamea again, hoping to see some large surf on the other side but instead we hit heavy heavy rain and fog.  The fog is so common here that they post signs warning that this is a foggy place.  We had visited with our young friends in brilliant hot sunshine but a couple of hours so it was about 3 in the afternoon when we headed out.  Our young friend had told us that the lower road on the far side was a good one to take for views .  We did try but as I said.. rain and fog.. prevented up.. I took one photo of a magnificent beach, but you can only get there with a 4 WD.  But outside the temperature was about 60 F and pouring rain and windy.
We returned to Kaleau and had a turkey supper… thanksgiving after all.. and then filled up the car with gas and drove to the airport.  Again we were pointed to machines but I BEGGED   for a human being and because we were travelling business, but there was no lounge, too bad, and the benches were wood and crowded.. we had nearly three hours to wait.  Chaos of course, voices over the loud speaker.. people milling about, shops shutting.. etc.  Mary changed into warm clothes as did I.
Finally on the plane.. asked for blankets and pillows… we no longer provide them they said.. due to the "SWINE" FLU  some time ago????? fortunately we had packed a lot of clothes in our carry on bags and so wrapped ourselves up.. the chairs hardly reclined.. and there were no foot rests.. they offered up hot nuts or a cheese plate…
We tried to sleep.. but at one point Mary needed to go to the Loo.. and was stopped as the pilots were out!..being a small plane I guess when they come out for a break they come where the galley is.. and as there was only one bathroom on the plane??anyhow.. that thoroughly woke us up..
We landed in Seatlle at 6 AM, which was 4 AM Hawaiian time.. and IT Was Snowing.  So we thought about our temperature changes…
Australia.. plus 42… Figi plus 30 .. Hawaii plus 25.. and now plus 2.
Finally we flew into Victoria, what joy to see Gary Glover waiting for us..
we were home about 1100  .  It seemed so odd to say good bye to Mary.. like being torn.. but I knew they had lit a fire in her house and my house was nice a warm.  Piles of mail.. turned off the water taps outside.. assessed the garden and the work to be done.. opened some mail.. but went to bed for the afternoon.. Had a wonderful evening with Velvet.. was so glad not be alone ..but here it is Sunday and the reality of life setting in.. getting ready to leave for France.. to make sure all the bills have been paid and to get warm weather clothes ready.  Have to walk a lot.. wow.. all those restaurant meals.

love to all who kept up with the strange typing and spelling..thank you for reading it..Jackie

two more niights.todY tuesday nov 25

yesterday we went swimminf i the sea Nd the pool... neither were particularly warm. by comparison to other seas,

There is a bus which , for two dollars you can ride up and down th coast aNd 

then  into the. 

major shopping centres, 

The coast wa fascinating  with very larve homes aNd elegant small hotels.   there were small unrocky beaches with people surfing.

We woke to see a Holland America ship in the bay , the Veendam, on a 17 day cruise fron San Diego

nov 23 Kona

Sunday we drove up to place cal Wamea. who h took is over 3700 feet,,,we

 saw wonderful cattle country and so ep rocky vea hes,,,we wer five hours,,, we wtopped at a grocery store in wamwa...and I found a few things interesting

november 23

yesterday we toured on foot this historic village Kailua-Kona

one of three Palaces. restored by the daughters of hawaii in 1928,,,,fiarly well informes ladiez showed us arouns thenwe went tot the wonderful stone. hurdh a roas the street which appare tly was originally a barn,,,but niw was a Congregational  Church!   I asked the guide what Congregational meant

and she did not know,,,,

savusavu to Nadi To Hawaii.

We left savusavu about ten inthe morning, driving to a couple of shacks in a cow field where the Airport is located.

we were weighed with our hand luggage.

we arrived safely taking some spectacular photos out of the air plane window.

We drive into Nadi town and went shopping,,my cold  returned on that short plane ride so i went to a pharmacy , the young clerks

 did not understand whet I needed So I finally asked for the pharmacist, who sold me a sudafed product,,which worked

We had lashed out on business class tickets so that the 7 hour journey would not be too hard on us.

We were flying  Figi Air, there were 8 business class seats.  We had to check in at 3 o clock for the 6 o clock flight, but we could sit iin the  business lounge which was comfortable, free booze etc. the Virgin flight to Sydney. had veen cancelled u ntil the mext day..and the lounge was full of folks ...  with babies.  the president of China was due that day and the road to the airport was going to be shut so there were lots of people milling around.

Our flight to hawaii had a stop over ar Apia , Western Samoa...we assumed that we would just wait on board but no we had to exit with all our luggage (hand). and then we once again went through security with lots of patting down,,,even babies.

An hour later we reboarded, but then we were offerred another full meal, which we turned down.

there was one new passenger in. business so he ate, meanwhile we snuggled downfor aleep,  what with 

 sudafed etc I managed to fall sound asleep when I was poked and shaken by the 

stewardess,,,she had stupidly parked her bag behind my seat and as I was fully reclined she could not get at it....I had taken off my ear machines, and she was talking  behind me.....asleep confused and ina temper I wondered what on earth she wanted....but by then the damage was done...wide awake for the rest of the trip.  

We arrived in Hawaii three in the moning and of course it was still friday the 21st.our travel agent whobooked  our Hawaii stay had bookd us for the  22nd.

Fortunately there were cars and hotel rooms available.  and here we are.

now the 22nd and we realize that we shall be here over American Thanksgiving...We leave around mid night on that day , the 27' arriving Seattle about 6 and flying i to Victoria on Friday the 28th.

I walked around and found someone to rplace myntelus Sim card. so am back on my old telephon number

250 213 2986

after namale

the young man who drove us came from a small village nearby and he told us to visit, so we did

there was a catholic church at one end and a now defuncy Methodist church in the other, Tall figians approached us,,,mbola they say and then Mary talked to him about her early days,,,he seemed knowledgeable ,

we wandered and then waited for an hour or so for the returning bus,,,,several people

 dropped by to keep us company

where mary spenta many happy years

  Namale....owned by good friends,,but now a multi million dollar glamourus enterprise

we arrived at the gate with some of the serving staff who smoothd our parh,,getting us a ride into the grounds where we were met up by a nice young boy (23) whodrove a golf cart and upon discovering Mary's history said she must be tThe Mary after whom one cabin was called,

The infividual cabins were named after the original staff

we went to the SPA...what a place!,, pools with what they called therapeutic waterfalls, the water falls about ten feet

there were many hot tuns etc. and altho the place was full not one person was in the Spa,

we wandered. down to the various beaches,,Mary said in her day hey would have been swarming with swimmers and shell hunters

we then  drove through some of the older areas which were vaguely familiar

nov 20 Last full day in Sa,vusavu

  we woke to heavy rain, you can hear it coming acrOss all the metal roofs ,like a herd of horses. it obliterate.s 

 view,,but the air is extrEmely hot..an odd sensation.

in between the rain we walked down to the centre for. the local bus...again filled with huge figians

Mary chatted up a nice man beside her..i tried for a ohoto...in front me a very very very latge man got o carrying a  kild about two yeArs...it was interesting to see this huge man be gentle with this little baby...and so nice with the other babies,,a nursing mother, the feet of her babynwas sticking out and he ticklled themand talked nicely to all...a friendlyngorilla said Mary

airport savusavu

hot springs hotel savusavu

we are a little disappointed with this hotel. because of its location...not on the reef side. and fa cing the harbour

we have a room at the bottom thenstairs...three flights,,as we did not want to have air/con

the figians are all so plelasant and friendly tho that this makez ip for a great deal.

today we priced out two fan ier places with smorkling fa ilities and theywere over a thousand per personper night...australian dollars

funnily enough they asked what nationalities we were...when I asked for a quote 

there are lots of birds and flowers,,,the frangipan is in bloom everywhere...we overlook a green field which every evening is occupied foot ballers practicing..(soccer)

i have developed a cold, no doubt from th freezing. us and the people around who were hacking away

this is the second dy and I am somewhat better

we went to dinner at the local yacht club, Mary discovered it on one of her walks as I tried to sleep off the. cold...

yacht sounds grand  but. 

 it was anything but....

today we took a local bus , grubby and full of families returning from shopping...mothers nursing babies mothers many barefooted...itis odd to see school children in neat uniforms. out with bare feet

savusavu is like a third world country...we went into a hole in the wall to look at handicraft to find a very cheerful lady sitting on thr floor crossed legged, was probably 60?  she was making decorations

for a wedding, gathered around  her were two young girls working away

next door in another darkened room men were having their hair cut....figian cuts cost four dollars

others six!!

mary was temptd to go in and ask for a figian hair cut?!but thought she did notmhave enough hair

twin otter dhc6

another small plane but holding 17 We were weighed carrying our hand luggage..and the seated accordingly.   the funny thing was as soon as people boarded and there were empty seats people moved around,

we flew over beautiful coral atolls,