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Blue Pearl - Paradise



This is the first time I am writing my little rally blurb sitting ashore, poolside at the Paradise Resort on the Island of Taveuni. If you want to experience peace in the South Pacific and excellent service, book a room here. It is simple but very special.

We arrived here early Friday morning after a wonderful overnight sail from the Bay of Islands in Vanua Baluva ,where we had checked into the country of Fiji, which I reported on in my last blog.

When I wrote that blog I didn't know yet about the bat colony in the Bay of Islands. This is a sight to be seen.

Late in the afternoon we dinghied to bat country. Now, these are not the little black creatures that might fly around your attic. These are big bruisers about the size of a bird and there are hundreds if not thousand of them. They fly around like crazy men or hang by there claws (legs?) upside down from three branches.

Close to sunset they all take off and the sky turns black. Not sure why this is "their" time , some speculate it is the best time of the day for them to catch a few bugs.

In any case, a unique experience for us!

At the Paradise Resort we experienced their Fiji evening. A big local meal is served and entertainment is by a dance troupe of kids of all ages up to young teenagers, lots of fun. And we celebrated Nikki's , a fellow cruiser from Switzerland, birthday which also turned into a sing and dance fest.

We enjoyed some nice scuba diving and admired the hotel's vegetable gardens. They are completely self sufficient.

We did not venture beyond the hotel grounds. Too lazy and a little discouraged by stories of very long car rides along dirt roads before encountering the "attractions". We are finding out that this rally requires making choices and be selective about the things we do. There is so much...!

Captain Ruud.

Ruud Bosman

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