Snorkeling at Honeymoon Island

We had a bit of an early start today to be ready for our snorkeling adventure. Sia, and Charlie her husband, who came home yesterday after a few days out fishing, put out breakfast. Today, in addition to fresh fruit and eggs, Sia made coconut scones. Everything was delicious as usual. 





While we ate, Josh was out and about, all by himself at 2-years-old, practicing his rooster hunting skills, 😂 — he is quite adorable. 



Byron picked us up for our snorkeling excursion. He has a small boat and took us on a three-hour … just kidding … 10 minute boat ride to a teeny-tiny islet surrounded by corral. It was very nice; and the highlight of the trip … Jim saw a four-foot reef shark. It was more scared of him than visa versa; it quickly moved along. 







Snorkeling is a draining activity. We were only in the water for about 45 min but we were both ready to get out. It was the perfect amount of time. Saw some cool fish and coral — the video doesn’t quite do it justice. 

When we got home we settled in for restful, lazy afternoon. It’s Sunday and it seems like most everyone is doing the same. While we like to have some adventure, we also like to just chill a bit too. 



We spent most of the afternoon napping or sitting on the deck watching birds. We are not bird watchers per se, but Jim especially likes birds. It’s fun to see different species that we aren’t used to. We’ve seen a couple types of parrots and lories. Small flocks of Common Mynas spent the afternoon foraging in the yard. 



We also spent some time talking with Nita more about Fijian culture and the blending of cultures as well as possible cultural appropriation. In his mind it was hard to understand appropriation because he thinks any Fijian would be delighted to see a non-Fijian, for example, wearing a sulu (what we might call a sarong, which is typical for both men and women).  

Before dinner Nita, Joe, and some boys sang some songs for us …



For the last night on Taveuni our family had dinner with us, Fijian style, on a floor mat. It was a beautiful experience. Really, really beautiful. 






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