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Published: November 30th -0001
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Two days ago I left the Northern Yasawas. The Yasawa Flyer (the boat I’ve been getting around on) went through the Blue Lagoon before we headed back down south. I stood up on the top deck and took photos, enjoyed the view one more time. Later that afternoon, I arrived at Mantaray Island where I’ve spent the last couple nights.
Mantaray Island is named because in the waters nearby Manta Rays swim in the channel. Seasonally, you can snorkel with them. My guide book as well as a few things I’d read online before I left home said that the season went through into October, so I’d thought perfect, I’ll be able to see them. Once I reached the Yasawas however and met other travelers, I’d heard that the manta rays had already left! Sure enough, when I checked in here, one of the dive masters said it’s been about two and a half weeks since they’ve been seen. So that’s disappointing - if I hadn’t read incorrect information I would have come out here first in my trip and then I could’ve seen them! But oh well . . .
I am still glad that I’ve stayed here.
The resort is so nice. One of the best dorms I’ve stayed in. The property is pretty spread out, which I like. And the food here is incredible. I have to pay an additional fee on top of the pass I’ve purchased, but it is so worth it! For the food alone, I don’t want to leave!
The property sits on the Northern end of the island, with a beach on both the Western and Eastern sides - so you get a beach sunrise and sunset view! From the main bure (where the dining area and main bar are), there are gorgeous views of the sea. My first night here, I sat in the main bure to watch the sunset and it was incredible. One of the best ones I’ve seen in Fiji.
Yesterday I spent the morning just relaxing in a hammock on the beach. Then in the afternoon I signed up for the snorkel tour. I figured that I’d planned to spend the money to snorkel with the manta rays, so I might as well go out on the regular snorkel tour and see what I could see. This was the first snorkeling I’ve done in
Fiji where I was kind of disappointed. I thought it was going to be a snorkel off the boat onto a reef but instead I was just taken to a beach on another neighbouring island. It’s not that it was bad, it’s just that I’ve seen so much here that if the spot isn’t unique it’s kind of just the same. There wasn’t much coral. The water was pretty deep so I didn’t get the same close-up look as I’ve had in other spots. And part way through the snorkeling, the sky clouded over so it wasn’t as clear to see. But the highlights were seeing a few types of fish I hadn’t seen before. We found a lobster. And there was an eel - which also confirmed to me that what I saw a few days ago off the beach at Oarsman’s was also an eel.
After we got out of the water, I was drying off on the beach and my foot hurt. I had a very small cut on it a couple days ago and I thought it was just irritated. I went back to the water to wash the sand off my foot and discovered
I’d sliced open the ball of my foot! I have about an inch and a half gash across the ball just below my big toe. It’s not scary deep, but it’s still quite deep - so no wonder my foot hurt! The boat for the tour had just dropped us off there and then took another group out further for some fishing. So we sat on the beach for awhile waiting to get picked up again. The sand irritated my foot so all I could do was sit there. But there are worst places to be stuck waiting - cause the view from the beach was beautiful.
Something interesting about where we were . . . on the beach where we were snorkeling off of, there were about 20 half-constructed buildings that were abandoned. I learned that it was a partly built casino! Apparently some foreigner - an Australian or a New Zealander - had bought or leased the property in the mid 80s to build a casino. They started building and then just abandoned the project. I’m not clear on why they gave up. Then in the 90s, a European took over the land and started building more.
They too abandoned the project in the late 1990s. And now, over ten years later, the partly constructed buildings still just sit there. What a waste! And such a shame to leave such beautiful property in such a state.
Back on the boat and back at the resort I had my foot cleaned up. I’ve been hobbling around ever since - it is just such an awkward place for a cut, especially when spending so much time on sand-covered ground!
Late yesterday afternoon the resort had a bracelet making activity which I did. I made a bracelet from coconut! Over the years working on the cruise ships, I have purchased countless pieces of coconut jewelry. I love it. So it was really interesting to see how to make it yourself - and how labour intensive it actually is!
This morning they’re offering a weaving workshop, and since I was fairly successful at that when I was on the Coral Coast, I’m eager to try some more of that.
This afternoon I’ll be leaving Mantaray Island and heading off to my final stop in the Yasawas. One week left in Fiji!
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