Day 146

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JANUARY 24, 2020

 SUVA, FIJI

 We arrived at 7:00 this morning and are only in Suva until 2:00 PM. Karen took the included tour which touched the outlying forest while I went snorkeling. Our game plan going forward is to get out of port whenever possible; we have grown tired of ports - they tend to be dull and similar to one another.

 I took my camera for snorkeling photos of our group of 30, but I had forgotten the memory card in my computer in our suite. So, no pictures. Bad news - the coral was dead (due to a 2016 cyclone, they said) but there were plenty of small, colourful fish. Unfortunately, there was a strong current that took everyone away from the moored boat; the fins the boat provided were so warped they were almost ineffective and several snorkelers need assistance returning to the boat. Getting out of the water was a struggle too, due to the ladder being so short. On this excursion, half the allotted time was spent on the bus. All things considered, this was less than a memorable experience.

 This evening there were 60 invitees to attend the celebration of Chinese New Year, the year of the Rat. After a cocktail party of the 8th floor of the Explorers Lounge...


we went to The Restaurant for a twelve-course Chinese dinner which was absolutely fantastic. Tomorrow's breakfast will not be needed.




 When dinner was over, it was already "jammie time".

In 2001 an unusual movie hit the silver screen titled Donnie Darko. Its main theme was "Mad World", a uniquely haunting tune at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR91Rj1ZN1M

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