It's really fun to wake up in paradise. Dravuni Island comes as close as I can probably imagine. Dravuni Is an island in Fiji with a population of 200, a nice mountain, no roads or cars, surrounded by extensive coral reefs and beaches.
We tendered in and walked through the village to the coral reef area about 1/2 mile down the island. Unfortunately the tide was out which made the 2 hours of snorkeling difficult although the reefs were beautiful and we saw some electric blue starfish, angelfish, and many other types of small fish. We decided to hike up the small mountain, and it was very scenic and I took a number of pictures. It was also an opportunity to scope out the beach on the other side of the island. Armed with that knowledge we hiked back down the mountain and through the jungle to the new beach opposite the village.
The new beach had a nice sandy section that went out 1/4 mile with a nice reef beside it. We snorkeled there for a few hours thoroughly enjoying it until my camera batteries died. There were lots of little fish. Afterwards we hiked back to the village and enjoyed some fresh coconut milk and the meat from the coconut. I also found a lamb BBQ that one of the villagers was cooking. For $5US it was a real treat and something we try to do in destinations we visit.
We rode the tender back to the ship to pick up our cellphones and my second camera. Then back in the village I walked around taking candid photos while my wide listened to the village men singing. All too soon we tendered back to the ship for our 4:30pm departure. The tenders were restowed, the ship raised its anchor and pivoted 180° and sailed through the narrow channel in the coral reef guided by the pilot boat and 3 other small boats that marked the reef boundaries.
I showered and prepared for what turned out to be a most unusual dinner. My first clue should have been when the attendant pouring the water referred to me by name. During our meal the dining room manager came over and thanked me for a positive comment I had made earlier in the week in response to a survey. This pointed out to me how HAL takes the comments seriously and does pass them on to the staff.
My underwater camera appears to have failed as it won't turn on the viewing screen even though the power light is on.
The cast performed a stage show, HEAT, which had an energetic Latin theme. Afterwards we watched a terrific documentary titled Eddie the Eagle about an Englishman who had the dream of being an Olympic participant.
Remember to savor the journey despite the destination being important.
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