Tag Archives: birthday

Birthday: You Can’t Drive 55!

Where did all the years go?  Somehow I manage to turn 55 and honestly I have a hard time believing it!  But yet, here we are enjoying another birthday celebration with fabulous cruiser friends!

My birthday fell on a Monday and for some reason, most eateries are closed on Mondays.  So, we decided to celebrate on Sunday at The Butter Factory.  It is one of our favorite places to go in Whangarei and it did not disappoint with steak night!

We had about 12 people at our rowdy table including Chris (SeaGlub), Tyler and Shayna (Yana), Minke and Jaap (Eastern Stream), Rokas and Simona (Starlight), Adda and John (Rhapsody), Jacque (Kaloha).

These are certainly my people!  We’ve known some of them for years across several countries and they keep popping up 🙂

I feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate my birthday with these friends.

2 Days of Celebration

We were installing our new lithium batteries on the 16th so Matt took me out to dinner with our friend Chris to a new place called No.8.  It is an Asian fusion restaurant.  Pretty nice, but very expensive.  I was finally able to use my $100 coupon that I got from the marina for winning Best holiday decorated boat!

It was a great day(s) as we started the install of our new batteries, unloaded 500lbs of old batteries and had two amazing dinners.  I am feeling like a very blessed girl!  And a huge thank you to all of those who called, texted and sent Facebook messages.  I felt so much love!

Events from this blog occurred in mid-January 2023.  Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual events.  We repair a cracked neck and rusty elbow in our last blog.

Lovo Birthday Celebration: Fulanga

Our host family invited us to Sunday service at their church and then lunch at their house afterwards.  However, it turned out to be a huge lovo celebration!  

We left Sugar Shack at 0900 as it takes 15-20 minutes to dinghy to the closest landing near the village.  It is often a wet and bumpy ride.  Once we get to shore, we wade across the water to land where we drench ourselves in mosquito repellent.  Now we are ready for the 20-minute walk into town thru the lush surroundings and over a small dirt path.  We arrive with 5 minutes to spare where we drop off fresh baked banana muffins and homemade chocolate chip cookies for our hosts.

We are ushered to the church where all the cruisers seem to congregate in the back.  The village has about 90-100 people and there are at least 50-60 cruisers.  Even with all of these people, there is plenty of room in the airy and spacious church.

Fulanga Church

Fulanga Church

Above is Matt and I with our host family, Lucy and Nico along with photos of the church and some local children.  The entire service was in Fijian so we did not understand a single word.  However, one of the elders did speak to us in English as he welcomed us all to the village and to their church service.  He said they were honored we should share this time with them.

The singing was lovely and harmonious.  The only thing was a man was playing the triangle and I swear it pierced my brain.  Lucky for me, he fell asleep during the service and was not playing the entire time.

Lovo Birthday Celebration

After service, we were told that the entire village was preparing to celebrate one of the elder’s 70th birthday with a lovo celebration.  We would not be having lunch with our host family, but rather with the entire village. Most excellent.

The men prepared the lovo earlier that morning including 3 pigs, casava, taro root, and veggies.  The lovo has been cooking for nearly 4 hours.  They slowly uncover all the food bundles.

In the community hall, the women of the village, have laid out fabric in a large U shape.  On both sides of the fabric are plates.  Over the next hour the women prepare the food, unwrap the lovo items, cook the fish and finish setting the area for everyone.

Everyone forms groups and chats while we wait for the feast.  The kids are chatter and giggle while hosts share village life with their cruising families.

The Birthday Boy: 70 year old Elder

At the head of the hall is the place of honor for the birthday boy.  In Fiji, they only celebrate 3 birthdays.  Your first birthday, your 21st and your 70th.  You become an elder at the age of 65 (no matter your station).

Palm fronds are placed in the center of each fabric piece and then the food is placed on top of the fronds.  They served hundreds of fish, hundreds of pounds of casava and taro root, a spinach type dish and the 3 pigs.  I am liking this lovo a lot!

Somehow, Matt and I (and our friends Fred and Chris on Sea Jay) end up the main table in front of the birthday elder!  Lucky us!  We get first hand experience with the birthday boy and a few elders during the meal.

It is a bit awkward to get used to eating on the floor (while not showing your knees), and not using utensils (its all using your hands).  But we manage to fully enjoy the very tasty and delectable food.  There was tons and tons of food!  Lots left over which we hope is spread out and shared with the village families.  Sweet lovo celebration.

We discover the Cave of Bones in our last blog.  Events from this blog occurred in early July.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual events.

54th Birthday

Birthday Bash

It’s 6:00am and I am just waking from a restful night.  I relish the quiet of the morning.  The seas are calm and unmoving, the breeze is light, the sun slowly rising, and it’s my birthday (back in January, this post is late).  As I linger in bed, I hear a slight ruckus outside and then the unmistakable tune of Happy Birthday.   Matt is greeting our guests as I stumble outside a little bleary eyed (it’s just 6:15am).  Two neighboring boats came over with a birthday surprise.  They had a super fun rendition of “Happy Birthday” blaring on a little speaker, a large bowl full of hot, freshly baked raisin bread and a cold bottle of prosecco!  Sweet.  I hug each of them before jetting downstairs to put on proper clothing!

We spend the next few hours enjoying the prosecco and bread and telling stories.  Marieke and Thomas from “Scooter” and Mirko and Nikko from “Yum Yum” bestowed upon me the sweetest gift of their company first thing in the morning!

Early Morning Birthday Celebration

Early Morning Birthday Celebration

Matt made a beautiful birthday post it card on our window.  Keep in mind we do not have access to Hallmark cards in the remote islands. – it was touching to see this thoughtful note first thing in the morning.

Birthday BBQ

Valerie and Herve host Sunday fun-day each week and this time it landed on my birthday!  So, we combined the two into a giant celebration.  Over 15 boats showed up to the anchorage (normally we have 5-6 boats) and well over 35 people.  Of course, I did not know most of them and some only spoke French, but they were all very kind and jovial.

We had a ton of tasty foods from all over the world.  Fresh caught Polynesian fish dishes, German and Swiss food, French food, and of course jello shots!

My birthday is one of the rare occasions that I will play volleyball. I am not naturally gifted in sports and tend to make a fool out of myself when I play.  But everyone humored me and our team won (probably a gift for my bday).

Several days prior to my birthday we had lots of rain and a few squalls.  But lucky for me, my birthday was a gorgeous day with just enough sun to keep us warm, but not too hot to wear you out.  We had the most beautiful sunset and moonrise.  That is the moon on the top two photos!

Spoiled Rotten

Valerie surprised me with a new, beautiful sand art.  It is a portrait of Matt and I.  Keep in mind that this is made with local sand and dirt only.  Sure, Matt has a mustache in the image and I have a flavor savor, but you can still see the likeness.  Did you see the detail of my Keishi necklace?

Another local friend, who is a jeweler, gifted me with a gorgeous pearl on a gold chain.  It completely surprised me and knocked my socks off!  Visit her at www.tainakeishipearl.com.

I do not know how to put into words the love I felt today.  From my amazing local friends to all of my American friends.  The love that flowed freely across Facebook, Instagram, text, and emails was overwhelming.  I needed it, cherished it, and reveled in the pureness of it all.  Thank you for filling my soul with so much love!

Bon Voyage to Alan

Valerie and Herve’s oldest son is leaving for France to join the military.  He will be studying to become a pilot and will commit to 10 years of military service.  They had a HUGE going away party and sent him off with a spectacular celebration.

Hiking and Exploring

Matt and I go on a few hikes to explore the islands.  We’ve done these hikes several times, but they never disappoint.

The hike on Taravai between Valerie and Herve’s house and Edouard and Denise is a fairly easy and short hike.  It is about 5 miles round trip on a clearly marked, albeit small trail.  One side is a steep drop off, but easy to navigate.  We come across a few old houses with nothing but a few stone walls remaining, a few small beach coves, and lots of overgrown plants.

We also take a beautiful walk to the lookout point where the “Queen’s Throne” is located.  Most of the walk is along the road and is fairly flat.  It’s not until you get to the last .5 mile that you go off roading and uphill.  But then you are rewarded with such a pretty view.  This entire hike is about 6.5 miles round trip.

The rock “throne” I’m sitting on is called the “Queen’s Throne” and with this view it makes sense!

We visit the weather station and set the weather balloon free in our last blog.  Events from this blog post occurred in January.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.