Friday 8th July - Ferry to Labasa and the Oriental Inn

A very early start as loaded with drinks and snacks we take a 6.30 a.m. pickup the short distance to the wharf to catch the little ferry to Bula Bay as we start our long journey to Ovalau. We have decided that, as time is not an issue, we will do anything to avoid another 24 hours on the Sofie Ferry! We have found a route which is made up of shorter ferry journeys and longer overland sections by bus.

There is great excitement as we are joined by a small pod of dolphins which spin and jump right next to the boat. We dock amidst a scrum of passengers waiting on the quayside to board and there is noise and confusion as bags, boxes, sacks and people are unloaded, loaded and transferred to the 2 waiting ferry buses.
   

We now are well practised at this and while David waits for the 2 big rucksacks, Nicole and the girls bag seats on the bus with the 2 smaller packs and 2 daypacks. The route to Labasa where we will spend the night is a popular one and there are no spare seats. The roads are unsealed ( of course) and again we spend 5 hours being shaken around like peas in a whistle. We make timely stops in a couple of villages where local ( mostly Indo Fijian) men and women have set up roadside stalls selling hot sweet tea, roti parcels, Indian savouries, luminous coloured cake and mysterious "pie" for a few pence.

We reach Savusavu bus depot and have 20 minutes to stretch our legs before the bus resumes the journey signalled by the tooting of the horn. Nicole has a minor sense of humour failure trying to locate a loo and food for the girls! Mercifully a large proportion of passengers leave the bus at Savusavu and so we have a little more room and the remainder of the road is sealed. We reach Labasa at 4.30 p.m - it is dusty, sweltering and almost tourist free. An industry town, predominantly populated with Indo Fijians - the main street is bustling and Bollywood music blares from every doorway. In the evening we have one of our best meals  yet at the Oriental Palace.

Chicken Long Soup

The girls are exhausted from their day of travelling and fall into bed and straight to sleep!