Day 186 Beqa Dive Resort

Remember to read “Mbengga” when you see “Beqa”
As Mark, Kurt and Andy head to shore in the dinghy, the entire resort staff is lined up on the shore singing goodbye to several departing guests. The Southern Star contingent arrives just in time to get a welcome song. Nice.
The bure turn out to be more than a beach hut. They are the guest cottages and each one is air conditioned and quite nice. We are allowed to use two of them for free for the day as a place to rest, cool off and shower. Beqa Dive Resort turns out to be a very yachtie-friendly place.
One unique characteristic of the resort is the wood sculptures that are everywhere. Three chairs and a table in the lounge area are carved in the shape of giant crabs and appear to be made of one piece of wood each. They must weigh over 100 pounds apiece. There are beautiful 5-foot high dolphin sculptures made from a silky smooth dark wood. I ask the manager where they come from and he says Indonesia. It seems it would be worth a trip there just to collect some of these unique pieces.
We spend the day snorkeling in the lagoon, swimming in the pool and playing cards and a domino game called “Mexican trains”. At 1630 the Staff begins to build a fire in a pit behind the resort dining area. This is subsequently covered with stones and then giant leaves and dirt. It is similar to the fire pits we saw in Rarotonga at the feast.
At 1730, drums start to beat and the guests, with us included, pull up chairs and watch as the pit is opened and the stones rearranged into a so they make a flat are of hot rocks. The firewalkers arrive dressed in grass skirts and proceed with an elaborate ceremony that concludes with walking slowly over the hot rocks. There is much yelling and calling out in Figian to heighten the mood. The actual “fire walking” is perhaps less impressive than the ceremony itself but I would recommend seeing it the next time you happen to be on Beqa Island in Fiji.
Before dinner the guests assemble to watch a video of today’s shark dive. They are disappointed that the 12-foot tiger shark did not show up and all they got to see was some very fat and mean looking 8-foot bull sharks swimming in the midst of a cloud of various types of 2-foot long fish. At the center of the action is a professional diver who hands out fish parts to fishy passers-by. It seems cheating a bit to bait the fish but the fish seem happy about it and it is a way to see lots of fish in one spot.
I ask one couple who arrived today where they are from and within three sentences we determine that Jack and Jill’s best friend is an old friend of mine from Santa Rosa. We exchange some stories about Marshall and retire to the dinner table for – of course – fish. This time we have to feed ourselves.