Day 3 - Lautoka

 Off to Lautoka this am to have Digicel check my phone account.  Also provisions for the boat.  Lautoka is the closest town/city to the marina.  You walk out of the marina and wait for the bus.  $2 FJD gets you a seat.  Doesn't get you a glass window - they have drop down curtains for the rains.  (See below)



Found Digicel by accident; clearly I don't know how to use Google Maps.  They were no help, as it turns out.  The guy there topped off my plan, giving me another 150 GB of data, but no talk time, which is what I went for.  I may just get another phone number if this keeps up.

Stopped at Jack's of Fiji to buy a light jacket.  They don't have light jackets in Fiji.  They don't need light jackets in Fiji.  They tried to sell me a hoodie with not much more substance than a tee shirt.  I don't want a hoodie, dude, I want something that will stop the wind.  They sent me down the street to a sports store.  They tried to sell me a hoodie.  I gave in.  It's a nice hoodie.  Don't know how warm it will be out on the water, but whatever.

And I walked by the barber shop where I got my 'returning to America' haircut last March.  Same guy was there.  "I remember you!" he exclaims as I sit down.  "You were on our Facebook page two weeks ago!"  

Say what?

So of course I had to go to their Facebook page (shazia's unikk barber shop) to check.  (I'll save you the time - I'm no longer there, if ever.).   Wahid King Khan is my barber, if you do check.  He's a former boxer - looks like he could have taken on Ali.  Apparently they take random video of their customers and post them on FB.  Maybe I was there, maybe not.  

So Wahid's son is getting married this Friday.  Reception on Saturday.  Wahid stops his cutting and says "I am going to ask you something seriously.  Would you come to my son's reception on Saturday?  You are my friend and I want you there."  I told him I would be honored.  He told me to contact Alan the cab driver who was coming and get a ride with him.  I think Alan is the guy to whom I introduced iced coffee. So I'll ask around the marina for a cab driver named Alan and maybe I'm going to a wedding reception on Saturday.  

The haircut was excellent, btw.

Loaded up at Shop N Save.  Didn't have a great selection (surprised? not!) but I have a base now.  Probably go back into Lautoka in a day or so to hit the market for fresh fruit.  

**************

Met Brian and Rita back at the marina; they are headed back to Savusavu tomorrow and took Jeff's meds and Jose's Borax with them.  Brian got a kick out of the wireless microphone setup I bought him that didn't include a mic.  We'll see if it works.

Half price pizza night at the bar tonight.  Should have been called 'Half-assed pizza night'.  Not particularly good, but filled me up.

Where's my guitar, DHL?


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