The best of both worlds.
Whale hunting ended on a no-whale day.
There is no explanation.
Personally, I think they were mourning Dolly Parton. Maybe we are a more emotionally collective planet than we realize. Does sorrow have no bounds? Does sorrow reach between species and beyond ocean surfaces?
In the last hour of our whale search, instead, we pulled into a beautiful cove with a limestone mushroom rock and turquoise blue water. Everyone snorkeled. I swam.
I absorbed the surrounding, astounding water, white sandy beaches, rock formations, and stunning beauty that I will dream of, with fondness.
The best of both worlds.
We would return to our island home and learn whether we would be leaving the island or staying.
That morning, we were informed that two of the three small planes that fly inter island had broken down. And they were down to one pilot who needed breaks since he was flying solo. Proof of the conundrum was the little Kiwi family whose flight had been canceled the previous day, and again on our day. I asked if she was okay not getting back home as expected. Yes, they were okay with jobs and such, but she added, "If I'd wanted an eight day vacation, I would have booked one." Personally, I think they canceled the Kiwi family flight because of Lucy, their seventeen-month-old daughter who was the darling of the resort. Noting better than going for meals and saying, "Hi Lucy!" And then if she smiled back, it made my day.
But given all the plane/pilot inconveniences, I naturally started to worry, Do I want to fly off this island under such circumstances? And then I started adjusting to staying. Hopefully for another week. There's no obligation at home that can't be canceled, rearranged, or made up.
Alas, that night, we were informed that yes, our flight was delayed but only by a few hours.
I was ready to stay, for I'd made the best of both worlds. Inconvenience would become an extended respite on a beautiful island.
***
Theoretically, we should be home on August 29 when "Day 5--Last Day" posts.. As I write this addendum, we are in hour four of a nine hour layover in Nadi Fiji. Home sounds elusive and wonderful.
Tonga posts will continue through the next week. Experience outlasts presence-- as usual.
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