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| Keith & Debbie |
Keith Syphers and Debbie Lunde of Washington have an especially intimate professional relationship with NAI'A -- or at least with our engine room where their expertise and equipment (read: sweat and tears) have kept NAI'A running since our early days here in Fiji. So it made perfect sense that Keith & Debbie's most intimate personal moment, their marriage, would take place right here on board as well.
After fulfilling the legal requirements of the union in Suva, Keith and Debbie inspired the NAI'A crew, led by divemaster and songmeister, Rusi Vulakoro (who is also a lay preacher), to perform the ceremony Fiji-style with our guests as witnesses and with enthusiastic costuming help from the Sawaieke villagers. There was religious pomp, Melanesian tradition, island melodies and copious quantities of kava. Congratulations Keith and Debbie! Let the pictures tell the tale.
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| Fijian and Western traditions meet. |
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| Rusi leads Keith and Debbie in their vows. |
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| Wedding dance. |
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| Vere serves up high tide. |
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Also aboard this week was a mad bunch of Israeli friends and travel buddies about whom our colleagues in Cocos had forewarned us. "Watch out. They love to have fun!" said Undersea Hunter's cruise director, Betty Almogy. She wasn't joking. Refusing to buy into the fact that the great majority of animals that live on or near a coral reef are less than six feet long and don't bite, these guys dived longer, deeper and faster than anyone else in search of some high voltage action. We think they found it: our stereo system and cocktail bar got more attention this trip than they have had all year. |
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| Wedding singers, Toga, Rusi & Mo. |
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| Kava to celebrate. |
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| Returning passengers, David Loader & Carol Robinson. |
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| Richard & Riga. |
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