It looks like we will be without wheels for the remainder of our time here. The mechanic did find a replacement engine in Suva (on the big island), but by the time they get it over here to Savusavu and install it we will be gone. The homeowner did make a point of telling us the engine cost $4910 – presumably Fijian dollars, which would be US$2550, not counting installation – but I think he has now accepted that he is not going to get us to pay any part of the bill.
We are getting by fine with just walking and taking taxis. We are missing out on a bit of cultural exchange though. When we had the car we often gave rides to locals, who typically don’t have a car. They walk where they need to go or rely on the bus system, which is extensive but often not on schedule, leaving folks waiting for long periods of time. It’s considered rude to drive past someone walking in your direction and not offer them a lift, although Iretta says some expats here never do offer. It’s one thing to drive past a young man with a cane knife (although he would almost certainly be safe also), but to deny a woman carrying a child or an elderly person with a heavy load seems a bit cold hearted. Now that we are relying on our feet we have often get offers of rides ourselves, particularly on the steep road to town. If we are heading downhill to town we usually politely decline; if we are heading uphill in the hot sun, that is a different story.
Sometimes goats need a lift too.
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