South Pacific 2011 Fiji

I was already awake when our 6 am wake up call came in.  I felt refreshed in our Bula and ready to meet the day.  We had a lovely buffet breakfast poolside with lots of choices.  I had Muesli and fruit with plenty of strong hot coffee and real cream.  We had a half day excursion into town planned but the kids couldn't wait to get back to the resort and play in the pool.  I was also looking forward to a little down time...

Lydia took us all off on a bus with several stops in mind.  While we travelled, she told us about her home.  Fiji is a commonwealth of the British crown.  The average person here makes about $8,000 per year in Fiji dollars while Lawyers and Doctors make between $30,000 and $40,000 per year.  The average person pays 50cents for a stay in the hospital, 10cents for vaccinations and rides public transportation.  Drs and Lawyers have private cars and health insurance which gets them preferential treatment in the private health care sector.  Children go to school in their villages through grade 8 where they learn English, math and science along with a native language like Fijian or Hindustani, but to move to the next grade level, they must only pass English.  Over grade 8 is college then university.  Students may study to be Drs, Lawyers, Teachers, Engineers and Nurses in Fiji.  All other professions are learned in New Zealand or Australia.  Big companies pay scholarships in return for years of service. 

Tourism and Sugar are the major industries in Fiji.  Sugar cane grows for 6 months per year and the harvest lasts the other 6 months.  We passed people working in the fields and Lydia stopped our bus so that we could get out and get some pictures.  I felt like it was disrespectful to take pictures of these people at work and asked Lyda how the workers felt about it.  She said that the workers on the islands know that tourism is important to their economy so they don't mind.  She also said that the people of Fiji feel that it is a good thing that their likeness travels with us to counties that they will never see. 

The men waived as we boarded our bus and continued on our way.  There are tiny railway tracks on which equally tiny trains carry the cut cane to the processing plants.  They connected the far reaches of the countryside.  Luckily for the workers, even though it is mid-day, it's still very nice out in the sunshine and fresh air. 

Lydia pointed out a landmark here on Viti-Levu, a mountain range called the Sleeping Giant.  We were on our way to our first stop at the base of the mountain where we would visit an orchid farm. 

The Orchid Farm was named appropriately...

You might wonder why anyone would want to visit an orchid farm. 

Well I did too, but was glad we did.  I had no idea that there were so many types of orchid. 

There are more than 240 growing in this garden.  These Dancing Ladies were my favorite! 

The gardens were lush and rich with all kinds of tropical plants.  We walked the boardwalks and marvelled at the beauty while breathing in the sweet moist air.






The trails led from sunshine back to the dense shadow...






 and alongside Lily strewn ponds.  We could have spent hours here watching the way the changing sunlight touched the dewy leaves in silence, but we had to be on our way.  After a quick glass of fresh juice back at the park pavilion, we boarded our bus for the next destination. 

Our bus climbed up a steep hill where we were all treated to a private view belonging to the owner of EF Tours.  I guess that's a perk of being a travel company owner... you get to pick the best place to settle down.

Lydia introduced us to some of the native fruits growing in the garden here.





There were breadfruits and bananas, lemons and limes... Really big limes... YES LIMES!

We posed for a group photo.  All of these are Melissa's students and a parent.  We had the tour all to ourselves in Fiji.  Three other groups would join us in New Zealand but this was an add-on to the South Pacific Tour. 

We were treated to a fruit snack, all things grown here on this mountaintop plantation.  I enjoyed the tiny little banana.  It tasted just like a real banana!  But it was so CUTE!

I looked out over the water and saw a cruising sailboat lazily motoring along.  I really missed Bruce at times like these... I want us to hop on that boat and head out to paradise.

We were bustled back onto the bus for the drive to our next stop.  But before I could board, Lydia gave Melissa and I sarongs to wear over our shorts.  We would be visiting a village and women weren't allowed to wear pants in the village. Shoulders must also be covered but it is forbidden to cover your head.  Here I stand in the village courtyard where behind me, you see the chief's house.  The only building that is allowed to be higher up than the Chief's home is the church, also central in each village.  All other homes are built on ground level. 

These villages are true communities with everyone helping raise the children and bring in money.  They share almost everything.  There were some women selling trinkets that we were told would bring personal money but the husband's employment brought income to the community as a whole. 

We boarded the bus to travel to our next brief stop.  The Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Hindu Temple was very beautiful and fraught with rules.  Heathens that we are, we needed herding like kindergartners so that we did not do anything to offend the worshipers here. 


We could only photograph the outside from beyond the fence, but we were allowed to remove our shoes and silently walk through the temple. I was able to find these bootlegged pics and they almost do the real thing justice.  Here is one of my favorites depicting  Ganesh, "Remover of Obstacles" or God of Success!


We had a very heavily accented Hindu Priest guide us through the temple. He spoke quietly and we understood very little of what he actually said, but soaked up the feel of it all while gazing at these beautiful works of religious art. 

Next we collected our shoes and turned over our sarongs to board the bus once again.  Next stop, the market!  It was a typical open air market much like you would see anywhere. 

There were definitely some strange things you WOULDN'T see anywhere... These seagrapes for instance. Not today...  I'm sure I could find a recipe on the Internet...

The Market was sprawling and bustling with business.  Packed with fruits and vegetables of every imaginable shape and size. 

We hustled through the fish market, thankfully enclosed to keep the overpowering stench IN!

Michael brought up the rear having spent way too much time with the fish... what's that smell?  He purchased some fruit to take back to the Resort.  I think we ended up leaving it with Lydia without ever tasting it.

The last stop of the day before returning to the Resort for some long awaited R&R, was the town of Nadi.  We picked up some souvenirs and then went to the grocery store to get some sandwich stuff to feed the kids for dinner.  We would be at the resort and hadn't seen anything on the dinner menu that would interest the kids.  We had lunch at the deli where we found Indian food, mostly unrecognizable.  I learned that there are many different interpretations to the term "Roti".  It all worked out.

Melissa and I shopped at the meat counter for cold cuts which was quite the adventure.  The Nadi pictures were lost so I found these on the Internet but this is the place.  The deli meats were made on premise and looked like meat playdoh formed into patties.  I was skeptical that the kids would touch it but they later proved me wrong and ate the lamb patties up. 

We were redeposited at the Sonaisali Resort for the rest of the day.  Yay!  Some free time! 

We all split up and went our separate ways for a while.  Melissa and Michael took a romantic walk on the beach and had a little fun...

Finally Michael got his "alone time"...

I took full advantage of this time as well.  I found a secluded spot in a lounge chair on the water and caught up on my journaling.  I appreciated the silent beauty at my feet as I watched the sun setting over a distant island across the water.  Again I missed my husband as I felt the warm sun on my face...

Melissa and Michael came by and collected me to join them in the hot tub.  We found it more of a cold tub but it was very soothing to our travel battered bodies.

The kids were already at the pool when we arrived.  They really are the greatest group of young people I've had the pleasure of knowing. 

We had some deep discussions and some fun times too. 

We enjoyed the beauty around us and I felt it was the perfect time for an Island Sunset Photo to send back to my husband in the States...

We all watched as the last rays of the day disappeared with a sigh...

Dinner time!  We gathered poolside at the hotel dining room where Melissa handed out the sandwiches we had made from the afternoon's purchases.  They devoured them!  Amazing! 

Vic, our fearless leader suddenly stepped off into the pool and began looking up at the sky.  Soon... we were all standing shin deep in the pool looking up.  It was quite funny as other diners passed by and obviously wondered what we were doing.  Vic was giving us all an astronomy lesson!

The Southern Cross was the highlight for me as I've never seen it.  I've enjoyed sailing songs about it so this was a special moment for me.  I attempted to catch it on digital with mild success.  Maybe you can pick it out on the right.

After dinner I went off to bed while Melissa and Michael enjoyed the resort's evening entertainment show.  I'm sorry to have missed it but enjoyed their pics.

The serene image of the moon on the water was all I needed to cast me off into deep slumber after a full day.

South Pacific Trip Part I Fiji - Robinson Crusoe Island

My Firstborn is working as a Teacher in San Antonio.  She spends part of her summers chaperoning      small groups of her students on trips to foreign countries.  This summer she picked the South Pacific as her destination and she invited me to go along.  Now this sort of structured travel is not usually our thing, but when she got to the part about how I could go for half price... I reconsidered!  We left San Antonio on a Tuesday and embarked on a two week journey to 4 countries beginning with Fiji!  We touched down on the island of Viti-Levu at the Nadi Airport and began our adventure at the beautiful Sonaisali Resort.

We crossed a lagoon on a small boat to our Resort home  and found ourselves in paradise.  Viti-Levu means Big Fiji.  There are 332 islands making up the Fijian islands.  The island we are on is one of the first in the world to see each new day.  We traveled a long time to get here and it's difficult to keep up with what day it is here, not to mention what day it is back home.  We lost Wednesday when we crossed the international dateline, but we would be getting the day back on the way home. 

Our tour guide, Vic... cute Aussie guy with the most delicious accent, gathered us for a short get-to-know-ya in the courtyard. We would come to rely on this guy for everything.  He made the trip and I can't imagine looking back, that it would have been as great with any other tour guide.

We were lead to a conference room to deposit our belongings then met up with our Fiji tour director, Lydia.  She gave us refreshing fruit drinks which would have been rum drinks had this not been a kid trip.  It was only 8 am so we couldn't check into our rooms yet.  We changed into beach attire and set out for the first excursion of our stay in Fiji, the Robinson Crusoe Island day trip.

We were taken to a small dock on a river where we boarded another small boat that would take us down the river to the Island.  The river was murky and looked like a home to alligators, but Lydia told us there were none. 

The scenery was beautiful and I felt like I was traveling downriver on the African Queen. 

We neared the mouth of the freshwater river where it meets the saltwater of Viti-Levu's Coral Coast Reef.  You can see the abrupt change in the color of the water from murky to crystal blue.  The island of Likuri awaits surrounded by the serenity of a beautiful lagoon, while off in the distance (see right side of pic) the surf crashes on the reef sending up a white spray.

The Welcoming Committee beckons to us with song and helps to get our boat beached for our step off onto this island paradise.

We are "attacked" by muscular natives bursting from the bushes and pushing past the Welcoming Committee to rush at us as we prepare to step off the boat.  No worries... they're friendly.

We followed a cool sandy pathway to the inner compound where we found the Chief awaiting our arrival. 

I had been reading about the traditional Kava ceremony on the Internet.  Some articles told of the old way of preparing the Kava where native girls would chew the root and spit it into the Kava bowl from which ceremony participants drink.  ICK!  I had my doubts.  But I guess modern times have (hopefully) curtailed this method and water is used to steep the root.

Our "Chief" was chosen, Fijian patriarchal society requires that it be a male, Michael was pushed forth dragging his junior "Spokesman" along with him.  The Island Chief performed the ceremony and Michael accepted the Kava clearing the way for the friendly welcome of our group to the island. 

Kava was offered to each of us in turn.  Now Kava juice looks very much like muddy water.  Unfortunately it also tastes very much like muddy water.  It was difficult to drain the bowl and afterwards, my lips, tongue and throat felt a little tingly and numb.  Why this is desired escapes me but evidently if you drink enough of this stuff it provides some mildly "narcotic" effect.  I wasn't feeling it...

Once the official business was done, we had some free time on this island paradise.  Now remember... we've been travelling for hours and hours to get here and us old folks are feeling it.  I spent some time just hanging out in the sand soaking up rays while the younger crowd took advantage of the kayaks and other entertainments available. 

All too soon, it was time for a decision.  Continue drowsing or take a boat ride to the reef for some snorkeling.  Well I couldn't just let this chance pass us by so I rousted myself into the boat and set out. 

We were taken to a narrow passage between the island and the mainland for a drift dive.  The reef was too raucous today so we weren't taken out there.  Safety First, even in the islands.  There was quite a current ripping through this pass so we had to struggle if we wished to make a stop.  I spotted this cowry shell and Michael was on it! 

He brought it up for a look and of course, there was a critter inside.  That's the best part about snorkeling... I think many of the people in our group sped by and saw next to nothing.  You really have to hang back until the sand settles and just wait.  Things come out of hiding if you're patient.  I was lucky enough to see a small eel but when others came back to see it, the thing had disappeared making a liar out of me. 

I brought up the rear and was nearly last to board our boat for the ride back to the beach.  It was a chilly ride back but the sun was warm on the sand on our protected side of the island. 

Some of the island guys entertained us by climbing up these palms and littering the beach with fresh coconuts.  They threw down so many, we wondered if there would be any left for the next group of visitors.  It was amazing how fast this guy went from ground to treetop in mere seconds. 

There was another guy on the ground making short work of chopping the tops off of these babies so that everyone could get a taste.

I was "gettin' a taste" alright, but no can talk about...  I'm not a big fan of coconut milk fresh out of the nut... I guess it's an acquired taste.  Maybe when we're out there cruising, I'll work on it. 

By this time, we had worked up quite the appetite.  Our bodies are so confused about the time of day, we have no idea what time or even day it is back home.  But we are willing to try anything at this point... even the hog and sweet potatoes brought out of this smelly hole in the sand.

The food was exposed and it looked like a sinew and bone mess.  Maybe I can wait for a while more...  It was taken off on a tarp to the kitchen where noisy preparations were under way.  We were entertained by fire walkers while we waited for the dinner bell.






Now I won't say the food was very good.  I'm always up for trying new things, but this was a  kind of smoky and bland.  I picked it over and wished for something more exciting.  Hey!  Why can't we have some of this little delicacy?  Lydia caught him and is taking him home to her family for dinner. 

Once the meal was over and cleaned up, the afternoon entertainment began with a hermit crab race.  The crabs all had numbers on them and every participant picked a number.  The crabs were released inside the circle and the first one to cross the outer circle is the winner.  We've done this at home as well with some more sprightly crabs.  There was a lot of cheering but very little movement in the crabs and the winners were pretty much by a landslide.

Next on the agenda was a very energetic demonstration of native dance. 
 

The best part were the fire jugglers.  I've seen these shows several times in my travels, but I have to say that these people were the best by far.  Maybe it had something to do with how close I was to them, but I don't think so...   They were very good.

The show was ended with a bit of crowd participation.  We all made a conga line circle and danced around with strangers.  A little awkward but fun. At least it got our juices flowing again.  It's amazing to think that as we frolic on sandy beaches with glistening dark skinned natives... life goes on as usual back at home.

Island time was over and we took a much more splashy upwind upriver trip back to the mainland.  We were running on fumes and I hardly remember the trip back to the resort.  We collected our bags and by the time we were shown to our Bulas, it was dark.  Vic arranged for those of  us who wished it, could have dinner in our hut.  I was so ready for a bath and bed I got on that list.  By the time I had received all the courses of the dinner, which came sporadically, I had waited almost two hours.  I should have just had my shower when I arrived... I forgot!  We're on FIJI TIME!

Our Bulas were the best accommodations of the whole trip and the only ones of which I got no inside pictures.  I was impressed by the way the islanders make use of natural resources and conserve.  The room key had to be in a slot for the electricity to work.  Nice touch.  It was also fun to see the water in the tub swirl the opposite direction.  Finally fed and bathed, I fell into long awaited sleep.