BULA! Fiji time (part one)

We flew out of Hawaii at 7am on a Friday, arriving in Nadi Airport at midday on Saturday. Initially we assumed that the pilot had got his days mixed up, but we soon realised that we had crossed the date line! So from being 12hours behind the UK, we are now 12hours ahead.

Our hostel for our first night was basically a rented room in a local woman's house, advertised as a "hostel" online. It was basic, but Amelia & her two boys (aged 12 & 14) we very friendly. Smalls & I walked into Nadi to buy some essentials (beer & mosquito repellent). The centre of downtown Nadi reminded us of the images we have seen of downtown Deli; crowded, rundown, very hot & sweaty. Being white we stood out like the tourists we are! The floods that recently devestated the area have subsided, although the place has certainly felt its effects - especially the roads. When we returned to the hostel we booked our boat passes & accommodation for the Yasawa islands, then drank beer & taught the boys card games. We had great fun catching Geckos - which there are plenty of! I am a big fan of Geckos, not just because they are cool animals but because they love to eat mosquitos (which is greatly appreciated!)

The next day we were up early & caught our boat to the most Northern tip of the Yasawa islands - a 4&1/2 hour trip that didn't agree with many of the passengers on board (including Smalls, who got a little sea sick). These islands off of the West coast of Fiji are paradise. Sun, sand, very warm seas & beautiful scenery - to see is to appreciate.

Our first resort, Malbravo (pic above), was set just off of the beach (as all the resorts are). It was a series of small straw huts, which were basic - reflecting the way of life in Fiji. Our hut had its own hammocks, with an amazing view of the beach & ocean. Our meals on the islands comprised of lots of rice, fresh fish & veg, which were usually very nice. Whislt at Malbravo we paid the captain to take us out in his speed boat to the Blue Lagoon, so that we could go snorkelling amongst the coral reefs. We stopped to feed the fish first...

It was an incredible experience swimming amongst literally thousands of tropical fish! I doubt that any aquarium in the world could rival the quantity & diversity of the fish we saw. It was so good that no words that I could use would do the experience justice. After the blue lagoon the captain took us out to sea to some more reefs - this time so that he could go spear fishing. Our captain was very good at it - he could hold his breath for 2minutes whilst diving to a depth of about 20m. He managed to catch a lobster & three red snapper, which we ate for dinner that evening....very nice indeed! :-)

The next day we visited the island's village with one of the resort staff. The village was surprisingly big, home to over 500 Fijians. There were huts/homes made out of straw, brick or steel. All of the people on the islands live off of the land, needing very few supplies from the mainland. Whislt we were there we got to meet the chief, who was pretty spaced out from drinking Kava all day.

Kava is a plant that grows on the island which is harvested by drying out the roots & crushing them powder. This is then sived in water, making it a muddy texture, then drank in large quantities. We brought some back from the village & had it back at the hostel that evening. It's supposed to give you a drunk/stoned/chilled feeling, although after two hours of drinking it was all consumed - having very little effect on us. Luckily a couple staying at the resort had some liquor, so we drank on & taught the locals some card games.

The next day I took a two mile walk along the beach to the other side of the island, in order to do some more snorkelling. The walk & the mile swim was worth it, as amongst all of the fish I spotted two reef sharks & a manta ray! Very cool. The heat & the rocky terrain were a challenge, but well worth it! More fun than lying in a hammock (to me, anyway).

The other two islands provided more of the same - scorching paradise! We got to do some traditional Bula dancing (which is very like the macarena?!) & also got our hands on a guitar - for an impromptu singalong on the beach by a bonfire. There were lots of people on our second island, giving it an international party atmosphere.
By our last island (third & final destination for the week) I was getting increasingly bad at lying around & doing nothing, so I decided to go & do something crazy...climb a mountain in the 30oC heat! The terrain was unstable & very steep in places, but the sweaty & exhausting hour-or-so climb was worth it.

My guide (Sollo) & I enjoyed the view for about 15mins (it was hot hot hot). Up there you could see the whole island & beyond it to the mainland. The climb back down the mountain was a lot easier, if not any less precaurious!
At the bottom of the mountain Sollo climbed a palm tree & cut down a couple of Coconuts...the milk inside is SO refreshing = a well deserved treat after our workout!

I got back to find Smalls asleep in the hammock...he had no problems adjusting to the Fijian culture!

On our last day in the Yasawa islands we went on a short jungle trek to a 20ft waterfall. The water was cool & fresh, which was a welcomed change from the hot & slaty ocean. At times the sea was warmer than you might run a bath...crazy!

We packed in a lot of experiences during our island hopping, taking in the real Fijian culture & way of life. Fiji is a very relaxed place - which I attribute to the soaring temperatures that they experience all year round. We were visiting during their winter = life is tough for Fijians.

I decided to save my favourite pictures of the islands until last...you can never have to many amazing sunset pictures! ;-)

(White Sandy Beaches resort) above

(Malbravo resort) above

BULA! Fiji time (part one)

Lautoka, Fiji