The first time we had a clock and we used it by setting the alarm so we could use our complimentary free passes at the gym. Like I said in the previous blog The Red Lion Inn and Suites Hotel was a good deal. After gym we had a very healthy breakfast at the Country restaurant, but it was a bit late for Beck who has a constant runny nose, sneeze, and generally feels off colour. We returned to the hotel to have a shower and check out before going to the Royal BC Museum. To save our legs we caught [View Full Entry]

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10/2 Today was designated as a rest and organising day. We have been so busy for a week now (and more in the weeks leading up) that we needed to catch our breath. For me today is also my first homesick day. The weather here is terrific (14 degrees), but there's not much to do today as we are organising our finances and travel for the next two weeks. I think it's also because it's Saturday at home which is my favourite day. On a lighter note I was appointed to a job starting at St Clere's teaching Maths from March [View Full Entry]

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Phil lent us his cell phone to use as an alarm as we are still travelling without a watch. We got up at 6.15, and Phil's best friend and colleague Paul picked us up a bit after seven. He was meeting some other Australian friends at Whistler so we were lucky to get a free trip up there. Some of the sights on the way up to Whistler were amazing, with bright blue sky as far as the eye could see. There was some roadside construction being conducted in preparation for the next Winter Olympics at Whistler in 2010. On arrival [View Full Entry]

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Phil woke us up early again to go into town with him. Big day today, our plans were to go up Grouse Mountain (gondola) and cross the Capilano suspension bridge - massive test for my fear of heights. There had been showers overnight and it was a little overcast when we got to the city. We caught the seabus across to Vancouver North, which was pretty cool. The clouds had cleared so we decided to do Grouse Mountain first. Our bus driver was a bit gruff and crazy, she drove fast and was looking at photos as she drove - she [View Full Entry]

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5/2/2006 Well a lot has happened since our last entry. We had a great day in Fiji relaxing by the pool, with both of us being sunburnt the only complication (me in particular). Sunscreen wasn't a priority when packing for the North American and European winters, but I wish it was! When we arrived at Nadi airport that night, we learnt that our flight had been delayed by 3 hours - making it two in the morning. There was also a transfer stop at Honolulu that wasn't in our itinerary. We befriended a Hawaiian chick - Bonnie, and a Canadian who [View Full Entry]

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Our next thing on the list was the Harbour Centre Lookout Tower, but we called into Sears (for Beck), and a travel agent first. The travel agent was bizarre; middle aged, Indian and openly gay. He wasn't interested in what we told him we wanted to do, he kept telling us what we should be doing because it's our honeymoon. Rest assured he wont be getting any business from us. The tower was going to be tough for me being scared of heights, but I also love awesome views. We went up in a lift that was glass looking out over [View Full Entry]

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We had really smooth conditions on the flight over so we actually landed ahead of schedule, but this gain was shortlived due to being towed to the terminal because of works being conducted on the tarmac, and a very slow moving line(s) in customs. We were told by the captain that it would be 25 degrees in Nadi, which I assumed would be the maximum for the day, but this was the temperature when we disembarked at dawn just before the sun came up. Very humid. When we came out the other side of customs we were directed to the bus [View Full Entry]

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From the village Rajendra took us to Lautoko City, and on the way he gave us some background on the history and culture of Fiji. A man by the name of Thomas Baker was the first missionary to Fiji, and he brought with him his Methodist faith. He proved to be a very kind and friendly man who was popular with the natives. Some of the locals however, believed that if they killed Thomas and ate his brain they would become as smart as him. So they did indeed kill him. Eleanor had spoken to us about cannibalism, and showed us [View Full Entry]

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Our next stop after the Gardens was the Viseisei Village, which is where the first Fijian people landed and established themselves. Our tour guide around the village was Eleanor, and even though our adventures have only just started it is going to take something special to top Eleanor's tour. Eleanor and 500 other Fijians still live in the original community on around 35 acres. Eleanor was very friendly and explained that her ancestors were thought to have come from South Africa. When they landed her people split up, some staying on the coast, and others making for the highlands. Her communit [View Full Entry]

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