We didn't blog our last days in Fiji, so we're backtracking and starting this entry with the last leg of our Fiji trip... After spending only one night in Suva (where our hotel room looked like a prison cell, complete with bars and concrete walls), we took the Pacific Transport bus back to Korotogo. We stayed at the Vakaviti resort again, the nicest hotel from our trip. It was super windy, but we managed to briefly swim (i.e. wade) in the shallow water. The beaches at the Yasawa Islands are much nicer than the Coral Coast-- it seems like the coast [View Full Entry]

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From Leslie... Just wanted to write with a quick update from New Zealand... sorry, no photos in this post, but we will add them as soon as we get a chance. We got in to Auckland, NZ last night and stayed at the YHA Auckland International hostel (super clean, would definitely recommend). The city reminds us of San Francisco (lots of young, stylish people, cool restaurants/bars and rainy weather). The people here are so friendly! From our airport bus driver to the staff at the hostel. There are even tourist information booths that book accommodation and transport at no charge. We'd [View Full Entry]

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After a somewhat repetitive 4 nights at Coral View, we decided to spend two more nights at a different island in the Yasawa chain called Korovou (based on the recommendation of a bunch of British and Aussie backpackers). Though the hotel was a bit more primitive than Coral View (the bathroom looked like Abu Ghraib) the place had a much funner atmosphere and the beaches and snorkeling were much better. The opening night a bunch of the guys who worked there put on a dance show wearing nothing but grass skirts and showing off their six-pack abs (Leslie enjoyed it!). This [View Full Entry]

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So after a few nights in Nadi (on mainland Fiji near the airport) we decided to move on to the Yasawa Islands, a rustic island group to the northwest which promised white sandy beaches and clear water. After a choppy 5 hour boat ride we arrived at Coral View Resort, on Tavewa Island. We stayed in a small bure (Fijian for hut). The Yasawas are covered with 'backpacker resorts', which reminds us alot of summer camp. Meals are in a mess hall with the whole group, where the workers perform "traditional" Fijian songs and dances, which reminded us a bit of [View Full Entry]

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We're in Fiji! Writing from an Internet cafe in Nadi. But more on that in a minute... Our trip officially commenced on Tuesday, when we arrived in San Francisco. We jammed a week's worth of sightseeing into 35 hours-- visiting the DeYoung Museum, having tacos in the Mission, strolling the Castro, browsing at the waterfront market, checking out Lombard Street. We stayed with Jake's family-- Carol and Lyman-- who were very gracious hosts. Carol took us on a driving tour of San Francisco's neighborhoods, and they even treated us to dinner at the Greens, a popular vegetarian restaurant (w [View Full Entry]

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We finally booked our round the world ticket yesterday! We're so excited to be starting our year-long journey :) We've been going back and forth with US Airways' RTW booking department for days, trying to find ways to fit in Fiji en route to Auckland and a second stop in Latin America (Chile). Once we set the itinerary with their dedicated RTW booking department (via email), we were directed to the US Airways' general reservation line. We ended up calling several times and speaking to at least 4 different reps! Their sales reps aren't very familiar with the Star Alliance RTW [View Full Entry]

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