Sunny San Diego

---

The Adventure Continues

Well that whole blogging regularly thing is getting a little better. Since my last entry we have left Fiji and are now in San Diego. The weather is nice but the hangover is harsh from our first night here at the backpackers. What is the deal with all of them regularly organising pub crawls. Plus there is a high expectation that we should be there and drinking heavily as we are Australians.

Back to Fiji; after Beachcomber Island we headed to Waya Island. This was definately the experience we were looking for in Fiji. Very secluded with minimal touristy additions. We were staying at a backpackers called Adi's Place which was really just part of the village. This meant that we were often mingling with the locals, often resulting in talking about the rugby for some reason. I think Ryan was happy that I at least follow the rugby or he would be left stumbling in many conversations with them. Most of the time here was spent just taking in the relaxed atmosphere and basking in the sun, whether just taking in the rays whilst having a snooze or reading a book. Very peaceful. We did end up doing something constructive in our time here by climbing up the mountain, Batinebula or something like that (rough translation of eagle rock), which is the highest point in the Yasawa Island group. That meant that once we got to the top we had a perfect view of all the islands. The view was spectacular and well worth every step of the 3 hour round trip. We did this whole trip with a lovely couple from England, Jo and Neill. They were a great laugh and made the walk a lot more enjoyable as Ryan and I had others to share the experience with. From reading the Lonely Planet guide, the summit is at 567m above sea level which seems all that more impressive when you consider that we walked along the beach at one stage to get to the forest to begin our trek. The photos in my facebook account can't really do the views justice but they do give an idea of it all.

The next day we just headed to the nearby waterfall, which wasn't anything spectacular. After that we dawdled round taking a shower and talking with Jo and Neill. Now the reason why I say dawdled is because we asked several times and been told that the boat would be there to pick us up at 4:30pm, which didn't end up being the case. The owners came and told us that the boat was almost at the island at around 3:30pm and we hadn't even really started to pack our stuff. We rushed around throwing our stuff in our packs, rushing through saying goodbye to Jo and Neill and running down to the village boat to take us to the Yasawa Flyer. That was the only boat back to the mainland so if we missed that we would miss our flight and be stuck in Nadi. We really didn't want to have to stay there another day and having to sort out a new flight. Luckily, we got there just in time with only a pair of Ryan's socks becoming casualties of the rush and being left behind.

So to anyone else looking to head to Fiji at any stage I definitely suggest going to this Island if you want a taste of the true Fiji lifestyle without any of the rough edges that you find on the mainland.

Los Angeles was our first stop. Can't really say that we got a lot done whilst there. Spent the first day and a half catching up with back home and uploading all the photos so you lot have something to look at. LA wasn't at all what I expected it to be, the town is so huge with no real centre that you could see like back in Perth. At least there you can see the towers in Perth and realise that that is the centre and to just walk to them to see everything. Its all quite low in LA which I'm guessing is due to the fact that they are sitting on a major faultline. We went on a tour of the city with a late 30's, Jewish, b-boy wannabe guide by the name of Mickey Z. He was a pretty interesting fellow with a lot to say, especially about himself. LOL! As much shit as I give him, he was a great guide and provided us with a great day. Saw Hollywood (sign included), Beverly Hills and Bel-Air (including the Fresh Prince's house), Santa Monica and Venice Beach (plenty of freaks there), Rodeo Drive, Sunset strip and Downtown LA. Was a lot to take in in one day but it meant that we finished up feelin as though we had actually done something whilst in LA. We also saw our one and only star on the tour, Kirsten Dunst. She was in the back of a van that pulled up next to us at the lights and tried hiding behind the rear window once we had spotted her. That's about all we did in LA apart from going out drinking with the others in the backpackers, which were basically all Australians. Getting the whole cultural experience there. Quite funny that we often end up heading out with other Aussies when we came here to meet new and interesting people from around the world.

Well I must be off now so we can go and get some food before we head out to Tijuana for the evening.

---