Blogs from Kadavu, Fiji, Oceania

The wind finally settled down, the sun came out in full force, and Mango and I got to experience a 'typical' day on Ono Island. Typical here is a relative term, as we started our day in the calm clear reef just off of the resort, then traveled about a mile south to the nearby village where over half of the Resort's staff and their family live and were about to celebrate their children's graduation. Snorkeling was very chill. We kayaked about a half a mile from the shore and then donned our masks and fins. It was a little uncomfortable getting in the water since we didn't really know what was down there, but as soon as I faced the ocean floor, Bob Marley started playing in my head, "three little birds, sits by my ... read more

Another breezy morning, one that Mango would come to terms with in an intimate way hours after breakfast. Today was our first activity day: SCUBA diving the Astrolabe Reef. The ride out to our first spot was choppy. Somehow, Dee, our Divemaster, spotted a manta ray and told us to get our snorkel gear and slide into the water for a peek. Even before I could hand Mango her mask and snorkel, she was feeling queasy and looking a light shade of green. But being the trooper she is, she grabbed the mask and hopped overboard, eyeing the 8 foot visibility, which almost entirely appeared as a deep purple with a bottomless floor of murky sand. We swashed around for about 10 minutes but didn't see anything. Dee kept pointing into the abyss and swimming around, ... read more

I wasn't sure how quickly I'd want to start journaling again, but after fewer than four hours on Ono Island, I've already received quite an impression, not to mention every opportunity anyone could ask for to reflect and slow things down. The 35 hour travel bender started Wednesday at 6am, proceeded with a 9 hour sampler of Los Angeles' King's Hawaiian BBQ and Hermosa beach, an 11 hour flight into Suva, and a 6 hour layover before our final flight into Kadavu. The 15 passenger plane, occupied by 3 locals, 2 pilots, mango, and me, looked sturdy enough at first glance, and reminded me of the same plane I took from Kathmandu to Lukla (thought I told Mango I took a similar plane from Seattle to Vancouver. Not long after that thought, were told due to ... read more