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Published: November 16th 2008
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Chief John
Chief for the day! Chief John Sunday 16th November 2008
We left Lautoka on Wednesday and came back to the Travellers Rest on Nadi Bay, where we stayed for our first two Fijian nights over a month ago. We were well remembered and that night the staff had a little Kava ceremony and proclaimed John as Chief for the occasion. There were eight of us, John and myself, five Fijians and one Maori visitor. We put away four large bowls of Kava and I went to bed feeling rather sick and dizzy. The Kava didn’t affect “Chief John” at all, and he drank bigger bowls than I did! He slept like a baby and awoke without any trace of ill effects on Thursday morning.
On Friday we went into Nadi to have a good look around because we wanted to give the town a second chance. Our previous verdict was that Nadi was an absolute tip; every other Fijian town has had a certain character and charm, Suva the capital, old Levuka and the “Sugar Town’ of Lautoka each had something of interest to offer. We started at the top end of Nadi, where the bigger shops are and walked down to the bus
Neon Blue fish
small but brilliantly bright! station end, where we had been before, and then back. It was worth it because Nadi isn’t as awful as we at first thought. The shops up the top end are actually pretty smart and there is a beautiful Hindu temple which dominates the bottom end of town by the market. Nadi isn’t as interesting as other Fijian towns but it’s OK. Friday ended watching fire dancers on the beach on Nadi Bay.
Yesterday we treated ourselves to a day trip out to some of the Mamanuca islands on a schooner. It was a lovely day and the snorkelling was Ok. The water is not as clear as the waters around Ovalau and Leuleuvia but there are no snakes here on the western side. The Mamanucas are expensive and the main tourist destination in Fiji. The islands are no more beautiful than the eastern islands and not as scenic as the stunning island of Nananu-I-Ra in the north, so we are surprised at their popularity. It must be the accommodation, which is mostly up-market with a few over-priced backpacker resorts; or it is because they are more accessible to Nadi airport. As part of the day cruise, we stopped at
Serenaded onboard
Music on the "Whales Tale" schooner a tiny uninhabited island to snorkel, fish and have a Kava ceremony and buffet lunch (all brought ashore from the schooner). There were twenty five passengers and one needed to be the chief (in the absence of a real one). One of the crew, armed with his Kava bowl suddenly placed John opposite the Kava bowl and announced that “Chef John” was our chief for the day! Pure coincidence but, having been an honorary chief (for the purpose of drinking Grog) twice in just a few days, John thinks he must be showing his age and looking old and wise! Fortunately, there was only one bowl of Kava shared between a lot more people than last Wednesday night, so we didn’t risk drowning whilst snorkelling after lunch. Great day out!
Today is Sunday, nothing happens in Fiji on Sundays, so I’m on the beach writing this with a Fiji Gold in hand. I can get online tomorrow to send this blog, and then early Tuesday morning we leave for New Zealand. What have been the highlights of Fiji? Well it has all been great, the whole experience, the bus journeys, the coral beaches, the rainforest, the islands and particularly the
Whales Tale
Schooner, taken from the snorkelling site beautiful old capitol city Levuka; but we both agree that the highlight, during our twelve brilliant days over in Ovalau and its neighbouring islands, was the day we went to the school fundraising on Moturiki. That day will stay in our memories and hearts forever.
So “Farewell Fiji, Bula Vinaka! “; beautiful land and beautiful people and very soon now we are to say “Kia-ora New Zealand”.
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