Mountain Hideaway

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Hi all,

So after having to finish going round the Yasawa Islands (I only had a 7 day pass), I decided that rather than stay in Nadi, which would have been a bit dull, I would go up into the mountains instead. I finally arrived at Stony Creek by late evening after getting the transfer back on the yellow boat, and met Jo and Calv from England, and Nate from the USA. We ended up having a doubles pool battle, which me and Calv won 2-1, with little help from me apart from a few amazing, and completely fluke shots. At about midnight I went up to the dorm which I had to myself - avoiding the frogs living on the path on the way up! Once in the dorm I shooed out the wildlife - a few geckos and massive moths, and made sure the mozzie net was very well up as there were loads of insects about, and only a curtain as a door to keep them out. Finally got to bed about midnight, but even so the wildlife and sun woke me up about 7am as there was no glass in the windows and so the morning was very noisy and bright. Spent the morning reading by the pool (jumping in every time I got too hot!), and later on caught the bus (oinly $1 but very rickety with no glass in the windows) into Nadi with Calv and Jo, where we used the internet for a bit, and then went to have lunch in a little cafe. We sat outside in the sun and it all seemed pretty nice until Calv went in to pay and discovered that the bar was home to quite a few cockroaches - yummy! When we got back to Stony Creek we met some new people who had arrived that day - Frasier and Dom who own Octopus Resort, and Charlie their friend, and I decided that the number of ants in my room and all over the mozzie net covering the bed was bordering on scary, and so moved into the other dorm.

The next day passed in a very chilled out fashion much like the first, and in the late-afternoon I walked over to the hot springs (which is apparently unusual for a tourist to do - I got offered 2 lifts on the way, on of which from the police). The first part of the hot springs was the mud bath, where you basically had to cover yourself in mud (all the while convincing the weird fijian guy that yes, I can do it by myself, no, I'm not doing it naked) and then when it was dry wash it off again. Then, the more fun bit was the hot springs - one 35 degrees C, which you could swim in, and one 83 degrees which you could just about put your hand in - although the Fijian guide said that a baby fell in once and wasn't burnt, so we could swim if we wanted. I then decided to get the taxi back as it was dark by the time I'd finished, so I sat around with the Fijians drinking Kava for a bit until the "taxi" (the guide's mate in a van) came. The guide had to come with us, and at the end of the dirt track leading to the springs, we had to pick up 4 random local teenagers as well in order to make the back end of the van heavy enough to get up the very steep, dusty slope (with an added obstacle of a 45 degree turn half way up). For dinner, everyone had recommended the milk fish, so I had that, and it was absolutely amazing - something that you'd expect in a proper fancy restaurant - and only ₤5.

That night Michelle upgraded me to a "loveshack" which was basically a private room which was basically a private room with a double bed, so I got lots of sleep before heading out to the airport the next day.

And so concludes my trip to Fiji! I will add photos when I get back to Kafele and Krishka's house as I have left my big bag and camera usb there in order to explore Rotorua and Lake Taupo just south of Auckland.

Katie x

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Photos

Frog hiding under my bed
One of the many in and around the dorm

Pineapple fanta
Not toxic honest