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Published: April 11th 2008
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Day 181 - Wednesday 19 March
Russ bank card didn´t arrive so it looks like i´m off to the islands on my own. After waiting around for ages finally the boat arrived to take me to Mana island. With other islands nearby with names like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe island it should be a mini paradise. Its also close to the island where they filmed Castaway (The Tom Hanks version). It certainly looked great as the boat passed by all these deserted islands.
Unfortunately the sea turned really choppy as we hit a mini storm and I ended up totally drenched. On arrival we were greeted by some Fijian welcome performance but I was cold and wet and wanted to get changed so I didn´t appreciate it perhaps how I should have done.
Although overcast its warm so obviously the whole afternoon was spent lounging on the beach watching the sea very gently wash against the sand.
After a couple of hours snoozing it was time for this evenings entertainment, crab racing. A big chalk circle has been drawn on the ground and they auctioned off a load of crabs. The crabs were then put in
the centre and the first to leave the circl won. It was quite good fun. Just after 9 when the crab racing finished everybody drifted off to bed so with not much else to do I thought I might as well join them and have an early night.
Day 182 - Thursday 20 March
Not surprisingly I was up quite early so after having breakfast I decided to circumnavigate the island. Its supposed to take about 2 1/2 hours but I made the mistake of not taking any footwear assuming that it would be all soft sand. Unfortunately there were long stretches of rocks that were agony to walk over so it ended up taking me closer to 5 hours (I had my camera with me otherwise I would have swam round them, although i did make some makeshift shoes out of washed up rubbish quite ingenious I thought). Having said all that I passed beaches that were totally deserted and an old derelict resort that was apparently used on the set of american tv reality show survivor. It looked pretty cool.
Russ´bank card had finally turned up yesterday so he´d taken the boat over this morning.
With happy hour just starting at the bar I joined him for a beer and got chatting to some Americans over here.
Tonights theme is Fijian night so after a traditional Fijian dinner (Its not much different to a western one except the fish or chicken is cooked in leaves under the sand). We sat through the Kava ceremony and one by one we were given a scoop to drink. That was then followed by some dancing.
Again everybody started drifting off about half nine so I went for a walk along the beach and listened to the tide gently was against the shore.
Day 183 - Friday 21 March
I´d got sunburnt yesterday so whilst everybody else was sunbathing on the beach or cooling off in the sea, I sat in the shade on the balcony having to be content with doing some reading but with a great view of the sea I couldn´t complain.
Once the sun had started to go in late afternoon I could venture out and do a bit of snorkeling. Just off the coast amongst the coral theres quite a few fish and I also saw bright blue starfish
which is something i´ve never seen before. Its times like this when you realise your lucky to be travelling. Some days might be boring but its better than being stuck inside an office,
After dinner tonights entertianment was the limbo. Being the tallest there and the second oldest I was always going to be up against it. I don´t feel any less supple than I used to but I am. This trips revealing far to many truths about my current abilities. I´d naturally assumed I was no different to how I used to be 10 years ago. Oh well at least I wasn´t last I finished a respectable 3rd to last out of about 20 people.
Once the other fun and games had finished I had a few relaxing beers talking to Russ, some german guy and a canadian bloke. I´m going to miss Fiji a little when I leave its a relaxed kind of place.
Day 184 - Saturday 22 March
As you go to bed early here in Fiji I was up quite early this morning. By early I mean before 8:30 am. It´s going to be another hot day and it wont take
too long in the sun to get sunburnt, so I sat in the shade to do a bit o reading. I don´t know where the time went but before I knew it it was lunchtime.
With not much to do I was going to have a go at coconut jewellry making as there was a lesson on this afternoon. It was supposed to start at 2pm but thats 2pm Fiji time and by a quarter to 3 it still hadn´t started but then thats Fiji for you. As it was so hot I decided to go for a swim in the sea and do a bit more snorkeling for half an hour or so.
On my return the lesson was just beginning. After finding a coconut and hacking the outer protective layer away you have to cut the coconut down the middle a couple of times, then scrape away the coconut inside before sandpapering down the outside, and then you have a bracelet. The locals frequently make them and they go for about a $5 FJ (1 pound 66p) on a market stall in Nadi. I can tell you though you wouldn´t believe how much effort goes into
making one. It took me over 2 hours and all that sawing, sandpapering and hacking away was hard work. Maybe next time I buy a cheap souveneir I want haggle so hard now I know how hard they work for just a few pounds. I even took the lazy option and recruited some of the local children to finish smoothing mine down. They were great and only too willing to get involved. Nothing like exploiting the local child labour force and I tried as best I could to impose tough sweatshop conditions (only joking). They were so happy and enthusiastic as they have been in any poor country I have visited. I wonder how they will turn out in 20 years time, probably unfortunately they´ll still be very poor but maybe hopefully they´ll still be happy.
After a brief rest it was time for tonights entertainment. The theme is Polynesian night and we´ve got traditional dancing, sword juggling and a fire show all from the resort staff. There a bit of a jack of all trades. The star of the show though was a local girl about 4 years old. She was an absolute star and stole the show.
Its a lot quieter tonight as a lot of people left the island today and there were only a few newcomers. After playing cards for about an hour the bar closed early so there wasn´t much to do except go to bed early and its only 10 pm.
Day 185 - Sunday 23 March
Its my last morning on Mana island so after having a bit of a lie in then packing up, I took the opportunity to have one last sunbathe and work on my tan.
Just before 1pm we were ready to board the boat that would take us to the mainland. Before we boarded the resort staff serenaded us with a Fijian farewell song. I´ve heard it everyday but today now that its meant for me, I feel a bit sad to be leaving. After saying goodbye to a few people i´ve met I took the boat back to Nadi.
Back in Nadi the first thing to do was grab lunch I was starving. Theres not much to the town and with today being Easter Sunday everywhere was shut but luckily an internet cafe was still open. Having spent 5 days in
Local house
Now I know why so many asylum seekers want to come to the uk and get a free house the middle of nowhere it was good to catch up with things.
As everywheres shut and i´ve got an early flight in the morning I spent the evening resting back at my hostel reading about South America. The more I read the more it sounds like New Zealand but at a third of the price. I wish I´d have known that earlier.
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