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Arriving in Fiji
Can we fit all this in the van? Greetings from Fiji. We arrived at 5am on May 8th, having lost a day going over the international dateline, to a beautiful sunrise and very warm, humid air. It was a struggle to get our bags through customs and find someone who would take all of us and the luggage to our airport, but Gregg was in charge and he found a van to transport us to Denarau. Our hotel room was not quite ready so we stored our bags in the "day room" and changed into our swim suits. The hotel grounds were lovely. We had about an hour to explore before the rain began. Since our room wasn't going to be ready until 2pm and we had no where else to go, we just played in the rain. The pool is one of the biggest in Fiji, or at least that is how they advertise it, with a water volleyball section, and a swim up bar😊. The open air restaurant was at one end of the pool and we spent a lot of time sitting watching the boys play and the rain fall. The beach was also right next to the pool. At one point, before they shut down
the beach sports, Gregg took a kayak out and rode the waves with the boys. It pretty much rained for two days but since the weather was warm, we didn't let it bother us. We visited a few other resorts in search of windsurfing equipment, the eternal search, to no avail. But the other resorts were lovely and fun to see. We were allowed to use the pool at the neighboring hotel. They had a water slide, a swim up bar and volleyball as well. Everyone got involved in numerous water volleyball games with a variety of different guests. Most of the guests were from New Zealand or Australia or Fiji. I think we only met one or two fellow Americans in 4 days!
The Island of Denarau, where our hotel was located, had a free Bula bus (open air with a thatched roof) that drives guests around to the marina and to different resorts. The first night we took the bus to the marina and shopping area to have an indian meal at a very trendy restaurant, Indigo. The boys were so tired, Avery slept through the entire dinner, and Graham crashed before we were done eating. Since our
condo had a full kitchen, we also went grocery shopping. It is really fun to shop in a new country and see all the different foods. The hotel had a fruit and vegie market where we picked up wonderfully juicy pineapples, bananas, papayas, potatoes, fresh eggs and onions.
The second day brought more rain, but we made the most of it. We explored the resort next door, which had a cool slide and pool complex. We used our travel cards for a couple of drinks at the swim up bar (thanks Jeff and Jill, we toasted in your honor), and played more volley ball. That night we partook in a Kava ceremony. Kava is a traditional Fijian drink made from powered roots. It tastes like muddy water and makes your mouth numb. It is intoxicating, but you need to drink a lot, but it basically makes you really sleepy and indifferent to what's going on at that time and any time for that matter. Kids do drink it, so we all gave it a try. Then it was on to frog racing (not a traditional activity). We (our frog) came in third place. The proceeds from the auction on the
Kava!!!
Yum! Muddy water. frogs went to the local hospital. Then we watched traditional fire dancers which was cool (hot). Then it was back to our room and to bed early.
The third day finally was clear. We spent the morning traveling by the city bus to Nadi Town. It was quite an experience to ride an open air bus down narrow roads pocked with pot holes. The market was a feast for the eyes, with an umbelievable assortment of tropic fruits and vegitables. Gregg was offered and therefore was obligated to drink Kava then bought some that he later gave to a porter at the hotel as a gift. We toured the Hindu temple. Very colorful and interesting. The town was a mixture of Fiji and Hindu (Indian culture) and very crowded. People were trying to get us to buy stuff, although we weren't accosted. we went to a craft market where there was a lot of pressure to buy. Most items were purchase for about 50% of the original price. We bought a traditional warrior mask, sharks teeth, a coral bracelet, turtle pendant (for good luck) and a traditional Fijian painting on bark cloth. The trip back to Denarau Island was
fascinating. Met an interesting guy from Australia of Pacific Island descent whose been living on government disability for 7 years in Fiji. His motto "Easy come, easy go...no worries" has been adopted as our mantra. It's helped during those times of unexpected adverse events and expenses. We drove through several Fijian villages down muddy roads. Most families live in one room Burres, often with several people in one house. It was a good experience for the kids (and us) to see how most people in the world live. We need to be reminded how fortunate we are to live in the States and at such a high standard of living. That afternoon we sailed on hobie cats, swam and played more volleyball.
The fourth day (Mothers' Day) we took a day trip to Mystery Island on a 100' sailing vessel. This was a fantastic day, beautiful, sunny and warm. More Kava on board, serenading by traditional singers, and a beautiful isolated island with sugary white sand. The boys were so excited about snorkeling. The reef wasn't that healthy, but the water was really clear, and we saw a lot of great fish. Lisa was treated to a massage, a
Gregg and the kids played...more volleyball. Had a traditional barbeque. Took a walk around the island. It was a great day! At the end of the stay on the island we all took a plunge off the boat before weighing anchor. The sails were hoisted on the trip back to Port Denarua, and more music was played. It was a great sail, breathtaking vistas of the mountains and the islands dotting the horizon.
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