Are you Experienced?

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Hey hey My My,

For the past week or so we've been doing the Feejee Experience, a bus tour around the main Fijian island, Viti-Levu. We stopped off to do loads of activities whilst travelling between our destinations. On Day 1 we left Nadi and headed to a nearby Beach, apparently one of the Top 5 in the world and then we visited a Fijian village. We had to wear a sarong whilst walking through the village as not to offend the vilagers' modesty- looked very chic?!

The most enjoyable part of day 1 was sandboarding, basically (that word again) this is a bit like sledging, only down sand dunes rather than snowy hills. The walk to the top of the Sand Dunes was knackering, so steep- on reaching the top we had to lie down on the boogie board thingys and jump down the hill. You could pick up a fair amount of speed, an Irish guy in our group fell of his board and lost his watch, forever lost in the sands of time! Needless to say I wiped out on my third go, I started veering to one side and couldn't steer, Will quipped that I looked like Jonny did after his Cambodian Bus journey fiasco?!

We stayed three nights at Mango Bay Resort on the Coral Coast. It's called a Flashpackers because it's generally aimed at Backpackers but it's a bit Flasher?!?! It's just down the road from where they are currently filming Celebrity Love Island. It was an awesome place, they put loads of free activities on throughout the day: Football, Volleyball, snorkelning Trips. They also had a Coconut Tree climbing demonstration, god those Fijian Boys can climb a tree! Palm trees don't have branches so they just wrapped themselves around these tall trees and climbed them as you would a rope, upon reaching the top they chopped down loads of coconuts that were about ripe so that they wouldn't fall on some unsuspecting tourist sunbathing!

On our first night in Mango Bay we had a big Buffet style Fijian meal, Lovo, which is cooked underground in a similar way to the Maori Hangi in New Zealand. We were treated to a singing and dancing show by some people from the Village nearby, including a dance involving Spears which they pretended to throw at the crowd before pulling out at the last minute. They got everybody involved at the end of the performance with a conga styled thing (It was almost as big as that Conga that Holtby started once in Flairs like a legend, i think he said that upto 500 people joined his Conga if my memory serves me). The night was winded down with a bonfire by the beach till the small hours.

After three nights at Mango Bay we joined a bus that was heading to the capital of Fiji, Suva. En route to Suva we went Jungle trekking, the thought of a three hour trek in the baking sun didn't fill me or Wilson with much joy, but it was fairly easy- just finished reading Lance Armstrong's Autobigoraphy so that spurred us on a bit! After trekking through rainforest, we were just walking thrugh a long stream for about an hour of the walk, we came to a clearing and a large river where we had our lunch. There was a wild horse just running through the middle of the river as it was pretty shallow (random?!) We went tubing (getting in a rubber ring and floating slowly down the river) passing through a couple of tame rapids, before ending up at a couple of waterfalls.

Our guide for the day, Bola, was a good laugh (Bula Baby) and also a bit of a mentalist. Most of us jumped off this ledge into the river about five metres below but Bola climbed half way up the huge waterfall over slippery rocks and jumped from there into the plunge pool below! After the Waterfalls we got a longboat ride back to where the bus was parked and headed onto Suva.

Me and Wils stayed for two nights in Suva at Raintree Lodge, a hostel about 6 miles from Suva itself. the hostel was a bit of a comedown from Mago Bay, and Suva lived up to it's reputation as the rainiest place in Fiji. we didn't do much culture vulturing in the nation's Capital, instead opting to goto the Cinema to watch Will Ferrel's latest film.

After Suva we headed to Voli Voli Resort in the North East of the main island. On the way there we all bought some stationary and books in Suva which we were to give as presents to some children at a nearby Orphanage, St Christophers Hospital. When we arrived at the Orphanage the children sang us some songs and the nuns who run the place thanked us for dropping by. The place had already had about four busloads of Fiji Experience people in the past week so i think they'll be Ok for crayons and coloured pencils for a while yet!

Next stop was a village, where we sat down with the Chief for a Kava Ceremony. Kava is the root of a plant that is grinded into powder after about 5 years and then mixed with water and put into a huge bowl. We'd had Kava a few times before so we were prepared for what awaited us. Some of the lads from the village took us Bamboo Rafting in the afternoon, the weather was beginning to take a turn for the worst so this didn't last that long. We got into a big circle in the river and played keepy ups with a volley ball using our hands: whoever dropped it got splashed by everyone else.

We arrived in Voli Voli Resort just before sunset. It's quite a new resort and was a nice place, we drank a bit of Kava and they had a few team games (much like being back in Primary School) to occupy us with. We rounded off the night with a bonfire by the beach.

After two days in Voli Voli we hit the road again, heading back to Nadi. En route we passed the grave of the "Last Canibal in Fiji", Caniballism was pretty rife in Fiji up until the conversion to Christanity. The last activity we did was a visit to the Hot Mud Pools, these were just little pools of muddy water which we got in and blacked ourselves up (tone it)- apparently it's good for the skin?! After washing the mud off in the hot pools we headed back to Nadi, this concluded the bus tour- really enjoyed it, all of the guides we had were good crack and we done some cool activities.

The next day we headed for Beachcomber Island, the so called Party Island. As it was gonna be me and Wilson's last big night together we intened to go out in style. The Island itself is really picturesque, although the beach is a bit too Mary Shelly for my liking. The food is all Buffet styled because they've got to cater for over 100 people, and it is really nice. The dorm we stayed in had over eighty beds in it, it used to be the biggest Dorm in the World but i think it mght have lost that title now after reducing the number! I went on a snorkeling trip through the day, the reef was really big and colourful and all of the usual suspect fish were out in force.

At night they had Crab Racing, this involved placing thirty crabs in the middle of this circle and the first three to the circle's edge won prizes. You had to bid for the Crabs at the start, me and Will went halfs on Marley of Jamiaca and Imran of Pakistan (the thinking being that no one else would want poor Imran so we could get him cheaper-tone it!) Skippy of Australia went for over $60?!? Neither of our crabs got in the top 3, South Africa walked it- if this is a forecast for Vegas i think i'll give the Roulette a miss.

They had a band in the bar and then a DJ that kept the Party ticking. Had quite a few naughty shots at the bar and was tucked up in bed by 1 o'clock as a result! Had an awesome last big Night as a Duo though (mind you, the next day wasn't so good especially the boat ride back to the main Island-you live an you learn though!)

So that about wraps up our time in Fiji, Will flies to LA tonight and I fly to Hawaii (Hawawaii the lads!) Fiji's been purely belter, almost like a holiday within a holiday, very relaxing- when you get past the scammers in town the people are really friendly aswell.

So from now on i'll be travelling on my lonesome until I return back home in a months time. I think it's only been about two days of the whole trip where me and Wilson have been seperated, way back in Malaysia so it's gonna be a bit strange. Needless to say we've had some good times and some great times! I think i'm gonna have to improve my English language skills over the next month, i'll have to avoid using the word "banter" when i'm struggling to think of a word. Gonna be weird when i hear a high pitched random noise or see a fat person (going to America next aswell) to look to my left and not have anyone to share the joke with. Hope you have a wicked time in the States, you never know, i might bump into you (after all as Jonny pointed out it is a small world!) I'll trust you to spread the word of banter stateside, paving the way for my arrival and also to keep me posted on the impact of Thatcherism over there aswell! Farewell my friend.

Signing off from Fiji

Mike

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Photos

Top 5?
This is meant to be one of the Top 5 Beaches in the world. It was alright, but top 5? No chance! Too windy for a start. I'm getting picky eh.

Now then Sandy bum.
Me Sandboarding: The time I didn't wipeout.

Hey chief.
The Village Chief's hut. this is where they hold the Kava ceremony and other important village events.

At the end of the day...
It gets dark! (Thats one of mine)

Trekky
Not in the Holtbyesque Star Trek fan sense mind.

Just around the Hill
The view that greeted us after3 hours trekking through the Rainforest.

Waterfall Madness
Our guide, Bola, about to jump from the waterfall.

Comments

[Odele]

How's it garn? Fiji looks well nice might see if I can drag Tim over there some time. Going on holiday myself on monday to Corfu staying at the party capital Kavos, get in!!! Well it should be interesting, though I am expecting it to be like Blackpool in the sun. On the plus side at least it's hot:-) Anyways best go cos I'm at work. Speak to you soon! x

[Jonnys]

Hey ginge
Hey ginge, just thought id say its a small world just for banter!! Nothing of note to tell u but im doing another week here in Barry loche learning spanish. BARRINGTON??? No, Barriloche!!! Ciao ging. Jx