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Hey there everyone! We are now safely home after an incredible six and a half months! Very disorientating and we're very jet lagged but it is good to be back. So here is what we got up to in our last bit of time away.
We left New Zealand, after the most amazing 2 1/2 months there, without a doubt will be returning. We flew from Christchurch to Auckland and then on to Nadi, in Fiji. We arrived in the evening so went straight to a backpackers, Nomads Skylodge which was fine for a night's stop, had everything we needed, including a pool, so that was all good. The next morning we headed out to the Yasawas Islands for the week. We had booked to stay at a resort called Octopus on Waya Island and couldn't be happier about it especially as we chose it at random. They picked us up from Nomads and took us on their private boat to Octopus.
We arrived with blue sky to an absolutely stunning beach with no other resorts anywhere near it. It has been beautifully done set around a pool right on the beach with a big wooden eating area, a
bar and then all the places to stay. One of our favourite things about Octopus was that there was a great mix of people, but still being quite small, with couples and families who can afford nice bures (thatched cottages) and then us backpackers in the dorm which was one of our best dorms yet. Everyone has their own mozzy net which makes it really cosy although it does look like a TB ward.
We spent seven nights on the island, surprisingly easy, however we did get three days of rain and rain in Fiji lasts all day and means you can't do anything. Luckily we met some fantastic people so we all hung around playing board games til we were sick of them and then got inventive and made our own skittles. The sunny days though were absolute Heaven, lazing about on what they publicise as one of the top 10 beaches in the world, swimming in the gorgeous pool and trying the fantastic cocktails.
Another big activity in Octopus (and our trip in gerneral!) is eating. The food is famous among all travellers in Fiji, with a fantastic lunch and an even better huge supper so everyone
just gets fat which is great. The dining room has tables for 8 so everyone sits and chats together which makes such a difference from other resorts. We're missing the food there already....
For people who aren't into sitting on a beach all day there are quite a few other things to do. We walked over to the local village, Nalauwaki twice which was a great experience. The first time we went for the church service which was certainly enlightening. We all had to sit at the front in the boiling heat listening to a mass in Fijian for an hour and a half. Apparently it can go on for three hours so we were lucky. We have no idea what was being said but the minister shouted a lot and started hitting the lectern in his passion. The upside was the choir who just blew us away, nothing in England even comes to close to them. We even got to hear them again when they sang at the resort.
The next time we went we were taken around the village, had our second kava ceremony (their 'relaxing' drink whick looks like dirty dishwater and tastes worse but you
can't go to Fiji and not try it) and the villagers performed a meke ceremony with dancing and singing.
Our other rainy-day activities were making a basket out of one coconut palm leaf which we were soooo proud of and were sad to leave behind and also jewellery making which we weren't so great at. We decided against hair braiding- cornrows wouldn't suit either of us.
Octopus also put on things in the evening so three times we watched films in their makeshift outdoor cinema which was great, we have been introduced to the wonder that is Cocktail. Another night was crab racing where we all got our own crab to pitch against everyone elses but we were both out in the first round.... Meke night was also superb as locals come from the village to perform a traditional dance ceremony and then of course made us join in, awesome nonetheless.
Basically we had such a chilled out week, we wouldn't change a thing, not even the bad weather because we got to hang out with other people all the more.
Very reluctantly we left octopus and Fiji and jetted off to San Francisco but I'll leave that for
another blog.....
loads and loads of love Cordy and Issie X
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