Fiji

Bula!

My recent vacation was fabulous. No lie. 

The vacation started when Jenn arrived at LAX. We had a few days before traveling. We foolishly tried to acclimate to the time difference, pretty much failing. We had some Ambien, what was I thinking? I graciously helped Jenn lighten her load before departing--she was thankful later...

The flight was actually nice! We were both dreading the 10-1/2 hour flight, but the Fijian flight attendants were sweet beyond words, the seats comfortable, some movies...and Ambien. Woohoo! We arrived in Nadi refreshed and mostly acclimated to the time difference. Our first day was spent at a nice, family-oriented resort on Denarau Island. It was a great transition day. I bought a very nice sulu--I like going native. 

The next day we grabbed the ferry to Tokoriki. I was surprised the island had no dock, so we hopped aboard the resorts tender for a short ride through the reef, beaching the boat in the white sand. Walking up the beach, we were greeted by Fijians, 20 or so exuberantly singing a Fijian welcome song, one with a necklace for us, and another with a cold, tropical drink! After a delightful check-in process, we were showed to our room. Wow! It was amazing! We were shown around: a gorgeous bedroom with an incredible view of the sea, the trademark outdoor shower, a cabana, sun deck, plunge pool and a living room. No TV, no clocks, no telephone, no kids...ahhhh. 


We were surprised to discover that about 75% of the guests were newlyweds...well, there are only 30 or so rooms; the resort is intimate and lovely. We swam and snorkeled, had dinner on the beach. Our rhythm when vacationing is not typical. We were each morning before sunrise with Special Coffee....mmmm. Siesta in the afternoons; that sort of thing.  

The highlight of the first week had to be the "honeymoon picnic." The staff packed a cooler with a delicious lunch and a bottle of champagne then we were whisked off to an uninhabited, secluded beach on a nearby island. "Totally private," we were reminded several times, always with a wink and a smile. Sure enough, we had a half mile stretch of white sand beach all to ourselves for about 5 hours. We laughed and frolicked--it was amazing; an experience of a lifetime!  

Our second week was back on Viti Levu, the big island of Fiji. Catching a transfer from Denarau back to Nadi, we jumped on a bus a couple of scenic hours before arriving at Pacific Harbour. There, we had a rousing lovo dinner at the resort, visited the cultural center and took the whitewater rafting trip, which was the highlight of the second week. Our guide was outgoing and friendly by Fijian standards, and that is really saying something! Moses told us stories and shared details of village life inland on the river. I know how to catch fruit bats for lunch, now! Moses was fascinated by our travel stories and descriptions of life in LA and Florida. It was a delightful cultural exchange. Another real friend in Fiji! 

After Pacific Harbour, we traveled another couple of hours by bus to Suva, the capitol city. There, we visited the national museum where we saw something Moses had told us about...the shoe of Thomas Baker. Baker was a missionary to Fiji in the 1800s, completely ignorant of Fijian customs. He proceeded to help the local chief remove the combs from his voluminous hair to the horror of the entire village. (Even today, you do not touch Fijians on the head). In response to the grave insult, the missionary was reduced to his component parts, cooked and eaten. Realizing this did not appropriately include his shoes, they gave them a bit of a roasting, then tried to finish them off. The soles of the shoes were a bit too tough and you can see the remainder of the meal in the museum, complete with teeth marks. Afterward, we wandered the city, had some wonderful meals and got some tanning in. (Well, one of us, anyway). 
  

Saturday, we took off on the long busride back to Nadi, on the west side of the island, arriving at our resort just after dark. It was a friendly, little place with just 10 rooms and very nice beach access. The following day, we walked on the beach, luxuriating in our last day in Fiji. Our flight left late in the evening, and, oddly arrived back in Los Angeles earlier the same day. Such is the magic of the International Date Line, and perhaps, Ambien, too.