The Fiji experience!

Bed count = 26-35

Firstly apologies for the great delay in this next instalment!I can only blame my overindulgence and partying over the Christmas period!Right there's the excuses out of the way: I'll make a start on bringing things up to date!Last time out I filled you in on our final West Coast USA adventures in San Diego.It was with slight tears in our eyes that we bid farewell to our friends Sarah and Shawn in Carlsbad and made our way to the airport to depart for our next destination…..Fiji!

We had been looking forward to this leg of the trip from the very beginning, as Fiji is the kind of place that you just wouldn't normally visit on a usual weekend away!The fact that the flight was ~11h from LA further highlighted the fact that it really was in the middle of nowhere!Due to the time difference we had some rather unsociable flight times which meant our arrival was at 5am in the morning!We also had the misfortune of arriving an hour or so late, due to the fact that some dunkin' donut checked his baggage onto the plane but forgot to actually get on the plane himself!When we finally arrived in Fiji (Nadi airport), we were greeted by some locals singing in grass skirts.I must admit that I struggle to put two words together at that time in the morning, never mind a full sing song….nevertheless the gesture was well received!We had also pre-booked a taxi connection to our hotel, although the message of our delayed flight had clearly not reached the awaiting driver!His temperament remained calm given the 2-3h wait he had obviously endured for us.However his patience was promptly challenged when we announced that we had some 'other things' to attend to before leaving the airport.Ahead of our flight, we had pre-booked a 10-day (9 night) 'Feejee Experience' adventure trip around the main Fijian island of Viti Levu as well as some of the smaller, outer Fijian islands. In order to start the trip later in the week, we needed to pick up our tickets from the airport office, which was allegedly open '24h'.The desk may have been open 24h, but this didn't guarantee that anyone would actually be working on it!After a 30 minute wait, it was clear that the receptionist was on 'Fiji time' (more on that later!) and we were given a phone number to ring back later.Finally we boarded the taxi, which resembled a poor man's 'pimp my ride' attempt including a furry dashboard and some random things hanging from the rear view mirror.As we left the airport we drove through the less salubrious suburbs of Nadi town, which immediately hammered home that this was not a fully Westernised country.Strangely the thing that confused me the most was the fact that we were now driving on the left-hand side of the road!I had spent so much time driving on the opposite side in the US/Canada that my brain had decided to switch sides as well!It was also a bit of a bumpy road along the way and the constant crunch of the cars suspension insinuated that the roads here may be somewhat unforgiving?!After travelling constantly for the last couple of months, we were both running on empty so we had decided that our first four days in Fiji would be purely 'downtime'.In order to fulfil this requirement, we had pre-booked a 'luxury treat' to stay at the 'Radisson Blu' resort on Denarau Island.Just to fill you in, Denarau Island is a man-made peninsula between Nadi airport and Nadi town.It has a nice little port where ferries depart to the outer Fijian islands, but the landscape is primarily occupied by high end resorts.Therefore, it's no coincidence that this area is referred as 'rich man's island' by the locals!Now I'm no rich man, but I decided to act like one temporarily as we treated ourselves to four nights relaxation at the Radisson Blu hotel! When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised by our surroundings and the smiling receptionist.However, it quickly turned out that the smiles were a cheeky façade to the fact that our rooms wouldn't be ready until mid-afternoon…this was 'Fiji time' in action once again!Feeling pretty jet lagged and bedraggled we decided the only way forward was a cocktail or two!We were doing pretty well for the first few hours, but were abruptly thrown back to reality as I literally endured ants in my pants!One thing that was immediately apparent was the number ants in the vicinity and these guys weren't having a lazy day at the office!They moved quicker than a speeding bullet and had a clear mission objective to try and bite me on the lefty buttock.After a bit of 'musical chairs' we managed to fool the speedy critters and survive until check-in!When we finally got the key to our room, we both collapsed on the generously oversized bed and pondered our next move in paradise!

I'm struggling to cast my mind back to early November, but what I do know is that we kept our promise of some downtime!Lots of well-earned sleep in's, lazy days by the pool (and sunken pool bar), as well as a sunset meal at the signature 'Cross' restaurant at the resort.As we were staying in a suite, we were in a fortunate position to be able to cook the odd meal in our room.I'm sure that I mentioned this before, but after eating out continuously it's quite a welcome break to have some home cooked supper now and again!As the resort shop was rather limited, we decided to take a trip into Nadi town, which was about a 20 minute taxi ride away.As we arrived at the reception, the porter kindly called us a taxi.When I say 'call' I actually mean this in the literal sense here, as it would seem that telecommunication has not yet reached Fiji!I had to laugh as the porter shouted, whistled and waved his arms frantically to grab the attention of the taxi man situated 100m down the road!Eventually after a repertoire of comedy dance moves and calls, the driver finally got the message and arrived with an unnecessary screech at the porch.In true Fiji style the motor was ridiculously ram shackled and fitted with the usual 'pimped up' interior consisting of a front room carpet blazoned across the dashboard.However, we were in luck…this machine had air conditioning!In true Fiji style, this consisted of at least three functioning windows that could be lowered allowing some free flowing hot air, rather than a stagnant circulation!The first mistake of the day, was not packing any water for this leg of the journey, but on the plus side we did cut some weight on the twenty minute ride in the mobile sauna!Eventually after our Sahara desert adventure we arrived at the 'MH Patels' supermarket in downtown Nadi.Two stone lighter, we quickly exited and asked the driver to hang around whilst we performed a 'quick shop'.Like most good men folk, I hate supermarket shopping with a passion and my only saviour in life is a predetermined route that allows me to rapidly purchase items at the quickest pace possible.Therefore you can only imagine my joy as I was faced with a new supermarket layout, no obvious ordering system and a mouth as dry as Ghandi's flip flop!I'll spare you the details, but a few things that are top of my annoyance list worth mentioning.Firstly, a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables which cost the earth.It so turns out that practically everything is imported to Fiji and the items clearly struggle to cope with the heat on transit.If you want a green pepper that has more wrinkles than your Grandma's forehead and you're willing to trade your left kidney as down payment then your luck's in….otherwise forget it!The fact that we had decided to cook a vegetable curry that night only served to add to my annoyance!Secondly, why can't folk outside the UK sell rice in a reasonable portion size?!I think rice lifting might make an appearance at next years 'worlds strongest man' competition, because I nearly did my back in bench-pressing the bloomin' bags off the shelf!Ok, my rants over, we finally bagged our shopping and endured the sweltering ride back to the hotel, this time with the luxury of a mouthful of water!That night we ate well and gorged ourselves on rice!!

As mentioned at the beginning, we had pre-booked ourselves on a four day tour round the main island, followed by five nights in some of the outer islands.We had read some reviews ahead of booking, but you can never fully guess what the experience will be like until you actually embark upon it (more on that soon!).That said, I had my suspicions that we might not be leading the life of luxury that we had at our 5 star hotel over the last few nights!These suspicions were quickly solidified when we checked out and queued in the early hours for our tour bus to arrive.When it did eventually screech into the lobby half an hour behind time, it was clear that it would be a 'snug' ride!Like most vehicles gracing the Fijian highways, the bus was quite clearly on its last legs and had a distinct lack of air conditioning.We fumbled our way to the empty seats at the back of the bus and rapidly realised why nobody had taken this prime position.I should have known better following a bumpy tour bus in Toronto way back, that you are most likely to feel the bumps the most at the back of the bus.This is especially evident if the suspension is lacking and unless you have an over padded posterior then you can expect nothing more than a teeth chattering ride from here on in!Anyway, enough moaning, the bus was full of other happy travellers who would be joining us on this mystical tour.We also had a super hyper active young teenage boy (?) who would be our tour guide and after some over energetic introductions, we all became quickly familiarised.Today's itinerary would involve relaxing on one of the Islands most picturesque beaches.After a bumpy hour's ride, we arrived and greased up for a couple hours in the mid-morning heat.After 30 minutes or so, it was clear that a cool off would be required, so I went for a paddle.This was my first time in the Fijian sea and I have to admit the waves took me off guard.Whilst the water was refreshing, the current was pretty strong and the odd wave had the potential to wobble my knees.After watching me for a minute, Melissa decided to join the action wearing her top of the range 'Tiffany' sunglasses.Alert to the potential dangers, I warned Melissa that she might want to leave the sunglasses on the safety of the beach towel.However, after three warnings I was branded nothing more than a common nag and I had to bite my tongue.It is with great regret that very shortly after, a freak wave engulfed her and dragged the sun glasses from her head to the ocean floor.At such a point, 'I told you so' just doesn't cut it and I frantically tried to salvage the prized possession from beneath.Unfortunately the sea was just too wild and visibility was next to zero so we returned to the beach with the only hope that they would eventually be washed up on the shore.However, after over an hour of pacing up and down the sands and swimming aimlessly, it was clear that they had dug a grave in the sea.It's hard for me to describe the devastating impact of the loss of this item to Melissa, but the loss of a left arm would probably be a good parallel to the degree of her upset.The only saving grace, was the kind generosity of one of the tour group (Elena), who witnessed the events unfold and kindly offered Melissa a spare pair of sunglasses.However, this was probably the worst possible way our trip could have started and things were only going to get more testing from here on in!After a spot of locally BBQ'd lunch we hit the road again for our next event of the day - Sandboarding.Most people will have probably heard of 'body boarding', where one catches a wave on their belly using a small surf board.Well, basically substitute the wave for a great bank of sand and you just about get the picture.I have attached a video on the blog to illustrate this and it was an interesting experience with some potential dangers lurking!Most of the tour group had graced the slopes with mixed success of staying on the board.Positioning was key here, as once you get the momentum up it's pretty hard to change course.This was well illustrated by the French/Australian girl (Jeanne) who set off a couple of yards too far right at the top of the hill.It was truly car crash TV, as we all saw the incident unfolding but were all powerless to stop it.As she reached top speed she left the smooth sand and took the board 'off piste' through the local vegetation.As she ploughed through the dense grass like a human lawnmower, she crashed at the bottom with a sickening thud.We all feared broken bones and there was quite a bit of concern…from all except her French boyfriend, Thomas, who continued to film the whole event with a chuckle!!Rather than rush to her rescue, he decided a close up would be more appropriate and even attempted a post-crash interview!!Fortunately she managed to walk away with just some nasty grass burns and a sore neck…very lucky!After witnessing this ordeal and still mourning her sunglasses, Melissa decided to give this event a side step…a wise choice!After this we travelled to our first night's accommodation at the 'Mango Bay' resort.Like most places we would be stopping, this wasn't located anywhere near the main highway.The Indian bus driver never ceased to amaze me by driving the bus through terrain that a 4x4 machine would have struggled with.After being bumped around, we arrived to be greeted by a spot of rain and lots of ants!Unbeknown to us, prior to the trip, it was the start of the Fijian rainy reason…great!We checked into our beach hut and quickly sobered to the fact that the odd unsightly insect would be an unwelcome visitor during our stay!Despite a spot of rain, we still found time to hit the pool, which had a great setting next to the beach.The only negative was the unwanted company of a rather large crab that had somehow scuttled into the pool!This was dealt with swiftly by the staff, as they used a butterfly net to scoop it out.However rather than take it back to the beach they plonked it by the side a screaming girl…I thought this was a nice touch!That night we slept slightly uneasy with nature's orchestra playing outside and the lack of any air conditioning!

The next day we had an early start to get to our next destination of the 'Uprising Resort' at the north of the island.During our trip 'up North' we would be enjoying the pleasures of a 'jungle trek'.Our hyperactive tour guide (Adi), had far too much enthusiasm for the time in the morning, but a great passion for telling us as little information as possible.All we knew is that we were going into the jungle and would need some water + swim wear!When we arrived at the location we were greeted by some locals who herded us onto a 4x4 jeep.After the first bump, I knew this ride would be worse than the bus journey and Melissa's look of alarm hammered home that I was right!Luckily the ride wasn't that long and we were soon heading into the deep forest.It was actually quite an interesting walk, until we reached a stream about two foot deep.After a quick conflab with the chaps running the show, I managed to get a free piggy back to save my trainers getting completely soaked.The fact that I hugged a man for dear life seemed to provide amusement for the group, but I know which side my bread is buttered…I had dry feet!Unfortunately what he failed to tell me was that my feet would remain dry for mere minutes as we had three more 'streams' to cross (each increasing in depth).At the next stream crossing, I kept my masculinity intact by ploughing through the muddy river at waist height…now my feet were wet!To make matters worse, the rain had set in, but I had high hopes that this would be a brief shower!After continuing through more water, we eventually reached our destination near a set of waterfalls.It was time for a quick change (in the rain) and then a muddy scrabble bare foot to the waters taking a few mosquito bites on the way.After this we spent some time in the fresh water which was certainly a refreshing change!The locals showed off, by jumping and somersaulting off some precarious branches…health and safety hasn't quite reached Fiji yet!After this we made a soggy trek back, without any promise of lunch and only the pouring rain for inspiration.It's fair to say that this whole experience was testing for everyone and it was clear that Melissa was slowly being edged out of her comfort zone!When we arrived at the resort to be greeted by a rock hard mattress, some pancake pillows and plenty of insects it was clear the comfort zone had been breached!

The next day involved another early start, as we made our way to the Volivoli resort further around the island.However, during the trip we would be travelling inland to a working Fijian village and we would have the chance to meet some real natives.On our way there we stopped at a local Fijian school, which was a personal highlight for me.It was a real insight into the education there and the kids were a lot of fun.I challenged a few of them to an arm wrestle and made sure I left with my pride intact…they might be kids, but they need to know who's the boss!It also surprised me how well they spoke English and how early this was taught.To cap the visit off they provided us with a Fijian dance and music which was great…until we were asked to repay the favour!After a quick group discussion we whipped out a rendition of 'Cotton Eye Joe' and a bout of the 'Macarena' and our work was done!!After this we travelled to the Fijian village and upon entry it was clear to me that this would be another challenging experience!The freshly slaughtered cow carcass that greeted us upon entry, did nothing to settle Melissa's stomach and it was only going to get worse!We were invited into the local hut where a 'Kava' ceremony was underway.Despite wearing a skirt, I still managed to annoy the Fijian chief by wearing my hat…so much for a good start!After this we sat cross legged and watched events unfold.Basically, the 'Kava' plant is worshipped and consumed by the locals, as it is said to have ubiquitous healing properties.The scientist in me says that might not have been truly tested, but the usual mode of consumption is in the liquid sense.The plant is ground with the local rain water to a muddy pulp and then decanted into a coconut cup for all to enjoy!Now, the first rule of Kava (club) is that you don't reject any Kava that is given to you…all must be consumed!Therefore it was of great delight that we would all become active members in the Kava ceremony, as the cup was passed through the group!I'm not going to lie, it looked horrible with some unknown white bits floating on top and it tasted just as bad!I think it must have some kind of anaesthetic property, as it numbed my lips, gums and tongue a bit and it gave me a bit of light head the second time round.I'm also sure that the village Chief's wife had rung her old under pants in the current batch, as the colour was just wrong….after several rounds it was consumed to great applause!After this, it is customary for everyone to introduce themselves to each it other.This involved a firm hand shake with the men and a kiss on the cheek with the local women.Now I don't mean any disrespect here, but the local 'women' came across as a little bit masculine.With this said, I have to admit that I was thrown out of my comfort zone when one of the older ladies practically French kissed me on the way round…the tickle of her moustache left a lasting memory forever!After the ceremony, we were onto the next event…Bilibili rafting!This involved floating down the local muddy river on a few bamboo sticks bound together…the true 'Fijian Venice experience'!Melissa decided to give this one a miss as she was starting to feel a bit queasy…maybe the Kava?!Anyhow, the rains swept in with perfect timing and we enjoyed a shivering ride down the river and muddy walk back!However before our walk back, we entered the other end of the village where the cow carcass was still left strewn on the floor.This time, the local butcher was in the process of taking it to pieces and it was a very good job that Melissa had stayed behind!The locals took their pick of various limbs and ran off ahead of us.When I got back, Melissa had taken a real turn for the worse and the effects of the Kava were making her very ill.The fact that village folk kept running past her with butchered cows limbs probably didn't help matters!Anyhow, the rest of the group enjoyed another round of Kava whilst we stayed in the bus…it was probably a blessing in disguise!After this ordeal we made our way to our resort, which was actually in quite a nice setting.Our room was spacious, although the toilet and shower were located outside.This wouldn't have been a problem normally, except it was my turn to feel the Kava effects later that night and I enjoyed the delights of been glued to the toilet in the pouring rain that evening!The good news was that we were to get a bit of a lie-in the next day, as our final leg of the journey back to Nadi wasn't quite as long.The other revelation by the resort owners confirmed that our teenage boy tour guide boy was actually a girl!I had my suspicions, but it did leave some folk in state of denial!!

The next day the rains eased slightly, although it was touch and go on whether the bus would actually make it out of the resort.After three attempts we were on our way down the bumpy track to our first stop for a traditional Indian lunch.There is a large Indian presence in Fiji and I was quite looking forward to a traditional curry.I did however expect that we would be travelling to a restaurant, but as with most things on the trip nothing would go quite to plan!After veering off the road and tackling some of the roughest terrain to date, we arrived to the smile of an Indian chap standing outside his house!After exiting the bus, we were shown to our seats in his very small living room, with his mother sitting on the couch!All very surreal, but the meal was probably the best Indian curry I have ever eaten…worth all the drama!After this we continued to our final event of the day - the 'hotsprings and mud pools'!When we arrived at a few tin huts and a cow shed I knew instantly that we had reached our destination!It had also been raining, so there was plenty of mud before we actually hit the 'pool'!The natural hot spring pool was certainly hot around 45-50 degrees.It could have been worse though, as the source pool was nearer 80 degrees….that would bring a whole new meaning to 'hot pants' if I had mistakenly fallen in that one!The mud pool was certainly interesting and we tried to distract the fact that we didn't know what we were stepping on by lathering each other up (check out the photos!).The single shower proved futile in washing the entire group, so we all returned to the bus slightly muddy for our final trip back to Nadi town.That night we checked into relatively normal accommodation, with a hot running shower and spirits were lifted despite a power cut over dinner!

So that concluded our four day trip round the main island, but as part of the package we had another 5 days booked on some of the outer Fijian islands to look forward too!The next day we headed to Denerau Port and took the ferry out to one of the nearer islands called 'Beachcomber'.This is well known as the 'party' island in Fiji and it wouldn't disappoint us!After several days constant rain, the clouds finally parted and we had some sunshine!This provided a nice ride to the island, which was picture-postcard.After taking a smaller speed boat (from the main ferry), we arrived on Beachcomber and checked into our room.This was quite a busy island and after a tough four days, we all deserved a drink or two!I had been recommended the Fijian rum and I got quite a taste for it that evening.As part of the entertainment, there was a dancing competition and after a few rums it seemed like a good idea!!I think it must have helped with our dance moves, as we managed to progress to the final four couples of the competition.Alas, we didn't win but Melissa was quite proud of our achievement!Later that evening we continued to dance the night away and we all had a fun time.The next day, we bid farewell to our new found friend Elena and the rest of the tour group who were returning back to the main island.We stayed another day and enjoyed some snorkelling, a pedicure (Melissa!) and a massage (me!).

The next day we got on another speedboat (to the main ferry) and headed to one of the further islands called 'Manta Ray'.When we arrived, the staff greeted us on the beach with Fijian songs, which was a lovely touch and it was clear that this would be more of a personal stay.We checked in and made our way to our private beachfront bure.All was great, except the communal toilet was situated about 100 yards away.This wouldn't have been an issue, except that I was suffering from some 'Kava belly' again and had to make a few mid night sprints to the pan.Currently, the fastest man on the planet is the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt who can do 100 m in 9.58 seconds.However, this record was unofficially broken that evening as I sprinted under gastric motivation to that toilet.I can just see the front pages of the Fijian times 'English man breaks the land speed record in flip flops'!Joking aside, we did manage to get upgraded to a private bure with a private bathroom so my sprinting career was quickly over!

We enjoyed three nights on the island and it was truly picturesque.I found time to do a bit of private kayaking and snorkelling and Melissa found time to sunbathe!We also met a nice couple (Agi and Mike) who we are due to meet up with in Melbourne.After some relaxation we eventually returned to the mainland and enjoyed some further recuperation at the Sheraton and the Terraces resorts.The only negative was that I broke out in a plague of bites that we suspected to be bed bugs…the less glamorous side of travelling I guess!After a further six nights back on the mainland, it's fair to say that we were ready move on…there's only so much pineapple that one man can take!All in all, Fiji was certainly an experience and I'm glad we did it.If you do ever decide to travel there, don't stop in resorts all the time and try to get out and experience all it has to offer.That said, be prepared to go with an open mind!

We have quite a lot of photos from this leg, so check out all the recent albums uploaded.I am also way behind on these blogs, so be prepared for a series of catch-up instalments over the next few weeks to try and bring us up to date.Happy New Year to all….JD and Melissa x