Bula!!! We have waved goodbye to Hawaii and have now moved on to Nadi, Fiji. Ashleigh and I are here for a few days staying in a hostel near the airport. We are waiting for Ashleigh's mom Nancy to fly in a few days.

We did some exploring into the nearby town and marketplace and found an incredible open air market with tons of fresh fruits, veggies, fish, curries and spices. We also were introduced to Kava and took place in a ceremony. In one of the trinket shops, these two guys showed us and shared with us the history of kava and the meaning behind the ceremony.Kava is a root grown in Fiji. After several years of growing, the root is removed from the ground, dried and pounded into a powder. It is used in ceremonies, to welcome guests or even among locals just hanging out. It is considered a slight narcotic and left our tongues feeling a little furry. The powder is mixed with water in a large Kava bowl and then presented in small cups made of coconut. Ashleigh had the privilege of being the guest of honor at our Kava ceremony that means she got the first drink. We were taught the hand claps that accompany the Kava ceremony and instructed to drink one big gulp of the muddy looking beverage. After the "free" kava, we felt some pressure to buy some stuff from them. It was a good business scheme on their end, and we ended up with something we probably don't need to hang in our bathroom.

Our hostel offered free golf at a nearby course, so Ashleigh decided to teach me a few things. We found out why the course was for free. It was pretty overgrown and not up kept either. It was still fun though. Ash lasted about the normal three holes before the clubs started flying and we called it quits after nine.

When Nancy flew in, we headed down to the other side of the island to stay at a time share that Rick gave us for the week. Thanks again Ricky Boy. It was really good to spend some time traveling with Nancy. We lived it up at the time share that was right on the beach and also enjoyed some of the other nearby facilities as well. Our favorite was a Tiki bar that had a really cool pool and slide where you could swim right up to the bar.

We did take a few adventures and day trips as well. One day we took the bus down to the capital Suva. It was a pretty busy town, but we did manage to score some delicious curry and local food at a small hole in the wall restaurant.

The other day trip we took was the best. We tooka small boat way up a river to a local tribe where we learned a lot about the local history and their way of life. They treated us to an incredible meal, some kava, entertainment, and after that wejoined in some of their dances as well. We left the village with smiles and headed up the river to an amazing waterfall where we could swim and jump off the rocks. On our way back down the river we jumped on some bamboo rafts and floated down a ways to learn how the locals transport their goods to market. It was probably our favorite day.

I really wanted to do some surfing, but all of the breaks are miles off of the beach on the outer reefs and you have to hire a boat to take you out there. The one day I was gonna go, the wind kicked up and made it to choppy to get out there. Thats how it was for the last few days as well. Its ok though, I'll get some surf in New Zealand.

Fiji was a great stop on our world tour. We were able to learn a lot about the local culture, meet some really cool people along the way and best of all see some gorgeous scenery. We were so blessed to have Nancy share in it with us……next stop NEW ZEALAND!!!