Hello from sunny San Francisco!

We haven't had chance to update the blog for a couple of weeks now and haven't had much luck finding cheap access in the USA so far so apologies for the delay on blog and pics. We are going to update as much as we can in the next hour and then find somewhere to upload pics asap over the next week...

So we are having a ball in sunny Californ-I-A. We arrived into Los Angeles Saturday 28th and spent 5 fun days there before hiring a car to drive up the spectacular California coast and spent the last 3 days in San Fran. We will update you on all our partying, celeb spotting and general posing when we next have time but for now here is an update on boring old Fiji (haha) where we spent an idyllic week between New Zealand and the USA.

Saturday 21st March - Auckland NZ to Nadi, Fiji

We flew into Fiji late afternoon, to be met by torrential rain, which was a bit daunting given that we were to spend the next week cruising around the islands on a boat. Given the weather, we could not enjoy our beachside hotel for the night so retired early to our 12 bed dorm, which resembled a prison cell and kept us awake all night due to all the incredibly creaky bunk beds and the ever increasing volume of the storm overhead...

Sunday 22nd March - Nadi to the Coral View, Tavewa Island in the northern Yasawa Islands

Thankfully as we left the main island on the Awesome adventures flyer (catamaran), we sailed out from under the cloud and by the time we reached our first resort Coral View on Tavewa Island 4 hours later the weather was beautiful. Phew. Coral View was a beautiful resort, with beachside bures (doubles) set in gardens and a large restaurant/activities area, clearly funded by (American?) money rather than community owned. The result was a pretty slick resort, with sunloungers, activities, relentless welcome and farewell (and everything between) songs which allowed us to enjoyed some Fijian 'luxury' on a backpackers budget (if perhaps not the most authentic Fijian experience). So after 4 months of planning, moving and doing we simply downed tools for a spot of sunbathing and relaxing for the rest of the afternoon (not to mention the rest of the week)... As part of our 6 night/7 day tour, all meals etc were included so we simply had to turn up to the restaurant at the scheduled times and take it easy... heaven. The only downside were the flies, which bit and loved new blood...

Monday 23rd March - Coral View, Tavewa Island

After breakfast, we took a little boat over to the Blue Lagoon (from the film) to snorkel for a couple of hours. Luckily, most visitors went in the afternoon so a few of us had the beach pretty much to ourselves giving it that deserted island feel. After lunch, we took the weight off in a beachside hammock for an afternoon of sunbathing and reading before more snorkelling on Tavewa island. We think we may have seen a sea snake just below us (but didnt hang around to find out) and loved the bright blue 'stars' dotted here and there amongst the coral. After dinner we spent the evening playing cards with other travellers from the UK, Germany and Canada, picking up some new games which we passed on throughout the week so other travellers.

Tuesday 24th March - Coral View, Tavewa Island to Manta Ray resort, Nanuga Island

After a hard morning sunbathing and reading, we caught the boat to Manta Ray resort, an hour south of Coral View. Here we had a more authentic beach bure closer to the beach. The afternoon was red hot so we opted for shade, wallowing in the sea (which was the hottest we have ever been in - like a hot bath), before Phil played Vollyball with the locals before dinner. In the evening we were treated to a performance by local people who sang and performed traditional war and fan dances and had a laugh with a couple from Ireland.

Wednesday 25th March - Manta Ray, Nanuga to Kuata, Kuata Island

Only one night on Manta Ray before travelling south again to Kuata, a community owned resort and hence the most authentic of our Fijian experiences. This proved to our favourite - a tiny, traditional, remote resort with a beautiful beach. Given that it was community owned, the staff were genuinely proud and welcoming, all monies going to support local projects such as the local school (on a nearby island), homes etc. With the sun shining it was straight off the beach and into the sea before another fun evening playing cards with Jess and Alex, a couple from Bristol who we spent a fair bit of time with in Kuata and then in LA. Unfortunately, the evening activities were a litle basic, limited to the Bula (hello!) dance and childrens games such as musical chairs and statues. On Kuata we had a very traditional (read old, dilapidated) beach bure virtually on the beach and fell asleep to the sound of the rolling waves....which soon became roaring waves as a huge storm rolled in overnight. Our bure, no 13, had a little bathroom tacked onto the side and we decided we would count ourselves lucky if we woke up in the morning and opened the door to find it still there...

Thursday 26th March - Kuata

The rain was still pouring in the morning (March-April is the end of the wet season) so we generally hung out with other travellers. Phil played rugby in the rain with Alex, which attracted all the local (huge, rugby-mad), putting them in their place! After lunch we sat with the local women and learned to weave rings etc (yes even the guys) and when the rain cleared it was back to the beach for the afternoon. Before dinner we took a walk (foolishly in flip flops) up the steep mountainside to view the sunset from the summit. After dinner, everyone laid on the 'stage' area overlooking the beach for a spot of star gazing and Phil saw a shooting stars - simple pleasures! We moved into another beach bure for the night, unsure no 13 could withstand another storm should it roll in :)

Friday 27th March - Kuata to Bounty resort, Mamanuca island

Sad to leave Kuata, we spent our last morning reading in a hammock under the shade of a tree before heading off on a little boat to the local community to see visit the school, village etc. The village was holding a (very important) local rugby derby which we were lucky to see the start of before making a mad dash our on the little boat to reach our boast to the last island. The rugby match was due to start at 2pm, but eventually kicked off at 3.30ish - but hey thats 'Fiji time' for you! This gave us time to explore the island and enjoy the novelty of walking across a huge sand spit to the next island and back, with two tides meeting in the middle - weird. It was great to visit the school too - with 50 'boarders' who are fed by a different set of parents who visit each day to provide and cook all the food for all 50 kids that day! There were only two classes, but one held two year groups, each facing the opposite way, with the same teacher running between both ends to teach both.

Later that day we arrived at Bounty Island resort in the (southern) Mamanuca islands which is close tot he mainland. Being near the mainland this was again a fairly slick (funded) resort and we enjoyed having a beach bure only steps from the sea, with mod cons we hadnt had for a week including electricity and warm showers! We also enjoyed the great meals they provided in the evening :)

Saturday 28th March - Bounty Island to Nadi - flying to LA

We spent our last morning around the edge of the island in a loop - took about 30 mins which gives you an island of the small size. We discovered this was the island where they filmed Celebrity Love island so we looked out for evidence of this and were sad to see the derelict dump left on the opposite side of the island. Still, the island was beautiful, a classic image of a Fiji island and enjoyed relaxing here for our last few hours. In the laft afternoon we heading back to the mainland (a bit of a shock) and Nadi airport to catch our plane to LA. Here we crossed the dateline so had our very own Groundhog day, leaving Fiji at 10pm Sat 28th March and arriving in LA 1.30pm on Saturday 28th March having flown for almost 10 hours.... but LA'S another story which we dont have time to type up right now I'm afraid.

We will do our best to add pics and continue the update as soon as we can, fingers crossed we find something soon. Today we drive to Yosemite for 3 nights, then on to Las Vegas where we have booked a room for 2 nights in the Luxor (pyramid) hotel, just for fun. After that, Grand Canyon for 3 nights and finally 2 nights in San Diego before we fly to Vancouver on Friday 17th April.

Hope all is well at home, lots of love,

Liz and Phil x