Well I’ve been in Fiji for two days now and I just finished up eating lunch outside in the beautiful 90-degree weather. It was a hectic 24/48/72 hours getting here… I woke up at 5:00am to make an 8:30 flight out of JFK to LAX. I got in around 11:45am and had to wait until 5:30pm to check in for my 10:30pm flight to Nadi, Fiji. Once I checked in and went through security, I was able to meet a bunch of other people going on the same trip. Before I knew it, it was 9:30pm and we were boarding the largest plane in the world. The plane ride flew by (hahahah….) and we touched down in Nadi on time at 5:15 skipping a day in the process.
The weather? Amazing. The view? Better. We all boarded a bus, dropped our luggage off at a hotel on the island, and got on a ferry at 8:30am for a 3 hour ride to one of the many remote islands of Fiji. On the ferry we were all able to get to know each other better and even have a couple early morning cocktails. We passed amazing scenery. There were dozens of islands, each having beautiful beaches and gorgeous shades of blue water. We made it and got off the ferry, took a dingy to the “resort”, put our stuff in our bungalows and then ate a well-deserved lunch. Lunch consisted of rice, beef, salad and of course watermelon.
So the “resort” where we are staying is located in a cove and is home to about a mile of beach. The mountains behind us are covered in bright green trees and looks more amazing that the islands of LOST. I decided today that there is no reason a place should be as pleasing to the ojos as the islands of Fiji. But I’m not one to complain and am appreciating the beauty, greatly. Back to the resort. Air conditioning and water pressure/temperature are unheard of. There is one main building a few feet from the beach and a patio area with a bar, tables and chairs looking directly over the beach. There are probably around a dozen bungalow type rooms with beds and a private bathroom called “Bures” (Byur-Aye) and one big room with over 20 beds refered to as “The Dorm.” I lucked out and am living in a Bure with 2 other guys, Aaron and Ryan. All the buildings are very open, either having walls of windows or no walls at all. Our bure faces the ocean and lets a much appreciated breeze flow through, cooling it down. Hammocks and beach chairs are everywhere, so whenever you feel like laying down and resting there is no need to look very hard.
Back to the day. The weather was sort of grim after lunch and rain would fall/storm on and off for the remainder of the day. Even though the weather wasn’t ideal, a few of us went out snorkeling and saw some amazing fish and coral. At one point I was swimming over a school of about 300 massive fish. Actually, ocean beasts are more appropriate. 3:30pm came around, meaning Tea Time. Hot tea and cake are served to everyone, which was a pretty good mid-day snack. After tea time we went on the patio and mingled. Then, I took a nap and woke up just before the end of happy hour. Phew. Dinner came shortly after and oh baby was it de-lic-ious. Buffet style, cooked fresh, were chicken, fish, beef, pork, muscles, salad, fruit, spinach something, and eggplants. Nearly all of the food was smoked and was sooo extremely tasty and filling. Mmmm mmm mm. The sun set in the corner of the cove. A stunning shade of oranges, reds and purples lit up the sky. I left my camera at my bure so you’ll have to use your imagination. No worries, I expect another one just like it tonight.
An hour or so after dinner was our evening event called a Meke (Mecca). The workers, all natives, showed us native tribal dances and even got the crowd up and dancing with them. The dances would be performed after victories in battles, newly born males, and other various celebrations. The narrator would explain the dances and their purposes before each dance was performed. It was pretty fascinating to get some insight into the Fijian culture and witness these dances. About an hour after the Meke, most people made their way to bed.
Day 2 in Fiji has been absolutely amazing. Despite being rainy season, the weather has been sunny and clear. I was awake at 6:15 from the light shining through the windows. One of my roommates, Aaron, woke up too and we took a walk to the beach. Surprisingly, several people were awake, some even snorkeling! We met up with two other friends and took a walk up and down the beach talking primarily about, what else but, how pretty it is here. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the only times you have the ability to eat a meal and when it’s time to eat, one of the guys working here bangs on a wooden, hallowed out tree/drum thing to wake everyone and let them know it’s game time. Breakfast was eggs, toast, baked beans, plantains, pineapples, and papaya. So good again.
Immediately after breakfast, we played 4 v 4 beach volleyball for a good hour or two, taking swimming breaks to cool down every now and then. Some people were taken on a boat a little ways away to go snorkeling, but not everyone could fit on the boat so most of the volleyball players stayed behind to rage on the court. Apparently the snorkeling was better closer to the resort so I lucked out. At 12:30pm the drums sounded and lunch was served. This time a Shepard’s Pie thing, with salad and watermelon. Not the best, but still good nonetheless. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing absolutely nothing. And it was great. At tea time, I was privileged enough to grab the two monster drum sticks and bang on the drums letting everyone know tea and cake were ready.
The rest of the day and evening passed slowly. Little bit of snorkeling here and there and just hanging out. The drums rang again and dinner was served: another buffet style dinner with a plethora of food to choose from. Great. During and after dinner a choir group from a village on the other side of the island came and serenaded us.
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