Fiji is about 4 hours north of Auckland and comprises a main island Viti Levu and many smaller ones. Emma was a little nervous about possible cyclones and coups but there hadn't been any of the former for 5 weeks and the last coup was over a year ago so I was hopeful.
We had decided to spend 3 nights at a resort on Viti Levu and then we were booked on a 3 night cruise. We duly landed at Nadi airport and took a short taxi ride to the handily placed First Landing Resort just south of Lautoka on the coast.
The first thing you notice about Fiji is the amazing welcome from the people. If there is a happier friendlier nation then I would like to know about it. Everyone from the taxi drivers to the hotel staff and shopkeepers greeted you with an enthusiastic Bula (hello) and nothing is too much trouble. Fiji runs on "Fiji Time" It is very relaxed and "Five Fijian minutes" give you plenty of time to get sorted out. Having said that all our travel arrangements worked fine and when for example we booked a car to pick us up from the cruise at 12.30 from one place and we landed at 12.00 somewhere else some how the car was there.
We liked the resort a lot. It is set by a small beach amongst the palm trees with about 30 wooden one storey chalets some of which including ours overlooked the sea. Although we do not normally like to merely sit around the pool given the amount of travelling we had done and the heat and humidity we were happy to have a quiet day mooching round the resort cooling off in the pool and generally relaxing. March is meant to be the worst month to visit Fiji because it is the wet season but it is still hot and you just get the occasional shower. It was fine when we arrived though there was a thunder storm at night. One day by the pool was enough though and the following day we booked a taxi to visit the local town of Lautoka.
Lautoka is not a tourist town and it was an experience to get away from the sanitised Fiji that tourists would normally see. Although this is Fiji's second largest city the centre is not large. There are only a few main streets. We wandered into a busy under cover large fruit and vegetable market with produce piled high a lot of which we did not recognise. The shops were a curious mixture. There were several modern clothes shops where the clothes were extremely cheap and quite a few shops looking like UK pound shops selling a little of everything as we looked through dimly lit doors. We went into the main store and automatically acquired a personal shopping assistant who followed us around throughout. It was a little unnerving being the only non Fijians in the busy centre and we felt there were a lot of eyes looking at us curiously though not in any way hostile and we received quite a few Bulas. We had been warned that we might be harassed by street sellers but did not have a problem.
Then it was back to the resort. The roads we saw in Fiji are pretty ropey like country lanes with large potholes and people and animals (goats cows dogs etc roaming on the verges)
On our last evening in the resort there was a song and dance show including fire juggling. We did not seem to meet a Fijian who could not sing. There was a good atmosphere as we ate outside in the dark.
We then joined our first cruise. We were not sure what to expect. The boat was not large with space for only around 70 people. March is out of season and the boat was only half full. We were serenaded onto the ship by cruise members and then had the welcome meeting. Emma's enthusiasm for cruising dipped when she learned that on the final night there would be a kind of international talent show when the guests from each country would have to get together to perform for the rest of the staff and crew.
The first afternoon we headed north towards our destination the Yasawa islands passing the island where Castaway was shot on the way. We gradually began to get to know our fellow guests who were almost all extremely friendly. A champagne welcome drink and the Captain's dinner rounded off the day. We watched the sun go down from the deck. We had thought some of the sunsets in Australia and New Zealand had been good but these were completely surpassed in Fiji. The colours were amazing.
The following morning we anchored off a small island and all jumped into the small boats taking us to shore. It was the typical scene palm trees white sand etc. It was the beach used in Blue Lagoon and at the end of Contact. The weather was cloudy but hot and humid. There was an optional walk up the hill behind the beach for views and then a cool off in the sea not that the sea was cold. Next was a snorkelling trip out to the nearby reef. Not as large as the barrier Reef and with a few less fish but still spectacular.
We then went back to the ship to move on to the afternoon activity a trip to a local Fijian village on another island. The village is a proper village where the occupants live and not merely a demonstration for the tourists. We started with a talk in the local church which was quite moving as we heard how the village lived. We then had a welcome ceremony. We were given various instructions about how to proceed with dire warnings about not upsetting the village elders. Basically you sit cross legged and accept a drink of the local drink Kava clapping and speaking in order. One of our number (not us fortunately) was appointed our notional chief and they had to go first. Fortunately there were no diplomatic incidents though I have to say that the drink was not pleasant (think peppery washing up water) We then were treated to more singing and dancing with me getting involved in the latter called up by a fierce looking local lady. It involved a rather energetic follow my leader sort of dance. We then got to walk round the village. A mixture of huts chalets etc. and only occasional electricity. However they seem pretty happy.
For our final full day we were dropped off on another island and left to do what we wanted. The weather was mixed still hot but several storms came through. Bizarrely the warmest place when it rained was in the sea. It was strange to lie in the sea in pouring rain with the drops bouncing off the surface. The sign behind us on the beach said "Beware of falling coconuts" and we knew we were somewhere special. One of the crew climbed up and brought a few down wielding a machete to open them up. I cannot even look at a bounty bar but in that environment felt compelled to have a drink and yuk!
A little later Emma's face was a picture (given our earlier kayaking experience) as she looked up from her book on the beach as she sat next to my lifejacket to see me paddling by in a canoe with one of the other passengers(a non swimmer) as the skies darkened.
After a large barbecue there was a chance to play volleyball with the crew. The standard of play of the locals was high but the guests especially after a few Fiji Golds (the cheap good local beer) was not so good.
Due to the unsettled weather the evening meal was moved from the beach to the ship and so we went back to the cabin to prepare for the talent show. We had ascertained that the only other English couple on the ship were a very pleasant middle aged couple but neither of them were former rock musicians and they did not have any ideas either. I had rather buried my head in the sand (there was plenty of it and the Fiji beer helped) and was of the view that something would come up. Emma however was somewhat fraught and as I relaxed on the bed she produced a four verse limerick about the merits of Fiji and the cruise. It sounded pretty good to me so I volunteered to do my bit i.e. go to the bar for another drink and sound out the rest of our team. They readily agreed to read out a verse each as an alternative to singing or dancing.
After more food the competition began. After American cheerleading, an Austria/Swiss combo birdie/dance and a Maori version of "Head Nose Knees and Toes" (honest) our entry was looking pretty classy. We got a good round of applause and quite a few people came up to compliment us on. I modestly took the credit. There was a lady on the trip who publishes a local Fijian travel magazine and she took the poem away suggesting she might use it in her next edition though I fear Emma's request for a royalties cheque may put her off. After a couple more acts including Waltzing Matilda, of course, and a disappearing act by the Japanese team, they just ran away, the prize was given to the host team the Fijian crew. Apparently they win every week.
We then arrived back at the wharf on Sunday lunchtime ready for a flight at ten o'clock that evening. The ever hospitable Fijians from our previous resort had invited us to spend the afternoon back at the resort by the pool (without charge) and it wasn't the worst place to kill a few hours. We were hoping to meet my old boss who was coincidentally flying in to Fiji that day but could not quite make it work so we were off to cross the dateline for a second Sunday in the USA.
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