Suva
Trip Start
Mar 10, 2007
1
144
188
Trip End
Jan 08, 2008
Suva,
Fiji
Friday, November 9, 2007
Anyway, I am travelling to Suva today, and catching the bus, when it is not at a station, I discovered, is a waiting game. I missed the first bus becuase I foolishly though it would be on time. It had come through early, and Fijian buses do not do layover. I was told not to worry about it by the Fijian people at the bus stop, they would get me on the next bus, and we could all travel together, all we had to do was wait. We waited, and then we got on the bus. The ride to Suva was not a particularly good one. While we were stopped in Navua the compartment in which my bags were stored was opened to let someone get something out. They did not bother to close it, and the bus was about to leave. Panicking I shouted to someone from the bus and the compartment banged shut, but I spent the rest of the trip with visions of getting to Suva to find that my bags had somehow rolled out of the bus during the brief period during which the compartment had been open and the bus had been moving.
They were there when we got to Suva though, so I need not have worried. I had no idea where the hostel that I intended to stay at was in relation to the bus station and no map to guide me to it, so I jumped into a cab, which, amazingly, cost less than a pound to take me to my destination. Once I had dumped my bag in my room I decided to go and check on ferry services to Vanua Levu, because I had not factored Diwali into my plans when I drew up my itinerary, and there was a chane that service could be disrupted for the public holiday. I was a good thing that I checked, because although in a usual week there would have been a boat departing the next day, there was not one this week because of Diwali. The last ferry this week left at six pm that night. I had to make snap decisions - leave Suva immediately, or spend the next four days in a city that I just did not like. My other thought was that if the ships were not running there was a good chance that the museums would be shut too, and that was what I wanted to see in Suva, so if I stayed at this point, my stay would be pointless. I decided to take the ferry.
I bought a little food as I hurried through the market back to the hostel, and thankfully, I was not accosted by swordsellers (Fijians who play on the friendliness of their countrymen to strike up a conversation with you and try to sell you a wooden sword inscribed with your name. They do not ask your permission to do this, they just do it and then tell you that you must pay an exorbitant fee for what is essentially a piece of junk. Most Fijians do not think highly of them.) I managed to get a voucher to redeem against a future stay at the hostel and cleared my bags out of the room to begin my trek back to the docks, looking like a packhorse I might add. I managed to flag a taxi fairly quickly, and was mildly amused when the driver kept asking me how long I had been in the army, despite my repeated assurances that I was not in the forces. Perhaps it was my braided hair, khaki clothes and ungodly amount of personal belongings.
I got a cabin for the crossing becase I was not sure what the facilities would be like on board, but the Suilliven (operated by Bligh Water Shipping, and the most reliable ship for the crossing) is actually a pretty good ship, and an economy ticket would have been fine. I will know for the return journey. I do seem to be rushing slightly at this point in the trip but there are things that I want to do here, and things that I am prepared to forego. My primary aim is Taveuni, beyond that I will simply see how much time and money I have on the way back.
