Fiji First Impressions

Bula! (hello)
So, after 25 or 26 long, convoluted hours of traveling, I've arrived in my first destination: Fiji. To save money, I found a flight that went through DC and LA on the way to Fiji. I could have either connected through DC or Chicago, and luckily I chose DC, as it had less of a chance of being snowed in, which was exactly what would have happened if I had gone with that option. Many people routed through Chicagowere canceled or delayed and were roaming the airport. In LA, I saw a crazy group of New Zealanders (Kiwis) with spiky bleached blonde and purple hair, a frightening amount of make up and some retro 80s clothing that would have even been considered extreme 20 years ago. A few of the employees were laughing at them, and then, ironically, they sat next to me on the plane and were laughing at a European in front of us that found it necessary to come on the plane prepared for a blizzard, complete with a matching white outfit and jacket, earplugs, headphones, two sleeping masks, huge wool socks and more. Also, he was completely oblivious to his surroundings and hit his head at least three or four times on the overhead compartments and was quite startled and confused when the flight attendant tried to give him his dinner, as he was half asleep, perhaps dreaming of the Arctic vacation for which it seemed that he had prepared. Flying out of LA, I could see streams of lights, multi-lane highways, suburbs stretching into the horizon in every direction, and I realized that it would be quite a contrast from my upcoming adventures.

I wasn't able to sleep much on the flight, though I did have a chance to read a great book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, from cover to cover. The story revolves around a young man following his dreams and traveling into the unknown, so there were certainly a few poignant parallels. I also did a bit of reading on my destination, but I didn't have time to decide upon a place to stay before I arrived. Luckily, there were some brochures and a free phone in the airport, and I think I chose my hostel well. Mama's Tropic of Capricorn truly is like a family. Mama and Mary take care of you, remember everyone's names, ask all kinds of questions, provide travel advice, cook breakfast (including some great pancakes and all the toast you can eat - which is quite a lot), and much more. The rate of F$15 per night, about $10, is not bad at all. I'm in a dorm room with 10 beds (5 bunks). I've also met some interesting people staying along with me. Dale and Steve - an Australian set of brothers taking a two month holiday during their break from Uni (University). Clive or Clyde - a somewhat bitter backpacker from England that was a bit disillusioned with the island, due to the fact that nearly his entire stay here coincided with one of the biggest storms in the past ten years. Parts of the main city were flooded waist-deep, so people were basically stuck in their hotels. Andy 1 - a friendly German on his way home after a year of travels. Andy 2 - an Australian pilot from New Zealand that is working here for the past 8 months and is counting down the days, hours, minutes until he can go back home. Brian - a Canadian pilot in a similar situation who has bought a 70s motorcycle for local transport. Hans - a well-travelled Dutchman that is in the beginnings of his round the world trip. Nathan - a young Dutchman about to go to college who seems to know or pretend to know a bit about everything, though he's not bad.

Today, after a late start, we took advantage of the sun's return to the island by taking a bus and taxi ride to Natadola Beach, about 40 minutes from our town and supposedly the nicest beach on the main island. I was accompanied by the two Dutchmen, so we boarded our open air bus and got a nice tour of the countryside, verdant hills, thatched huts and simple concrete houses along the way. Once at the junction to the beach, we flagged down a driver taking two Germans, Jannis and Daniel, around the island, so we negotiated a cheap taxi fare to the beach. Surprisingly, we were the only five people on the beach for most of our time there. Stretching for about a mile in a crescent shape, the beach was not bad, but it certainly wasn't a postcard worthy picture that would inspire awe and jealousy. Hopefully I'll find one of those beaches soon enough. We negotiated again with the driver and actually ended up getting back to time more cheaply and much more quickly than we would have been able to do on the bus.

Back in town, we visited a strange Hindu temple, requiring use to remove our shoes before entering, but once we got in, we figured it wasn't worth the F$3.50 that they wanted to charge us per person, so we turned around and left. Suckers - we saw most of it from the outside anyway, since it's open and two sides. Then, for the second night in a row, we ate at the local Indian supermarket that has a tiny restaurant on the side. For about $2.50, I got a plate of rice, some curry sauce, a side and a drink. Last night I went with the chicken curry, but that was quite a bit of work pulling the never-ending bones from my teeth, so I opted for the vegetarian option of chutney today, and it was a much easier eating experience. Now, I'm back in the internet cafe, struggling through some old operating systems and shabby spacebars on the keyboards, but I'm not looking for sympathy; I think I'll be alright.

Tomorrow should be my first glimpse of the true paradise conjured up in the mind when the word Fiji is mentioned. I'm taking a day cruise on a very large sailboat to one of the nearby islands. The boat features a glass bottomed viewing area for the manta rays, sharks, coral, or whatever else awaits. The island is a small one, with lush vegetation in the middle and completely encircled by a swath of white sand. It is actually quite close to the islands on which they filmed the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks. I'm sure my impressions will go over well with the locals, as they've never experienced something that witty and unique, considering the movie was only about 8 years ago and the island has been nicknamed Castaway Island. On the island, we'll be served breakfast and lunch before returning just before sunset. Thus far, my pasty white skin has remained true to its description, but this should be the first test for it.

The next day, I may try a quick trek into the highlands to see some of the mountains or rivers, and then I'm flying out to the Cook Islands that night. After a day there, I move on to French Polynesia/Tahiti for four days before two more days in the Cook Islands and eight more in Fiji. Once back in Fiji, I think I'll try to spend a few nights on some of the secluded islands to the Northwest.

Anyway, the Dutchies are outside smoking, waiting for me, so I need to go. This is my first posting here, so hopefully it works.

Derek

(A view of the Tropic of Capricorn - my great hostel)