Our Vacation From Our Vacation in Fiji

March 29 - April 6, 2010

This is it.  The end of the line.

There is not a whole hell of a lot to say about Fiji.  We stayed on the main island mostly because we just wanted to stay put but the fact that the cost to get out onto the smaller island was outrageous didn't help.  It worked out just fine though.  The backpackers that we stayed in was right on the water and apparently had been featured in some British reality TV show recently, so was in decent shape (although the pool pump broke on the 3rd day and the water slowly turned a neon green color over the next couple days).

What made Fiji fun were the people.  There were a group of 8-10 people, all our age and all traveling for long periods and all happened to be spending about a week at the backpackers.  It was the perfect way to wrap up the trip, with a melting pot of people from all over the globe.

The days just melted into each other.  Our routine was basically the same.  Morning swim, breakfast at 8:30ish, sit in hammock and read, morning activity of snorkeling or walk on the beach or remain sitting in hammock, lunch, afternoon activity of horseback riding or snorkeling or walk on the beach or back to hammock, afternoon tea, volleyball, swim, happy hour, dinner, hang out with new people.  We left the compound twice in 9 days, and for never more than 4 hours.  Once to go on a walk to a waterfall (which we hurried back from because we were hungry) and the other to go to a local church for Easter service.

We drank Kava, the traditional Fiji drink made from roots and gulped down in half a coconut, watched the sunset and generally unwound from 7 months of hard travel.  Who knew it would be this exhausting.

There are two things worth mentioning.  First, Mika and I bought a hermit crab that came in third place at the Hermit Crab Race and earned us $43 and I discovered that I am quite the fisherman.  3 snappers, one white and 2 red, with a hand line.  Who would have thought?

It's been such a wonderful adventure for both of us.  More than I think either of us ever imagined.  Given the funds, I think we could have done this for a long, long time.

Until then.

THE END

Low tide the reef

Our hermit crab

A successful fishing trip for Alan

Kava Ceremony

Easter Sunday at the neighboring village

Our delicious fish dinner courtasy of Alan