January 23, 2014 - Nadi, Fiji
Fiji Visa: Free Visa upon arrival
Exchange Rate: 1USD = 1.88 Fijian Dollar
I arrived into Fiji having skipped Wednesday the 22nd due to the change in time zones etc.
Bamboo hostel picked up a few of us (for free) at the airport that morning and took us back to the hostel. I had to chill for a few hours before the room was ready but it was warm and sunny and that really wasnt a problem.
I also had a mini Skype interview for a potential Reliability Engineer position in New Zealand. The connection kept dropping the call which was just a little bit frustrating. But by the end of the conversation we had agreed to organize a formal interview when I arrived in New Zealand. I'm excited and nervous. Going back to work in a new country at a new job will be a whole new adventure. However, it was mentioned that I would almost be expected to take 4 weeks of vacation and usually 6 weeks of vacation was the norm! I can defiantly live with that. In addition, the position sounds like it will have plenty of challenges and learning experiences to keep me busy. I have the interview on the 7th of February....wish me luck!
Later in the afternoon I figure out where in Fiji I would set off to and visit. I made arrangements to head to Mana Island for 2 nights, then take the ferry to Taveuni Island on a 5 night Hostel package which includes 3 meals a day, morning and afternoon activities (a free massage!!!) and of course the accommodation. Then Ill do 2 nights on the coral coast then head back to Nadi and then off to NZ.
I spent the rest of the day chilling by the beach and enjoying the sun . I joined in on the Kava party that night too. Lots of guitar playing and singing. Kava is made from the root of the plant called Kava. They pound the root into a powder then mix it with water then filter out the kava particles. It doesn't make you drunk or high but rather makes you sleepy and slow. The Fijians joke that just a little Kava will make you sleep like a baby. And that it does. The Kava "ceremony" itself means sitting in a circle with one guy passing out the the Kava. One person is assigned to Kava King and when that person says "Taki" the coconut shell full of Kava goes around in the circle so that everyone receives a shell full. It looks and tastes a lot like muddy water. hehe.
January 24 -25, 2014 - Mana Island, Fiji:
For my first adventure in Fiji I opted for 2 nights on Mana Island. A boat picked up from the Bamboo hostel and took us directly to Mana Island, a 45 minute ride away. Along the way there were many other islands, mostly small, that people could stay at and explore. However, in my package for 55FJD a night I was given accommodation in a dorm (w/o AC) and 3 meals a day. The Island was amazingly beautiful.
I had been a little disappointed with the beach on the main island, its clean, buts its not the white sand and crystal clear water you think of when you think of Fiji. Mana, though, is exactly that, white sand and crystal clear water full of turquoise and other blues. Amazing! Just take a look at the place.
I spent the day lounging around, soaking up the sun and swimming in warm waters.
That evening was a beautiful Fijian sunset.
Followed by an Island Dance Performance and fire show.
The next morning a fellow traveller from Holland and I woke at 4:30 am to make the trek to the islands peak for the sunrise. We ran into a few issues on the way. It was realllly dark when we started our trek and we weren't sure where exactly the trail started. We knew there was one way up through the village so we tried that first. Soon though we ran into a rather upset dog and decided not to push out luck with his teeth and turned for the beach route. This took us to a point were it looked like a trail started so, of course, we followed it up a steep hill. But we ran out of trail very fast. With no other options but to give up and turn back we opted for the bush whacking method up the rest of the hill. The grass was as tall as me and really thick and keep in mind it was pitch back aside from my small flashlight. We persevered and finally found another trail that eventually took us all the way to the top. We even made it with time to spare. We rested for a bit and then watched the sunrise.
Later on we played lots of cards and took a little walk to Sunset Beach. Unfortunately, the water there wasnt as calm or clear so we didnt stay too long.
January 26, 2014 - Nadi, Fiji:
The next day was a lot more relaxing and card playing. I finally finished The Motorcycle Diaries and passed the book along to another traveler.
Late that morning the boat picked us up and returned us to Bamboo Hostel in Nadi.
Sven, another traveler I had met previously in Nadi, met up again and decided to visit the town. Nadi (pronounced nandi) isnt very large and since it was Sunday a lot of stuff was closed, but the Hindu Temple was open to tourist.
We paid the 10FJD entrance and Sven had to wear a wrap around his waist since his shorts showed his knees. A tour guide took us around the temple and explained some shrines within and some of the gods they have. I was surprised to find out that Fiji actually has a fairly large Indian population, known as Indo-Fijians.
That night I order the Lovo dinner. This is a Fijian technique of cooking food that involves digging a whole and letting the food cook all day. It was very tasty!
Fiji Visa: Free Visa upon arrival
Exchange Rate: 1USD = 1.88 Fijian Dollar
I arrived into Fiji having skipped Wednesday the 22nd due to the change in time zones etc.
Bamboo hostel picked up a few of us (for free) at the airport that morning and took us back to the hostel. I had to chill for a few hours before the room was ready but it was warm and sunny and that really wasnt a problem.
I also had a mini Skype interview for a potential Reliability Engineer position in New Zealand. The connection kept dropping the call which was just a little bit frustrating. But by the end of the conversation we had agreed to organize a formal interview when I arrived in New Zealand. I'm excited and nervous. Going back to work in a new country at a new job will be a whole new adventure. However, it was mentioned that I would almost be expected to take 4 weeks of vacation and usually 6 weeks of vacation was the norm! I can defiantly live with that. In addition, the position sounds like it will have plenty of challenges and learning experiences to keep me busy. I have the interview on the 7th of February....wish me luck!
Later in the afternoon I figure out where in Fiji I would set off to and visit. I made arrangements to head to Mana Island for 2 nights, then take the ferry to Taveuni Island on a 5 night Hostel package which includes 3 meals a day, morning and afternoon activities (a free massage!!!) and of course the accommodation. Then Ill do 2 nights on the coral coast then head back to Nadi and then off to NZ.
I spent the rest of the day chilling by the beach and enjoying the sun . I joined in on the Kava party that night too. Lots of guitar playing and singing. Kava is made from the root of the plant called Kava. They pound the root into a powder then mix it with water then filter out the kava particles. It doesn't make you drunk or high but rather makes you sleepy and slow. The Fijians joke that just a little Kava will make you sleep like a baby. And that it does. The Kava "ceremony" itself means sitting in a circle with one guy passing out the the Kava. One person is assigned to Kava King and when that person says "Taki" the coconut shell full of Kava goes around in the circle so that everyone receives a shell full. It looks and tastes a lot like muddy water. hehe.
January 24 -25, 2014 - Mana Island, Fiji:
For my first adventure in Fiji I opted for 2 nights on Mana Island. A boat picked up from the Bamboo hostel and took us directly to Mana Island, a 45 minute ride away. Along the way there were many other islands, mostly small, that people could stay at and explore. However, in my package for 55FJD a night I was given accommodation in a dorm (w/o AC) and 3 meals a day. The Island was amazingly beautiful.
I had been a little disappointed with the beach on the main island, its clean, buts its not the white sand and crystal clear water you think of when you think of Fiji. Mana, though, is exactly that, white sand and crystal clear water full of turquoise and other blues. Amazing! Just take a look at the place.
I spent the day lounging around, soaking up the sun and swimming in warm waters.
That evening was a beautiful Fijian sunset.
Followed by an Island Dance Performance and fire show.
The next morning a fellow traveller from Holland and I woke at 4:30 am to make the trek to the islands peak for the sunrise. We ran into a few issues on the way. It was realllly dark when we started our trek and we weren't sure where exactly the trail started. We knew there was one way up through the village so we tried that first. Soon though we ran into a rather upset dog and decided not to push out luck with his teeth and turned for the beach route. This took us to a point were it looked like a trail started so, of course, we followed it up a steep hill. But we ran out of trail very fast. With no other options but to give up and turn back we opted for the bush whacking method up the rest of the hill. The grass was as tall as me and really thick and keep in mind it was pitch back aside from my small flashlight. We persevered and finally found another trail that eventually took us all the way to the top. We even made it with time to spare. We rested for a bit and then watched the sunrise.
Later on we played lots of cards and took a little walk to Sunset Beach. Unfortunately, the water there wasnt as calm or clear so we didnt stay too long.
January 26, 2014 - Nadi, Fiji:
The next day was a lot more relaxing and card playing. I finally finished The Motorcycle Diaries and passed the book along to another traveler.
Late that morning the boat picked us up and returned us to Bamboo Hostel in Nadi.
Sven, another traveler I had met previously in Nadi, met up again and decided to visit the town. Nadi (pronounced nandi) isnt very large and since it was Sunday a lot of stuff was closed, but the Hindu Temple was open to tourist.
We paid the 10FJD entrance and Sven had to wear a wrap around his waist since his shorts showed his knees. A tour guide took us around the temple and explained some shrines within and some of the gods they have. I was surprised to find out that Fiji actually has a fairly large Indian population, known as Indo-Fijians.
That night I order the Lovo dinner. This is a Fijian technique of cooking food that involves digging a whole and letting the food cook all day. It was very tasty!
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