Fiji – truly a paradise!
I thought the whole Fiji trip was already quite overwhelming. But I never thought the experience of seeing a close friend leaving and a surprise from one of yr closest friend can be quite an overpowering feeling as well.
Came back late Fri night... suffering from severe holiday blues. Best thing was: to see Krystal right in front of my doorstep. I was stunned. I was shocked. I am exhilarated. Special thanks to Hawch for contributing to this surprise. And to my dear cupcake, u naughty fat pig, knowing tt u will not be leaving but still lie to me jst to gimme this surprise. Oh well, at least it’s a positive white lie. ;P We’re gonna hv a blast this 2wks before u leave.
Spent e whole Sat w the gang – Sze, Val, Franco, Krystal & Richie.. went Footscray, had lunch, discussing abt our HK trip, prepared a bday surprise for Nelson, had fresh salmon for dinner & took heaps of funny crazy webcam pics. Saddest thing was: to bid Franco goodbye. Miss u heaps already. ^_^ Take care in HK yea!! Gd luck in finding a job & see u in 2 months time. Thanks for all the laughter u brought into my life!
And now................................. ******drum rolls*****
My account of the Fiji trip w the girls - Val, Jen & Jun.
Bula! - The Fijian way of saying Hello - (pronounced with a big smile, shouting "BULAAAAAAAAAA!!!") Yes, I can do it very well. ;P
Day 1 – lazing @ Hideaway Resort
Arrived in Nadi, capital of Fiji around 6am. Tired & excited, we sat a 2hrs bus ride to our resort, to be greeted w warm, friendly smiles & a sneak preview of wht Fiji's like. Had bfast & spent the whole day, relaxing & lazing under the hot Fijian sun. (Ok! Actually the sun is still the same.) Then, manage to persuade the girls to go snorkelling. Snorkelling unguided. I was quite apprehensive at first, knowing tht the 3 girls are equally nervous as well. But, all turned out well. Too bad, we didn't really see much corals. Had yummy Mongolian BBQ at night & checkd out the resort club.
Day 2 – Namuamua Inland Tour
We wanted to experience some traditional Fijian culture. So went on this day trip to Namuamua Village. Fijian ppl actually resembles a bit like Orang Asli. Supposed to go for a swim @ the waterfall. But the weather was horrible, raining heavily. Arrivd there, greeted by Fijian kids & experienced my first kava ceremony - a horrible bitter welcome drink tht guests mst drink! *bluek* It contains minimal ammount of drug tht numbs yr tongue the minute u finish the whole bowl. Worst thing was, u hv to give a big smile after u drink. Otherwise, u risk getting another bowl of kava.
Saw some traditional Fijian dances & music & even had tradional Fijian food for lunch. My favourite: palusami, a dish made out of taro leaves served w taro. Taste v weird at first but I was so addicted to it tt I helped myself to 4 pieces. heheee... Took a stroll around the village - visiting the schools. Experienced our first bamboo rafting but I think we were all too heavy, it wouldn't move.
Day 3 – Captain Cook Cruise to Tivua Island
Met this American tourist, Alexis @ the day trip yday. She highly recommended us to go for a Captain Cook Cruise. So spontaneously, we decided.. Oh why not?!.. Smart decision. All I can say is without this cruise, it would never complete our Fiji trip.
Travel again for abt 2hrs to Nadi, board our ship for another 1hr cruise to this deserted, unspoiled island - Tivua Island. White sandy beaches & clear water... u know those u see in the brochures & postcards. Truly a paradise!! :) We spent abt 4hrs @ the island w BBQ for lunch. Went for our 2nd snorkelling & a swim at the crsytal clear water. Saw some beautiful corals & fishes. :) :)
Now, this is Fiji!~
Day 4 – Shopped till we dropped @ Suva, 2nd biggest city in Fiji
How could we leave Fiji without visiting the capital of Fiji? Hired a personal driver & again, another 2hrs ride to Suva. Stopped along the way for coconut, bananas & pineapples. hahaha... the typical us! Eating our way to Suva.
Visited the parliament hse, the president's hse & begin our 5hrs of shopping. Wooooo~~ the stuff there are amazingly cheap. U get like a huge muffin a size of 2 fists for only 25cents Fijian. We even missed our lunch. In the end, we were so tired even to walk, we had to dragged ourselves to cheap Fijian Indian food for dinner. Yummy~~
Day 5 – Cave Tour
By the 5th day, I've only got Fijian 30dollars left. Broke after a day of shopping yday. Went for another day trip - the cave tour. Thank goodness, we paid for this in advance! Sat in the bus for another god-knows-what hrs. Walked for abt 35mins passed all this rural Fiji areas until we reached this cave. A totally diff cave than the Labertouche cave we climbed in Melbourne. This one was hugeeeeee with stalacites. Silly me! Left my cam battery @ the resort so didn't take any pics.
We were educated w yet another day of Fijian culture. Most interesting was the cannibalism era of Fiji. The idea tht I'm standing right in front of a cannibal oven tt used to cook humans who defy their tribe leaders or village chiefs 120yrs ago is quite freaky.
Hmmm... wonder how human flesh tastes like! *grin*
Last night in Fiji, we were treated to 2 bottles of champagne by the very hot resort manager & firecrackers by the beach. Went star gazing @ the beach & lucky for Jen & I, we managed to catch a glimpse of 2 shooting stars.
Proud to say, we were the centre of attention coz we were all wrapped up w sulu, a Fijian way of saying sarong. 4 girls w diff ways of tying the sulu, especially designed by Valene.
Because the resort is nestled in a secluded area, we spent most of our nights watching cultural performances & clubbing bare footed. The Fijian way. I'm not sure if this is a culture thing but Fijians can really dance. Another night of partying @ the resort club, I was gone by past midnight. hahaha.... Thanks to Jun who took good care of me!
Day 6 – Goodbye paradise!
Finally, holidays always pass by very quickly. Everyone was low in cash, we had to resort to our instant noodle. hahaha.. spent the whole day taking pics @ the resort.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiji is truly a relaxing place to be. There's even a term which is commonly used by locals - "It's Fiji time" . Meaning, everything is casual & laid back. Fijians seldom wear watches. The funny bit is they're always on time!
It's been such a long time since I experience a different culture in a different country. Truly, Fiji is a paradise. The freaky bit is tt, it resembles a lot like Malaysia. With 320 islands tt make up Fiji and a population of 800, 000 ppl comprise mainly of Christians followed by Muslims & Indians.
Best thing abt Fiji: the warm friendly ppl w their big smile
Worst thing abt Fiji: the long travelling hours between places
The best thing abt going to trips like these is the whole new experience of a new culture & the diff ppl u meet. I especially love to talk to those cab drivers... they can reveal so much abt the local culture. Also how interesting to see diff ppl making diff decisions tt can alter the course of their life. Some ppl quit their job to travel around the world, a single retired lady travelled around the world after 40yrs of savings & hardship.
Despite the occassional grievances & our differences in opinions & characters, I still feel tht it's a remarkable thing to be able to travel w the girls. Thanks girls, for making this trip a memorable one!
Vinaka! (the Fijian way of saying "Thank You").....
Came back late Fri night... suffering from severe holiday blues. Best thing was: to see Krystal right in front of my doorstep. I was stunned. I was shocked. I am exhilarated. Special thanks to Hawch for contributing to this surprise. And to my dear cupcake, u naughty fat pig, knowing tt u will not be leaving but still lie to me jst to gimme this surprise. Oh well, at least it’s a positive white lie. ;P We’re gonna hv a blast this 2wks before u leave.
Spent e whole Sat w the gang – Sze, Val, Franco, Krystal & Richie.. went Footscray, had lunch, discussing abt our HK trip, prepared a bday surprise for Nelson, had fresh salmon for dinner & took heaps of funny crazy webcam pics. Saddest thing was: to bid Franco goodbye. Miss u heaps already. ^_^ Take care in HK yea!! Gd luck in finding a job & see u in 2 months time. Thanks for all the laughter u brought into my life!
And now................................. ******drum rolls*****
My account of the Fiji trip w the girls - Val, Jen & Jun.
Bula! - The Fijian way of saying Hello - (pronounced with a big smile, shouting "BULAAAAAAAAAA!!!") Yes, I can do it very well. ;P
Day 1 – lazing @ Hideaway Resort
Arrived in Nadi, capital of Fiji around 6am. Tired & excited, we sat a 2hrs bus ride to our resort, to be greeted w warm, friendly smiles & a sneak preview of wht Fiji's like. Had bfast & spent the whole day, relaxing & lazing under the hot Fijian sun. (Ok! Actually the sun is still the same.) Then, manage to persuade the girls to go snorkelling. Snorkelling unguided. I was quite apprehensive at first, knowing tht the 3 girls are equally nervous as well. But, all turned out well. Too bad, we didn't really see much corals. Had yummy Mongolian BBQ at night & checkd out the resort club.
Day 2 – Namuamua Inland Tour
We wanted to experience some traditional Fijian culture. So went on this day trip to Namuamua Village. Fijian ppl actually resembles a bit like Orang Asli. Supposed to go for a swim @ the waterfall. But the weather was horrible, raining heavily. Arrivd there, greeted by Fijian kids & experienced my first kava ceremony - a horrible bitter welcome drink tht guests mst drink! *bluek* It contains minimal ammount of drug tht numbs yr tongue the minute u finish the whole bowl. Worst thing was, u hv to give a big smile after u drink. Otherwise, u risk getting another bowl of kava.
Saw some traditional Fijian dances & music & even had tradional Fijian food for lunch. My favourite: palusami, a dish made out of taro leaves served w taro. Taste v weird at first but I was so addicted to it tt I helped myself to 4 pieces. heheee... Took a stroll around the village - visiting the schools. Experienced our first bamboo rafting but I think we were all too heavy, it wouldn't move.
Day 3 – Captain Cook Cruise to Tivua Island
Met this American tourist, Alexis @ the day trip yday. She highly recommended us to go for a Captain Cook Cruise. So spontaneously, we decided.. Oh why not?!.. Smart decision. All I can say is without this cruise, it would never complete our Fiji trip.
Travel again for abt 2hrs to Nadi, board our ship for another 1hr cruise to this deserted, unspoiled island - Tivua Island. White sandy beaches & clear water... u know those u see in the brochures & postcards. Truly a paradise!! :) We spent abt 4hrs @ the island w BBQ for lunch. Went for our 2nd snorkelling & a swim at the crsytal clear water. Saw some beautiful corals & fishes. :) :)
Now, this is Fiji!~
Day 4 – Shopped till we dropped @ Suva, 2nd biggest city in Fiji
How could we leave Fiji without visiting the capital of Fiji? Hired a personal driver & again, another 2hrs ride to Suva. Stopped along the way for coconut, bananas & pineapples. hahaha... the typical us! Eating our way to Suva.
Visited the parliament hse, the president's hse & begin our 5hrs of shopping. Wooooo~~ the stuff there are amazingly cheap. U get like a huge muffin a size of 2 fists for only 25cents Fijian. We even missed our lunch. In the end, we were so tired even to walk, we had to dragged ourselves to cheap Fijian Indian food for dinner. Yummy~~
Day 5 – Cave Tour
By the 5th day, I've only got Fijian 30dollars left. Broke after a day of shopping yday. Went for another day trip - the cave tour. Thank goodness, we paid for this in advance! Sat in the bus for another god-knows-what hrs. Walked for abt 35mins passed all this rural Fiji areas until we reached this cave. A totally diff cave than the Labertouche cave we climbed in Melbourne. This one was hugeeeeee with stalacites. Silly me! Left my cam battery @ the resort so didn't take any pics.
We were educated w yet another day of Fijian culture. Most interesting was the cannibalism era of Fiji. The idea tht I'm standing right in front of a cannibal oven tt used to cook humans who defy their tribe leaders or village chiefs 120yrs ago is quite freaky.
Hmmm... wonder how human flesh tastes like! *grin*
Last night in Fiji, we were treated to 2 bottles of champagne by the very hot resort manager & firecrackers by the beach. Went star gazing @ the beach & lucky for Jen & I, we managed to catch a glimpse of 2 shooting stars.
Proud to say, we were the centre of attention coz we were all wrapped up w sulu, a Fijian way of saying sarong. 4 girls w diff ways of tying the sulu, especially designed by Valene.
Because the resort is nestled in a secluded area, we spent most of our nights watching cultural performances & clubbing bare footed. The Fijian way. I'm not sure if this is a culture thing but Fijians can really dance. Another night of partying @ the resort club, I was gone by past midnight. hahaha.... Thanks to Jun who took good care of me!
Day 6 – Goodbye paradise!
Finally, holidays always pass by very quickly. Everyone was low in cash, we had to resort to our instant noodle. hahaha.. spent the whole day taking pics @ the resort.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiji is truly a relaxing place to be. There's even a term which is commonly used by locals - "It's Fiji time" . Meaning, everything is casual & laid back. Fijians seldom wear watches. The funny bit is they're always on time!
It's been such a long time since I experience a different culture in a different country. Truly, Fiji is a paradise. The freaky bit is tt, it resembles a lot like Malaysia. With 320 islands tt make up Fiji and a population of 800, 000 ppl comprise mainly of Christians followed by Muslims & Indians.
Best thing abt Fiji: the warm friendly ppl w their big smile
Worst thing abt Fiji: the long travelling hours between places
The best thing abt going to trips like these is the whole new experience of a new culture & the diff ppl u meet. I especially love to talk to those cab drivers... they can reveal so much abt the local culture. Also how interesting to see diff ppl making diff decisions tt can alter the course of their life. Some ppl quit their job to travel around the world, a single retired lady travelled around the world after 40yrs of savings & hardship.
Despite the occassional grievances & our differences in opinions & characters, I still feel tht it's a remarkable thing to be able to travel w the girls. Thanks girls, for making this trip a memorable one!
Vinaka! (the Fijian way of saying "Thank You").....
posted by Ze Ann at 4:37 PM
1 Comments:
Bula, Irene. Found your blog when surfing for blogs on Suva. As you have been to Suva, I just wondered whether you may be interested to write a little of your experience in Suva (i.e. what to do, see, enjoy) for my new blog, which is aimed at promoting Suva as a tourist destination. The blog address is http://promotingsuva.blogspot.com/
If you are interested, pls send your contribution to gilbert@connect.com.fj for posting on the blog.
Vinaka.
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