Hello again. I'm in San Fran now but I've got free internet so I thought i'd update my site. Unfortunately my camera battery has stopped working and I can't find a new one cos it's chinese so no more photos for now.

Anyway, had a nice relaxing time on a couple of fiji's islands. Started off on a small (walked round it in 20 minutes) island called Bounty Island which had loads of other backpackers, mostly english, and was fun for a few days. I got bored pretty quick and realised I wasn't going to last the whole week there - i even had a game of scrabble, and i hate scrabble.

I was travelling with one of James' friends he'd brought to NZ, a girl named Hannah, and we moved on to another resort called Oarsman's bay. As at bounty when you pull up to the beach there's a group of fijians singing and playing guitar to greet you. I like this resort a lot better - the beach was much nicer (lot less coral) and the staff were friendlier. They even had these floating mattress things which look like foam padding for the sunloungers but are for floating on the sea. They are absolute bliss, even in the rain - oh yeah, forgot to mention it was rainy season and overcast most of the time, still managed to get a deep tan which is now peeling off my back. Hannah had to leave oarsmans the day before me as she had an early flight. It was unforunate because it was the best night. It started off with the staff dressing up in grass skirts and giving everyone flower necklaces just like you'd imagine, then they sung and danced and got everyone involved. After that there was a huge traditional feast that was cooked in the ground and had every type of meat. Then it was onto the cava. Fijians don't drink alcohol but every night at oarsmans after our meal they would get the ground up root from a cava plant, brew it in water then drink it late into the night, singing and playing guitars. It tastes like dirty water, like old dishwasher water. Everyone sits in a circle and when they are handed the cava bowl (half a coconut) they have to first clap once, down it and then clap 3 times. I added some dry wretching to the end of my ceremony. The first few get you relaxed and your tongue goes slightly numb (feels like you had an aftershock 10 minutes ago). After number 15 you just feel sick.
We did a few day trips too: reef hopping (amazing snorkelling - saw a squid, clown fish, zebra fish, angel fish and lots of other things i can't name) and we took a trip to the local village where the children at the school sang to us and made us laugh.

All in all a nice little break before returning to the reality of Engalnd.

Be seeing you soon.

Andy x