24th Dec - Nadi

I have lost a full day of my life! Left LA, after staying there for a nigth, at 11pm on the 22nd December and aftert a 10 hour flight arrived in Fiji on the 24th December at 6am!!
God it's so hot here. Was meant to ge getting a free pick up from the airport but no one showed up - the cheek of it. Ended up just getting a taxi as the hostel is only 15 mins away. Checked in and went straight to bed.
Got up later and went for some food and lay on the beach for an hour. Even an hour was a struggle, 15 mins and you feel like you are getting second degree burns! It's really expensive to eat and drink here - glad I bought 2 litre bottles of vodka from duty free ha ha!
Went back to the hotel and jumped straight in the pool which is cooler than the sea! Got talking to 2 American girls who started doing my head in straight away. Very annoying!
Had dinner in the hotel which was absolutely amazing and met a nice German girl Anya who is also staying in the hotel until the 26th. Have arranged to have xmas dinner with her and another couple that she has met. It's going to be very strange being away for xmas, it already feels weird. Thank god I am not going to be by myself! Thought the hotel was going to put something on but they are actually closing for a few hours! We were invited to go to the owners parents house but they are only doing it because they have to, they obviously don't want us there!
Ended up having a few drinks with Anya, Terry and Michelle. They are the other people who are going to have xmas dinner with us tomorrow.

25th Dec

Is it actually xmas?? I wouldn't know as I have no cards or presents to open :-((( Kind of wish I was home just for the day.
Ended up just lazing about during the day. Dinner was nice, there ended up being 7 of us so quite a good number.
Gave my mum, Lynn, UJ and Gran a phone at 9pm which made it 9am at home. Woke Lynn up and she still sounded rough - oh dear!
Had a few drinks then we went to go to a pub but it was bloody closed! Early bed for me then!

26th Dec - Robinson Crusoe Island

Got picked up at 11am to go to RC. Took a couple of hours to get there with the bus and boat ride. As we pulled up to the island you get a welcome from the locals. They stand on the beach, play guitars and sing a local song. Everyone is so friendly. There are only about 20 visitors on the island and probably about the same amount of staff. I am in a dorm all by myself.
It's like being part of a big family here, all of the visitors and staff mingle.
Had a welcome ceremony in the evening and had my first taste of Cava (a legal narcotic which all Fijians drink). It looks and tastes like muddy water and if you drink enough you go numb!
Met 2 lovely girls, Mary Eve from Belgium and Mylene from Canada. Everyone ended up playing these funny but stupid games which involved drinking and running round in circles. Needless to say I ended up on my arse a fair few times. They had a wee sort of nightclub on the island, well that's what they call it. It's a raised floor off the sand with a roof on it and a cd player! Everyone goes there at night until 12pm when the generator gets put off. Yip that's right - no electricity between 12 - 6.30am!! After that they make a bonfire on the beach and you can go down there and continue drinking.

27th
A few more people arrived today and I am no longer on my lonesome. I now have some weirdo Oz woman in the dorm with me. She basically told me her whole life story within 15 mins of meeting me, she is a pain in the arse!
Don't really do much here during the day and it's great. I did a bit of snorkelling and took the kayak out.
Visitors from the mainland came tonight for dinner and drinks. There were over 100 people there. The dinner was amazing, they cooked the dinner the tradition Fiji way - in the ground! It's called a lovo (earth oven). The Fijian men and woman then did traditional dances and then fire dancing. It was facinating to watch - the men were even more facinating!!! It was a great night, drunk again, mainly because of Aoife and Pele the nice Irish couple I met who are living in Brisbane the now.

28th
More day visitors today so got more lovely food from the lovo and another fire dance! God these guys are hot...and not just from the fire!
Had a fantastic night, more drinks with Mr and Mrs Irish. They have told me to come visit so I might just do that!