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I've got 6 minutes to post this so I'll update when I arrive in Hawaii; if I arrive in Hawaii that is.
In around 10 minutes a military coup is scheduled to take place in Fiji which could possibly knock the airport out. My flight at 10.50pm tonight (Fiji time) could be cancelled and I may be stuck in Nadi for the worst of it. Here's hoping it doesn't. But when I get to Honolulu, I'll be sure to update you with all of the crazy events that have happened and might be about to happen!
Until then folks,
Wish me luck,
Speak again soon.
Niall
xxxx
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I'm in Honolulu, HI!
After all the kafuffle, the military coup went by unnoticed in Nadi.
I arrived in Hawaii at 7am, 1st December so I gained a day by crossing time-zones.
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Fiji consisted of a 6 day stop, four of which I spent travelling around one of the big islands, Viti Levu, with Fiji Experience.
I was ready to compare the trip to that of Kiwi Experience in New Zealand however both tours were completely different in every way.
With Fiji Experience you get stuck into the real cultural side of the country. We visited villages, drank lots of Kava, went trekking through the rainforest on a 3 hour all terrain route. It was great fun and the price includes all of the activities. There is so much to fit in the 4 day tour that circles the whole island.
Day one saw me get "professionally" mugged by a clever little Indian bloke and his Fijian friends. After he befriends me on the streets of Nadi city centre, I find myself wandering the back streets and eventually end up in an alley-way, all the while trying to come up with a pheasable excuse to leave the well-mannered man and head back to my Homies! It appeared however that I was not the only gullable victim that day. After heading to his Carving "studio" and offered Kava amongst other illegal substances, I left with a crappy necklace that I ended up paying $18 bucks for. A bargain when you consider he wanted $35 for it and even asked if I had any foreign currency, (I kept my US Dollars a big secret). I left abruptly after giving a cold thankyou and that was the end of that. Apparently a few others from our bus, including Jon, had been spotted at the cash machine by an eager and all be it crafty merchant and taken back for a Kava ceremony, which we've been told some have been charged upto $200 Fijian for such a privelege with the local community in Nadi. All of a sudden, I felt I'd got off easy; thank Fluck for that.
After that little experience, I packed my Sula and Pacific-themed shirt, which I had purchased earlier that day and we all headed to Natadola Beach for some Sea-based Volleyball and a BBQ.
A quick visit to a coastal village in the native dress and then off to the Sigatoka sand dunes for some sandboarding. I'm pleased to say that I flung myself off the dune twice and then managed to be the only one to run back up it. Granted, my legs got cramp about 10 times on the way to our first nights accomodation, Mango Bay, but it had been a long day and I felt very experienced in the Fijian ways and proud at what I'd managed so far. This day was nothing compared to the next...
Day two was about one thing only, a Rainforest experience Fiji style. It was a day to be remembered but mainly for the wrong reasons. Everyone on the Feejee Experience bus took part in the walk. When the bus dropped us off inland from the coral coast the whole group were transferred to an army style convoy truck which braved the rough tracks upto the start of our trek in the Namosi Highlands.
From here we were told it would take 3 hours to reach the finish. The trek took us through wide tracks surrounded by dense rainforest and river streams. We then entered the forest and had a 30 minute walk through a deep winding stream. The final part saw us trek through the dense rainforest for another 45 minutes until we emerged at a steep incline where the large river began. I was one of the first to finish the trek along with Jon, another friend Dan, and the first guide. It was a moderate trek made a little more tiring due to the heat and humidity. A vast contrast to the Tangariro Crossing in New Zealand when I could feel 90% of my body due to the harsh unforgiving weather.
After a quick lunch, the river boats delivered the tubes for our next adventure. The tubing was a little overated but allowed a nice timeout where everyone could relax whilst bobbing over some rapids. About 15 minutes later we were on the shore again ready for the waterfall. Diving into a deep natural pool with a waterfall flowing directly into it is a more thrilling experience than I first thought. But it was at this time that I noticed we were missing one of our crew. The forgotten one in question was a late-20's Canadian quiet type who didn't really mix with the group. I let one of the Fiji Ex guides know who then realised this could be a big problem. Some of us travelled back up the river by boat but had no luck. We got back to base after a 30 minute ride down river and to our dismay he had not returned. Three trackers including our guide sped off in a car to the start of the track. These guys were capable of blitzing through the course in around 40 minutes. They did it twice and arrived back to our hostel in Suva at 5am, without the Canadian. As you can imagine concerns were already heightened by the fact we'd technically lost this guy who none of us had really talked to. That same night, a Canadian consulate was called to pick his baggage up. Despite the worries surrounding the group, we still managed to relax in the newly built apartment at the Raintree Lodge Hostel. Usually, the experience crew would take us out for a night in Suva but due to the escalated tension within the capital, we got to stay the night there complete with super modern furnishings and a deep blue swimming pool.
In the morning, the Feejee Ex. Boss arrived and she gave the guides a hiding behind closed doors. Soon after, we had a new guide and the trip carried on as normal.
Day 3 included a trip to another more distant village for a Kava ceremony where I drank 6 shots of the stuff. Enough to give me a head-ache and make me nauseous for the rest of the day.
Never again... and I mean it for this particular drink - it's like muddy water.
This was then followed by some bilibili rafting, which meant getting soaked whilst pushing bamboo rafts down the river in the rain. A lot more fun than you probably think.
Our accomodation that night was Voli Voli Beach. A final night beach party insued which ended up getting a little messy. Needless to say beer and skinny-dipping was involved.
On our last day the experience took us to the Ba district for some average curry. Then it was onwards to the Mud and Hot Pools; very groovy.
Both Jon & I still had another night in Fiji at the Smugglers Cove resort however it was not as enjoyable as our first night there. The service had deteriorated and the military coup deadline was approaching.
Still it was nice to sit and have a meal with a beautiful view of the sunset over the beach. Of course, a few Fijian beers were thrown in to add effect.
If I fly by Fiji again, I'll be sure to check out the other smaller islands where the scenery is more attractive and the lifestyle more relaxed, but the Fiji Experience was enjoyable, especially with the added features omitted from the usual itinerary.
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