Hey everyone!

It's taken us a while to write our first blog as we've been so busy!

We soon found our selves saying goodbyes at the airport :(.......but luckily got upgraded as soon as we stepped on the plane! Champagne and roast dinner - not a bad start! - Pays to talk to the airhostesses!

Missing the 26th out of our lives due to flying - 10 hours to LA, a two our wait to be checked at the airport then onto another 10 hour flight to Fiji! We didn't know it would take so long ... and it was so long! Luckily though we weren't jet lagged and arrived on a beautiful hot day, catching a boat to our first island - Beachcomber Island - meant to be party island of Fiji. And although we thought we were putting enough suncream on - our pale english winter bodies could not take it just yet!

Our first experience of dorms was an outside 84 bed one! - we changed to a double just for the first night (we were tired!) Luckily on the second night we made freinds with two essex girls and shared a four person dorm with them! - We played games and went to the bar which was a funny night!

The next day we went on a sailing trip, going to local villages, snorkelling and visiting islands including the Castaway Island from the Tom Hanks film. The Fijians love the name Sara and remember it everywhere with 'Bula Sara!'. It was palm Sunday in the church and the children sung to us - they loved it!

Moving on to the next island - Mantaray Island (our favourite one!). The island had a really chilled out feeling and the Fijians greet you on the beach with a welcome song. We weren't too excited finding lizards and all sorts in our dorm beds - something we have to get used to maybe!

We learnt how to weave baskets in the day and kayaked around the island with a local - who kept asking how to find an English girlfriend ..turns out they all want one! In the evening we raced crabs and had drinks in the bar chatting to eveyone, everyones really chilled and friendly. The next morning we went diving - amazing to see all the fish and coral. At night Fijians danced and performed a really scary tribe like dance to us-finding it funny to aim it at Sara! The rest of evening was fun, playing drinking games on the beach with the group of friends we had made there.

Next island was Wayalali - not as nice as the first two but a lot more traditional. We were knackered arriving there but for some reason Sara got roped into hiking to the top cliff on the mountain - climbing like a monkey and balancing at the top! We met girls from near us and found out Tor had waitressed at their party - we're beginning to learn what a small world it is! That night we huddled together as a huge tropical thunderstorm passed over us in the night ...very scary in our little shack - sounded like the roof was about to blow off! - Think we need to get braver!

The next day we went snorkelling with sharks and could touch some if they came near enough - boats took us out to where they were and the men fed them so that the Sharks would swim closer to us. It was really fun but were getting stung by little jelly fish at the time! We took underwater photos so hopefully we can put them up when they get developed. There are lots of Sharks, stingrays and jelly fish around as it's stinger season. Luckily jelly fish arn't too bad in Fiji though unlike Oz.

That afternoon we lost track of the time and had to run for the little boat to take us back to mainland, Nadi. We stayed in a nice hotel popular for backpackers, but Sara woke up and found half her face had completley balooned! - Must have been a spider or ant bite or something. But still looked deformed for the next couple of days...good you could wear sunglasses! That night we had dinner with a Swedish girl and packed ready to leave!

We had so much fun in Fiji, meeting loads of different people, relaxing on the beach and doing loads of watersports. - It was a little honeymoon for me and Tor! A great start and we can't wait for the next part of out trip!

Love to you all

Sara and Tor xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx