First full day in Hawaii and I feel right at home with my wonderful friend Maria. We met 15 years ago at a bedsit in Earl's Court - 'fresh off the boat', so to speak. We have remained friends since then and have travelled to many countries together. Yesterday she picked us up at the airport with some fragrant leis and a huge smile - what a gal! Today we went on, what would turn out to be, one of several shopping trips to Ross. I love Ross - it's a shop that I al...

So, the photo in this blog of my feet swinging in the hammock with the view of the trees and beach beyond kind of epitomises the weeklong stay on the Coral Coast. We've been staying at the Tambua Sands hotel for the last 6 days. It's a small resort wedged between two small villages about a 15minute drive south of Sigatoka. The Warwick hotel chain bought it recently and have started renovating a couple of the beachfront bures (island-style cottages), but other tha...

Today we went to Nadi, in the mistaken belief that we'd find a cheap boat ride out to either the Mamanuca or Yasawa Islands. Unfortunately, not only was the bus trip a waste of time because of the monopoly at Port Demerau, but we also spent the night in one of the most depressing airport hotels of this entire trip AND I managed to forget, and therefore lose, my most favourite hat in the world! This was definitely a lowlight in Fiji...

Today, as it was our last full day @ The Pearl, I decided to take it easy. It was a beautifully sunny day so I went for an early morning swim in the sea. The water was calm and clear and a lovely Pacific temperature - not too hot, not too cold... After breakfast, relaxing by the beach and writing postcards and trying to complete my blog from New Zealand! I was driving so much there that I never got the chance to fill in all the details and it's so easy to forget...

Today, I decided to go to Suva, the capital of Fiji, on a cultural mission as it is not too far from where we are staying in Pacific Harbour. I stood on the road for a short while before a lovely Fijian woman helped out and flagged a minibus. The 1-hour ride cost only $5 (just under £2). An added bonus was that I got to travel in a minibus decorated from floor to ceiling in floral-motif carpeting - it was straight out of the 80's - you know what I'm talking abou...