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| BULA! It's always be the first thing you hear from anyone in Fiji! It's a timeless greeting that conveyed to me the spirit of the island! |
| Fresh off of the flight my attention was taken by these three and the music they sing. I have no idea what it translated into but it was a great song. I listened for quite some time and renewed an appreciation for island music I hadn't felt since Hawai'i! |
| My pre-dawn arrival let me get this once in a lifetime first view of Fiji as the sun rose over the Temples in Nadi (pronounced: NAN-di). I visited those Temples at the request of a man from the hostel I lived in. It was truly beautiful! The outside view is below. |
| I began my Adventures in Fiji along the islands southern coast with my driver, Singh. Below is a scene from one of the markets I shopped. The fruits were wonderful, the food was fresh, and the chile peppers are HOT! |
| The smiling island flower below oversees one of the local nature walks and park reserves in Fiji. I learned quite a bit about the land, the terrain, why the sand is the color it may be, as well as some of the local flora and fauna! |
| The stout Fijian above spoke to me of blood and weapons! I visited the Fijian Cultural Center and went on an informational tour. Beginning with the beating of a drum to announce a visitor. The bowls (left) are what blood was captured in as it was offered to the Gods. The sacred room itself is to be hung with mens fingers! Below are some of the weapons of these fierce men. Not a single one is metal. They are carved and then buried in the earths to harden. I was allowed to heft one and I was shocked that it was nearly 20 pounds! These warriors fought with one in each hand! |
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| This was my first view of the fabulous Malamala Island! I went on a cruise there for fun in the sun and BBQ! |
| This is the view as our boat pulled out of the marina heading for the "paradise within paradise", Malamala Island on that warm and breezy day. Everyday I spent in Fiji was perfect! |
| On the left you'll see that everyone was greeted with a bowl of traditional Kava! I chose to just watch. I read that Kava has a definite kick to it I'd rather avoid. Below that is a picture of us goofing around on the boat and my attempt at line fishing. If I were a fisherman, I'd starve. Not a single fish came my way. You may notice the lack of pictures from the island party. I was having too much fun to take any! Everything from volleyball (and eating BBQ), to snorkelling (more BBQ), listing to music (while eating BBQ) and finally a beachside nap! |
| I'll leave you with this, my first horse ride. With nothing but time on my hands I could contemplate where my next Adventure will be as we galloped along the beach... |