I think I want to move to Fiji...

June 9th 5:30 AM: I’m drinking Fiji water…. In Fiji!! Oh wow, what a trip! My sister took Sarah and I to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at the LAX airport around 9:30 Sunday night. After wondering through the maze of ticket counters, we finally found Air Pacific. I never realized there were SO many airlines that flew in and out of LAX. I knew LAX was a huge international terminal, but there had to have been 100 different ticket counters we weaved in and out of! Security was a nightmare! I don’t think I’ve stood in that many zigzagging lines for security in a LONG time (I’m trying to remember if Heathrow in London was that bad or not?)! Sarah and I finally made our way through security and found gate 105, Air Pacific flight 811 with nonstop service to Nadi, Fiji. We only had around 30 minutes to hang out until we were able to board our flight. For anyone that doesn’t know me pretty well, I have an issue with not sleeping. If I get 4 hours of sleep a night, it’s considered a good night! Knowing I had an 11 hour flight ahead of me, I tried to wear myself down as much as possible. I only got 2 hours of sleep on Friday night (ahhh who would have thought to start packing sooner??) and 3 hours on Saturday night. We woke up at 4:45ish on Sunday morning to walk around the beach and boardwalk in Huntington Beach. My tricks worked- I was out before we even took off!! I got about an hour of sleep before the stewardess brought around our first meal and a present. We were served a chicken and cheese sub with lettuce and GRAPE JAM! Once you got past the fact that you were eating a sandwich with grape jam on it, it actually wasn’t too bad. It’s not the worse food I’ve been served on international flights (AKA Air India headed to London). The airlines passed out a “goodie bag” that contained a pair of socks (random?), a sleep mask, and a toothbrush with toothpaste. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, I popped a few Tylenol PM Simply Sleep to assist me. Thank you sleeping pills!!!! I was able to fall back asleep and woke up with only 2 hours left in our flight. We were served breakfast (consisting of a cheese omelet, sausage link, potatoes, fresh fruit, yogurt, and orange juice) and then I forced myself to spend the remaining 2 hours studying for that dreaded GMAT.
Our arrival into Fiji went smooth. The airport had a very interesting setup with outside boardwalks curving around before you enter the main indoor airport. We made it through customs (Yes! Another passport stamp!!) and collected our bags (Thank you for all our bags arriving, let’s hope we have this good of luck the entire trip!). We had to go through another round of customs after collecting our bags, but it went just as fast and smooth. During my indecisive attempt at finding a hostel for us to stay in for Friday before we catch our flight to Brisbane, I had read about Smugglers Cove Backpackers Hostel in Nadi. There was advertising everywhere for Smuggles Cove on the plane and airport, so we ended up calling from the airport and reserving 2 spots in one of their dorm rooms. Our flight to Brisbane got pushed back a few hours so we will have almost a full day to explore Nadi and the surrounding areas. I’m not sure how much there will be to do in Nadi after reading in my travel book that it has a population of only 12,000!
We are currently sitting at the Oasis Bar and Café in the Nadi International Airport waiting on Dan the Man to pick us up and take us to the boat that will take us to Octopus Resort. We have been in Fiji for an hour and still have another 2 hours wait for Dan. The boat ride will take approximately 90 minutes before we are in our paradise! Hmmm… nap time for now? J

June 9th 9:00 pm: I feel like today as been one of the longest days of my life!! After an 11 hour plane ride, sitting in the airport for 3 hours, and a 2.5 hour boat ride (on top of 15 hour time difference and “skipping a day”), Sarah and I found ourselves at the Octopus Resort on the Waya Island in the Yawasa Island group of Fiji. I can’t even begin to describe Fiji! It is absolutely one of the most beautiful, unspoiled places on Earth!! Dan the Man (the resort’s driver) picked us up first from the Nadi International Airport and we drove around Nadi picking up 9 other people that were also coming to Octopus. We then drove to a harbor to catch Octopus’s private boat to the island. The boat ride took a little longer than expected (by about an hour), but we finally made it! They had packed our boat full of supplies from the main land and it really weighing our boat down. They actually drove another boat out from the resort’s island to meet us and take the supplies off our boat so we could go faster. The island is fairly large, but when looking around, you can only see Octopus Resort. It Is the most unspoiled, uncommercialized place I’ve ever stayed. I feel like we are on our own private island! There was no dock, but rather we had to wade in the ocean to the beach in front of the resort. There was a band playing welcoming us to Octopus. Sarah and I booked the dorm style room and we are in a room with 16 total beds. To be able to stay here for only $40 USD a night, I’ll take just a bed, light, and fan!! We dropped off our stuff and went to enjoy lunch. The “dining area” is a large sand pit with 10 tables. Seriously, I can’t begin to describe this place! We came back and took quick showers before throwing on our bathing suits and heading to the beach. We wondered up and down the beach for awhile before heading poolside to make jewelry. Octopus offers daily activities that range from village tours to crab racing, scuba lessons to jewelry making. We then headed to lay out on the beach (I attempted to study GMAT, but took a little power nap instead). We woke up from our naps on the beach in time to enjoy one of the richest sunsets I’ve seen in a long time. After watching the sunset from the beach, we enjoyed a welcome ceremony for the new guests (11 of us total). We were introduced to Kava, a Fijian drink made from grinding up the Kava plant roots and adding water. It tasted like muddy water and makes your mouth and throat go numb!! It’s a ceremonial drink and it’s considered rude if you are offered Kava and don’t drink it. After the welcome ceremony, we enjoyed a fresh fish buffet before heading to our rooms. Only a few hours of sleep this weekend, combined with all our traveling has made us both exhausted!

June 10th: Sarah and I decided to make today our lazy day on the island. We woke up late, ate a quick breakfast, and headed to the beach. Sarah blogged while I studied for my GMAT on the beach. I don’t think we moved from the beach until lunch time! After grabbing lunch (I’m already getting spoiled on the fresh fish!), we decided to walk down both sides of the beach. Octopus is situated on a “private” beach that cuts off after about a mile either way and has forest behind it. We also found a hiking path to climb and that exposed one of the most breathtaking views I’ve seen in Fiji. My pictures don’t do it justice, but it looks like a scene from a postcard. While walking back to the resort, we saw a young Fijian boy from a local village cutting open green coconuts. We asked him if we could try the coconut water inside and he generously gave both of us our own coconut. I could really get used to the lifestyle of walking barefoot on the beach drinking fresh coconuts!! We decided to partake in the sunset cruise tonight. They took us out away from the island and we were able to climb on the roof of the boat. A few resort employees came with us to play guitar while we drank beer and watched the sunset. Every so often, they would move the boat further and further out. While moving the boat one time, we saw a pod of dolphins that actually swam right up next to our boat! We got back from the cruise in time for a curry dinner. I’ve never been a huge fan of curry, but this was amazing! After dinner, we all headed to the beach for a bonfire. It’s been so wonderful meeting the people that we have. I love how small this resort is and how you see everyone numerous times throughout the day. We have become fairly close with a few of the people we rode the boat with on our first day here. Sarah and I’s favorite are the honeymooners from Australia, Ben and Tracy. We’re planning a weekend to come visit them while we are in Australia. Talk about a fairy tale – they got engaged in Paris and married on the beach in Fiji! We also met another couple from England that got engaged, saved money for a year, and decided they didn’t want to spend all that money on one day so they quit their jobs and have been traveling around the world together for a year. We also met an older couple from Wichita, Kansas who were in New Zealand visiting their daughter. They decided to do a stopover in Fiji before heading back to the states. It seems like everyone is so friendly and has a great story to tell. From 6-7 every night is happy hour and its nice to sit by the bar and talk to different people. Lunch and dinner are two of my favorite times. The tables are family style, each seating 8, and I love sitting with different people (we always sit with Ben and Tracy though) and just talking. It’s been a great way to meet people, hear their story, hear where they have traveled, and get tips for our travels. I’ve always felt like I’m a semi-well traveled person for my age until I’ve met some of the people here. It’s normal for people in other countries to pack it up and travel for months or even a year at a time. My dream is to one day be as well traveled and see much more of the world than I have!

June 11th: Sarah and I woke up today in time to go on the guided hike to the local village of Nalauwaki. Majority of the resort staff lives here and the resort has a great working relationship with the village. The hike took us all the way to the other side of the island. We twisted up and down through the forest to get to the village. The first place we went once we arrived was the village school for 2-4 year olds. They were ADORABLE!!! They sang us a few songs before we got to play with them. Sarah and I had planned ahead and took them presents of bubbles, playdough, matchbox cars, and balls. They LOVED the presents!! They were climbing all over us wanting to be held and played with. We took numerous pictures with them and they always wanted to see them after each shot. After visiting the school, we were able to wonder the village and buy some crafts from the local women. Sarah bought a bracelet and a ring and I bought a necklace and a bracelet. We are both in search of a Sulu, but we think we can find them back in Nadi. We got back in time to rent snorkel gear and grab some lunch. We spent all afternoon snorkeling off the beach in front of the resort. I was a little disappointed in the coral because it wasn’t as colorful as I would have imagined, but we did get the chance to see some good fish and wildlife. Snorkeling here makes me itching for snorkeling over the Great Barrier Reef!! I know the snorkeling there will be some of the best I’ll do in my life. We got done snorkeling in time to learn how to weave bandana leaves into bookmarks and bracelets. Dinner tonight was a traditional Fijian Pie. It had fish on the bottom, spinach as the next layer, and mashed potatoes at the top. It was baked together with parmesan cheese on top. To add to the “Fijianess” of tonight, Sarah and I decided to try some Fiji beer. I think this has actually been one of my top 3 meals at Octopus, although nothing has tasted bad! This evening was spent at the annual Octopus Resort International Crab Races. For $3 FJD (approx $1.50), you could purchase a crab to participate. They drew a huge circle in the sand and dumped a bucket of hermit crabs in the middle. The first crab to leave the circle won. Talk about interesting!!!

Octopus Resort has been GREAT! I can’t even begin to describe the resort or its location. There has been a variety of people we’ve met too, partly due to the different room choices. The resort offers hostel style dorm rooms all the way up to 5 star private bures on the beach. I’ve decided there are only approximately 100-120 guests at a time here. I love how ¼ of the room rate goes to the village as an education fund to send every child to school. That is part of the great working relationship I spoke of earlier. Tonight is our last night on Waya Island and I’ll be sad to leave Octopus and all the friends we’ve already made!