Fiji...we went to South Pacific!!!

Hello all,

I know if has been a long time since our last post, we have been holed up inside for the winter.  Chris' family visited in May/June with his brother staying with us for an extra few weeks.  I hope they enjoyed their trip as much as we enjoyed having them here.  Living as far away from home as we do can be hard and family visits are always something to celebrate!

As I mentioned we are finishing up winter down here.  Spring will arrive on September 1st.  Although we have already been here for a year I am afraid I have still not gotten used to the reversed seasons.  The winter here is do mild (although damp and rainy) that it just feels like a cold summer and then when the summer here hits it throws be off because the warm weather and long daylight hours do not match the calender.  Maybe in 2016 I will finally 'get' it.

We decided that this year we wanted to get away for a bit and go some place warm.  After much deliberation and lots of help planning from Chris' mum we went to FIJI!!!!!

The sunset from our resort.

We stayed at a place right on the beach just outside of Nadi.  The resort was lovely with a great restaurant and an amazing section of beach.  We never once went swimming in the pool because the ocean we so warm and refreshing.

We went into Nadi town to check it out the next day and found ourselves being offered kava.  This is the local drink made from grinding down pepper plant roots.  Plants should be 12 years old for the best kava.  It is non alcoholic but it makes you mouth numb where it has touched and it looks like muddy water.  Not the most pleasing drink by far but it is local custom to try it as they welcome you to the village.

Chris drinking kava from a coconut

 The population is Fiji is just over 800,000 people with half of those being native islanders and the other half consisting of Fijian Indians.  The Indian food here was not our favourite but the dosa and coconut based chutneys I had on our last day were absolutely divine! The native food is very seafood and coconut based so you can image the heaven Chris found himself in.  We learned how to break apart dried coconuts and harvest the coconut milk form them.  They use the milk to cook everything in.  If they need oil, they just boil down the milk to get coconut oil.  The shredded coconut is thrown out after they have squeezed the milk out.  I like this place!

On our second full day we took a trip to the other side of the island (the wet side) to visit a local village and swim in a waterfall.  We got into four long boats and made our way up the river.  There are 14 villages up the river but only the first two have access to roads and electricity.  After that the only mode of transportation is the river itself.  Locals build bamboo rafts and ride them down the river using a pol from propulsion along the bottom.  This can take a few days depending on how the river is running and they know every twist and turn in it.  To get back up to their villages they use the long boats we were in.  These drivers know the river like the back of their hand and even in the wide parts they never went straight because of the shallow spots and logs.

So up some rapids we went, around a few corners and then another few rapids and we truly saw some
amazing things.  There were waterfalls everywhere you turned.

After a short hike we made it to the waterfall we were able to swim at.  The force of the water was so strong that swimming up to it was incredibly difficult.  The wind off of it took your break away and if you stopped eggbeatering you immediately were pushed aside.  The water was cold and refreshing.  A once in a lifetime opportunity for sure.

Struggling to get close...

On the way back down the river we travelled by bamboo raft.  Our raft was more luxurious than the ones we had seen tied up earlier.  These rafts never move back up the river, one way tickets only.  They build more when they need them.  Ours was starting to disintegrate as it was nearing its three month life span but they view was fantastic and I couldn't think of anything better to do in the world than slowly let a river in Fiji carry me down on a bamboo raft.

SS never comes back they called it. Don't think they realize what SS means

We rode down to a village we were treated to more kava and our first lovo (food cooked underground).  The lovo had been prepared earlier but we were able to see them take it out.

The kava ceremony was performed by men wearing traditional outfits.  Chris and I both got to drink our second rounds of kava.  Just like the first time it makes your mouth numb and it really does not taste good.  We noticed some of the villagers were making faces after drinking it so we were not alone in our feelings towards it.

Lunch was by far the best meal we had in Fiji.  The lovo was absolutely amazing.  Our favourite dish was taro leaves steamed in coconut milk.  I have asked every other native islander we saw after that how to make it so I can replicate it at home.  The jist of it is:

- Milk a coconut it must be fresh (I will use canned milk)
- Take your taro leaves and layer them in tinfoil
- Pour in your coconut milk
- Fold up the tin foil so it everything is enclosed
- Cook in oven for an hour

Alternate options include adding onions and garlic in with it.  Although I appreciated the corned beef suggestion I have decided not to replicate that version.

This dish is sweet and delishous.  The taro leaves are waxy before cooking but after cooking they had the consistency of spinach leaves.  They were just amazing.  Everyone we spoke to just loved this dish.

The next day we relaxed and both got Fijian Bobo massages.  It was a cross between a Swedish massage and a deep tissue massage.  And the pain was worth it for the ultimate relaxing feeling when it was over.  We both smelt like coconut oil and cookies after.  Not sure where the cookies came from but I wasn't complaining.

We took a day trip to Tivua Island from some snorkeling and island time.  To get there we boarded a beautiful tall ship and headed off.  Once again the weather was perfect and the day turned out to be absolutely perfect.  They anchored off the island and we were brought in on smaller boats. 

Islands ahead!

Tivua Island (with the wharf being built off to the right)

Straight away we went snorkeling to see as many fish as we could.  The reef was lovely.  The fish were so curious about us that they would come up from the reef to check us out.  This was the best snorkeling I have seen in a while.  The corals were such beautiful colours and the fish were plentiful and curious.

After snorkeling we had a lovely BBQ lunch and I took the time to walk around the island.

The boat we came in on with the main island our hotel was on in the background.

This little island really is a tropical paradise.  The birds and flowers were beautiful and we were surrounded by reef and other small islands.

We then took out the stand up paddle boards to check out the reef from above.  I even saw a sting ray! The tide was going down so we couldn't go directly over the reef.  Even where we stayed if we fell onto fire coral we would not have been happy campers.  This really was heaven though, standing over crystal clear waters and seeing all the starfish and see life.

On our last day we went back into town for some Fijian Indian food and enjoyed Long Island Ice Teas back at our hotel on the beach.  We had a wonderful relaxing holiday and are already looking forward to coming back and exploring some of the islands.  There are 330 or so of them so we have 2 down, plenty left to go!

Fiji was amazing and we are so lucky to have to opportunity to live somewhere where Fiji is only a three hour flight away.  Can't wait to check out more islands around New Zealand.  So much exploring to do, such an amazing planet.  From Fijian fire shows and beautiful dancing to the autumn leaves and tastes of the harvest back home to the volcanic action here in New Zealand.  Chris and I are lucky people.

Love,
Chelsea
xoxoxo