Well, there's Fiji. I wish I could go back tonight :)
I'm going to work on New Zealand post and pictures. I only took pictures, so I might post them first and then type from memory! Wowza!
Who knows, maybe I'll even get around to posting Melbourne pictures this month.. Whoooo! This girl is on a roll!
P.S. Someone find me a job. Now.
P.P.S. Hi Sean Sirianni :)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Fiji ..Bula love! Day 7 & 8
Nov. 27
Hey, did I mention rain? Ugh. We got up and Mom went for breakfast but my tummy was upset from the “real” food and Mai Tai’s I had last night so I stayed back to pack up!
We brought our stuff to reception and went to sit with Florian and to wait for the boat to come pick us up.
We got on the South Sea Cruises ship today to catch the Sailing Adventure to Cast Away Island where (you guessed it..) the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks was filmed!
It wasn't the greatest weather, but it didn't "dampen" (har har) our spirits! We hopped on the South Sea Cruise boat and we were off to another island where we would catch the smaller boat.
Once we were on the smaller sailboat, the crew welcomed us with unlimited drinks and snacks. Lunch would be served after we visited Cast Away Island.
The crew played some funny songs for us and got us all to sing along while we drank and enjoyed the day!
The Captain!
Once we got to the island, we were given snorkel gear and told to hop on the speedboat that would take us over to the island. Mom, Florian and I got our stuff and went in!
Seriously, I can just picture it now.. it's like imprinted in my memory how gorgeous the underwater life was off this island.. it's so stunning and I can't even explain it to you.
Here are some pictures from the boat and island :)
Mom & I! Love this picture.
Florian & I!
There it is!!!
From the island :)
My favourite tree ever.
These were pre-made from coconut on the island!
WILLLLLSOOONNnnN!
Mom & I xo
Mom!
So after we were finished snorkeling, we hopped back on the boat in time to have our bbq lunch! There was cooked fish, chicken and beef.. I had all 3 :) Then there was a variety of salads and bread. It was actually really delicious!
While we ate, the crew performed for us again. We were sailing to a village where we would participate in a Kava ceremony and shop the local shell market.
Kava:
Traditionally it is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
The extract is an emulsion of kavalactone droplets in starch. The taste is slightly pungent, while the distinctive aroma depends on whether it was prepared from dry or fresh plant, and on the variety. The colour is grey to tan to opaque greenish.
Basically, its gross and makes your tongue numb. You have to clap 3 times before receiving it.. and clap once after drinking it.
I tried to chug and nearly choked. I'm classy.
Here are some pictures from the village :)
Signage.
It was a great adventure! We bought lots of souvenirs and gifts. I had a wonderful time!
Then it was back to the Marina and then to our hotel: Nadi Bay Hotel. It had started pouring like crazy!!! We met Florian at Smugglers for dinner. It was such a nice ending to the adventure.
The next morning we flew back to Brisbane and prepared for our next adventure: New Zealand!!! xo
Hey, did I mention rain? Ugh. We got up and Mom went for breakfast but my tummy was upset from the “real” food and Mai Tai’s I had last night so I stayed back to pack up!
We brought our stuff to reception and went to sit with Florian and to wait for the boat to come pick us up.
We got on the South Sea Cruises ship today to catch the Sailing Adventure to Cast Away Island where (you guessed it..) the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks was filmed!
It wasn't the greatest weather, but it didn't "dampen" (har har) our spirits! We hopped on the South Sea Cruise boat and we were off to another island where we would catch the smaller boat.
Once we were on the smaller sailboat, the crew welcomed us with unlimited drinks and snacks. Lunch would be served after we visited Cast Away Island.
The crew played some funny songs for us and got us all to sing along while we drank and enjoyed the day!
The Captain!
Once we got to the island, we were given snorkel gear and told to hop on the speedboat that would take us over to the island. Mom, Florian and I got our stuff and went in!
Seriously, I can just picture it now.. it's like imprinted in my memory how gorgeous the underwater life was off this island.. it's so stunning and I can't even explain it to you.
Here are some pictures from the boat and island :)
Mom & I! Love this picture.
Florian & I!
There it is!!!
From the island :)
My favourite tree ever.
These were pre-made from coconut on the island!
WILLLLLSOOONNnnN!
Mom & I xo
Mom!
So after we were finished snorkeling, we hopped back on the boat in time to have our bbq lunch! There was cooked fish, chicken and beef.. I had all 3 :) Then there was a variety of salads and bread. It was actually really delicious!
While we ate, the crew performed for us again. We were sailing to a village where we would participate in a Kava ceremony and shop the local shell market.
Kava:
Traditionally it is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
The extract is an emulsion of kavalactone droplets in starch. The taste is slightly pungent, while the distinctive aroma depends on whether it was prepared from dry or fresh plant, and on the variety. The colour is grey to tan to opaque greenish.
Basically, its gross and makes your tongue numb. You have to clap 3 times before receiving it.. and clap once after drinking it.
I tried to chug and nearly choked. I'm classy.
Here are some pictures from the village :)
Signage.
It was a great adventure! We bought lots of souvenirs and gifts. I had a wonderful time!
Then it was back to the Marina and then to our hotel: Nadi Bay Hotel. It had started pouring like crazy!!! We met Florian at Smugglers for dinner. It was such a nice ending to the adventure.
The next morning we flew back to Brisbane and prepared for our next adventure: New Zealand!!! xo
Fiji ..Bula love! Day 6
Nov. 26
Woke up to RAIN.. again.. whatever!
At around 6:30 Nick came around the bure called my name and I rolled over.. I'm such a lovely future Fiji wife. hahahah!
We went for breakfast and brought our bags to reception so we could travel South that afternoon.. pancakes with Jam? Blech
Honestly we all sat on the balcony all morning because it was raining.. I walked along the beach for a bit.. played with the hermit crabs.. collected shells.. etc. You know how I roll here! I also took some pictures around the resort.
I also found a few hammocks to play Soduko in.. totally a lazy morning = perfect :) I also interrupted the German romance a few times hahahahaha
They loved it!
Before lunch.. we fed the fish (striped fishies like Zebras) leftover bread with Sami. Then I went walking to find flowers for my hair, as I'd been wearing them all week, when Sami called me over to watch him knock down coconuts for the coconut cracking demo that morning.. it was weird.. I think he loved me hahahaha
Then he and another guy cracked open coconuts with their bare hands and cut out the flesh for all of us to eat.. Florian and I took a picture sharing a piece of coconut.. I think Sandra got mad and Florian fell in love with me. So much Fiji love here!!! hahaha
Getting ready to crack'er open!
3, 2, 1 Pow!
Diggin' it out!
Before Florian conveniently dropped his piece..
Whatever, made for a good picture <3
We loaded onto the big yellow boat around 3 p.m. and Nick came with us! He was able to get 5 days off and was headed off to the mainland, which means Nadi.
We sat on the top level of the ship and he told me about all the islands we passed and why he didn’t talk to me much at Korovou. Apparently, Fijian tradition is very private when it comes to romance.. they don’t show affection in public, so he didn’t want to be seen with me that way and he didn’t want to have the other employees gossiping. He is so cute!
Nick and I. Hahaha!
He told me he wants to come to Canada.. and marry me. Well, hop on that plane, Mister. Hahahaha I'm kidding.
Sandra got off at Kuata Resort and it was sad to see her go. Then Florian changed his resort from South Sea Island to ours, Bounty Island, last minute so he could spend the next 2 days with us. He loved Mom and I.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Nick and get on the boat to Bounty! We had another beachfront Bure which had heart shower curtains! This made me happy for some reason!
We then walked along the beach and checked out the rest of the resort. By then it was dinner time and we spotted Florian sitting with another guy. We went and got some tropical drinks to have with our buffett dinner. It was the first resort that served us hot, "real" food. What a surprise! Hahaha!
Me enjoying my lovely drink.
After dinner, we went back to the room to change and told Florian we would meet him at the bar later on for the in-house entertainment. Secretly, I think we all wanted to see the Bula Boys again.. hahahaha
We met at the bar and drank Mai Tai's for the evening and laughed and judged everyone. We had a great time. :)
Too much fun tonight. Bed time xo
Woke up to RAIN.. again.. whatever!
At around 6:30 Nick came around the bure called my name and I rolled over.. I'm such a lovely future Fiji wife. hahahah!
We went for breakfast and brought our bags to reception so we could travel South that afternoon.. pancakes with Jam? Blech
Honestly we all sat on the balcony all morning because it was raining.. I walked along the beach for a bit.. played with the hermit crabs.. collected shells.. etc. You know how I roll here! I also took some pictures around the resort.
I also found a few hammocks to play Soduko in.. totally a lazy morning = perfect :) I also interrupted the German romance a few times hahahahaha
They loved it!
Before lunch.. we fed the fish (striped fishies like Zebras) leftover bread with Sami. Then I went walking to find flowers for my hair, as I'd been wearing them all week, when Sami called me over to watch him knock down coconuts for the coconut cracking demo that morning.. it was weird.. I think he loved me hahahaha
Then he and another guy cracked open coconuts with their bare hands and cut out the flesh for all of us to eat.. Florian and I took a picture sharing a piece of coconut.. I think Sandra got mad and Florian fell in love with me. So much Fiji love here!!! hahaha
Getting ready to crack'er open!
3, 2, 1 Pow!
Diggin' it out!
Before Florian conveniently dropped his piece..
Whatever, made for a good picture <3
We loaded onto the big yellow boat around 3 p.m. and Nick came with us! He was able to get 5 days off and was headed off to the mainland, which means Nadi.
We sat on the top level of the ship and he told me about all the islands we passed and why he didn’t talk to me much at Korovou. Apparently, Fijian tradition is very private when it comes to romance.. they don’t show affection in public, so he didn’t want to be seen with me that way and he didn’t want to have the other employees gossiping. He is so cute!
Nick and I. Hahaha!
He told me he wants to come to Canada.. and marry me. Well, hop on that plane, Mister. Hahahaha I'm kidding.
Sandra got off at Kuata Resort and it was sad to see her go. Then Florian changed his resort from South Sea Island to ours, Bounty Island, last minute so he could spend the next 2 days with us. He loved Mom and I.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Nick and get on the boat to Bounty! We had another beachfront Bure which had heart shower curtains! This made me happy for some reason!
We then walked along the beach and checked out the rest of the resort. By then it was dinner time and we spotted Florian sitting with another guy. We went and got some tropical drinks to have with our buffett dinner. It was the first resort that served us hot, "real" food. What a surprise! Hahaha!
Me enjoying my lovely drink.
After dinner, we went back to the room to change and told Florian we would meet him at the bar later on for the in-house entertainment. Secretly, I think we all wanted to see the Bula Boys again.. hahahaha
We met at the bar and drank Mai Tai's for the evening and laughed and judged everyone. We had a great time. :)
Too much fun tonight. Bed time xo
Fiji ..Bula love! Day 5
Nov. 25
Rain, rain, rain. I know it sounds poopy, but, when you're in paradise.. even rain can't keep you from being happy. Plus, it's November and we're in flip-flops! Weeee!
We woke up to have brekky (pancakes and jam with fruit.. kinda gross) and then I came back to bed for a while.. my allergies were acting up and really, it was rainy and I was on vacation!
Nick came by to “work” but ended up staying and talking for hours. Yesterday he asked Mom if he could marry me (seriously) and apparently "fell in love with me" .. great! hahahaha. Nick's younger cousin, Sammie, who also works at the resort, came to talk with Mom and I .. I loved it.. we tried to explain Soduko to them.. apparently there’s a newspaper here called “Fiji Times” and it has Soduko in it!
Mom and I honestly just lazed about.. I stayed in the hammock.. we walked along the beach and collected shells and I played with more hermes! I loves them.
On the deck playing Soduko!
We laughed at the people leaving on the boat because it looked like they sat in the rain for hours.. we’re mean, but funny.
Sandra (from Germany) ended up staying another night at Korovou because of Florian (also from Germany but living in NZ) .. ah, Fiji romance. We hung around them quite a bit.
For dinner, they both came to find us because they wanted to have dinner with Mom and I.. it was so sweet! We ate out on the balcony and had a blast laughing and eating.
Huzo, the co-owner of the resort, from Denmark came and told us his story of how he was left stranded on the island in 1997 with no food or anything and that he loved being alone .. he was so drunk I couldn’t stop laughing.. he also bought me a beer.. Fiji Bitter.. I seriously nearly cried laughing at this man. I miss him and his bullshiet ahahhaa!
The "Bula Boys" came out after dinner and did some ridiculous dancing.. Sami was hilarious in his grass skirt screaming “Bula” I got some great videos.. we all kept teasing Mom because she kept taking pictures of him topless.. omg.. funniest night!
We all sat on the deck for a while talking and laughing at Huzo.. he took us to his “house” where he plays techno music and lives alone.. Sandra, Florain and I danced around for a bit inside and listened to more of his stories.
We then went to “White Sandy Beach” resort next to ours for a bonfire.. WSB is the worst resort ever.. so ghetto.. we just made fun of everyone there.. Nick finally showed up and didn’t say two words to me the entire night! "Fell in love" my arse! hahaha Just kidding.
After a while, Mom left with Florain and Sandra and I stayed at the bonfire with the Fijian boys for a bit. It was nice just to relax before Sami walked me back to my bure. xo
Rain, rain, rain. I know it sounds poopy, but, when you're in paradise.. even rain can't keep you from being happy. Plus, it's November and we're in flip-flops! Weeee!
We woke up to have brekky (pancakes and jam with fruit.. kinda gross) and then I came back to bed for a while.. my allergies were acting up and really, it was rainy and I was on vacation!
Nick came by to “work” but ended up staying and talking for hours. Yesterday he asked Mom if he could marry me (seriously) and apparently "fell in love with me" .. great! hahahaha. Nick's younger cousin, Sammie, who also works at the resort, came to talk with Mom and I .. I loved it.. we tried to explain Soduko to them.. apparently there’s a newspaper here called “Fiji Times” and it has Soduko in it!
Mom and I honestly just lazed about.. I stayed in the hammock.. we walked along the beach and collected shells and I played with more hermes! I loves them.
On the deck playing Soduko!
We laughed at the people leaving on the boat because it looked like they sat in the rain for hours.. we’re mean, but funny.
Sandra (from Germany) ended up staying another night at Korovou because of Florian (also from Germany but living in NZ) .. ah, Fiji romance. We hung around them quite a bit.
For dinner, they both came to find us because they wanted to have dinner with Mom and I.. it was so sweet! We ate out on the balcony and had a blast laughing and eating.
Huzo, the co-owner of the resort, from Denmark came and told us his story of how he was left stranded on the island in 1997 with no food or anything and that he loved being alone .. he was so drunk I couldn’t stop laughing.. he also bought me a beer.. Fiji Bitter.. I seriously nearly cried laughing at this man. I miss him and his bullshiet ahahhaa!
The "Bula Boys" came out after dinner and did some ridiculous dancing.. Sami was hilarious in his grass skirt screaming “Bula” I got some great videos.. we all kept teasing Mom because she kept taking pictures of him topless.. omg.. funniest night!
We all sat on the deck for a while talking and laughing at Huzo.. he took us to his “house” where he plays techno music and lives alone.. Sandra, Florain and I danced around for a bit inside and listened to more of his stories.
We then went to “White Sandy Beach” resort next to ours for a bonfire.. WSB is the worst resort ever.. so ghetto.. we just made fun of everyone there.. Nick finally showed up and didn’t say two words to me the entire night! "Fell in love" my arse! hahaha Just kidding.
After a while, Mom left with Florain and Sandra and I stayed at the bonfire with the Fijian boys for a bit. It was nice just to relax before Sami walked me back to my bure. xo
Fiji ..Bula love! Day 4
Good Morning Fiji Rainbow!
Nov. 24
Woke up in time to have our last breakfast at Coral View .. it was raining.. the staff sang their goodbye song over breakfast.. so sad! But exciting to move onto our next adventure.
Went back to the room and packed our stuff.. took it to the foyer where the guys would load it onto the boats while we waited.
I walked along the beach and played with hermit crabs.. I took some nice pictures while Mom played Sudoku.
We talked to Fi and Tura on the staff and said our goodbye and took pictures/exchanged emails! We also had lunch before we left for the big boat.
The boat came at about 12:30 and we got back on the Yasawa Flyer (yellow and purple) and we traveled down to Naviti island to Korovou Resort.
On the boat!
The staff met us with a song and yelled “Bula”.. and some orange juice (they did this at Coral View as well) and took us to our rooms.. Steve carried my luggage :)
"Bula" by the way is a traditional greeting in Fiji. You say it all the time.
Our room was very nice – I got the big bed this time – but no fridge.. no worries.. it has a beachfront view with hammocks and chairs on our porch! Too cute!
Korovou has a pool because the beach isn’t that great to swim in.. it’s still beautiful.. but, not as nice as Coral View!
Mom and I walked along the beach and throughout the resort where we met Nick and a few other staff members.
We came back to the room to chill out.. I hung out in the hammock and Mom brought her chair beside me.
While we were there a stray dog came and laid down near us.. so sad!
Nick came and started pushing me in the hammock and we talked to him for a while.. he was off work so he was going to go play volleyball.. we went with him to go watch!
Before we got to the court, one of the staff members climbed up a coconut tree and was cutting them open for 3 dollars.. of course I got one
Then we watched Nick and others play volleyball until dinner hahaha
Mmm coconut!
While we waited outside the cafeteria.. Nick jumped in the ocean and started to do tricks and stuff to show off.. so cute!
Gorgeous flowers everywhere!
Dinner was delicious.. we sat with an English couple, Simon and Jess, and had great conversation with them until almost 11 p.m.
Then, off to bed.. in the big bed! xo
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