Jenn and I hike the corridors of LAX from end to end while we wait out the delay, conscious of the upcoming eleven hours of sitting and the dubious threat of blood clots. But when we're finally on the plane, we sack out easily with the help of quality Ativan and the next thing we know we're being served a veggie stir fry breakfast and preparing to land in Fiji.
First Landing is fittingly the name of our resort on the main island of Viti Levu near the town of Lautoka and also the location where the first Fijians came ashore around 1500 BC to hunt down and cook up some humans. This is what our taxi driver Tony tells us. Prince Charles came to First Landing in 1970 (there's a photo of him in the hotel lobby) when he attended the celebrations of Fijian independence. Human meat was not on the menu that day.
It's 7:00 a.m. when we arrive and since it is too early to check in, they take our bags and set us up in the dining room with breakfast. It seems that most of the gay men in Fiji work at First Landing - probably something to do with the two gay German owners. Of course the grounds are stunning and the decor worthy of Martha Stewart south pacific style. The men all wear the Fijian sulu which resembles a skirt. Jenn thinks they look great and even I admit they look much more "breathable" than shorts.
Jenn decides the best way to kill time before our room is ready is to visit the spa and get foot massages to help "throw off the clots" in our swollen plane feet.
Somehow Jenn manages to endure the massage provided by Naomi who is trained in computers, but unable to find work, she went back to beauty school and now does spa sessions. We learn later that she also offers her spa services and braiding on the beach, if you so prefer.
Our bure is ready after the massages and we settle into a leisurely post travel day swimming by the pool, some reading and sampling the two Fijian beers - Fiji best bitter and Fiji gold. The Best Bitter wins out.
Starting to feel the time difference, we walk the beach to stay alert. The whole area was originally coral and mangroves and had to be dredged. There are house lots for sale and we wonder if we have enough, now our house is sold, to buy one.
We see this sign at one place which seems to include a cryptic message for us.
Directly across the way we can see many of the islands in the Mamanuca chain, and to the north we can see a few of the Yawasa islands. The day fluctuates between sunny-overcast and light rains. It is the rainy season so this is to be expected. When it is not raining, it is extremely muggy.
The food is good, lots of options for fresh seafood. Jenn orders the dahl soup twice because she loves it (and the accompanying fresh made roti), and I have a selection of seafood cooked in a banana leaf and coconut milk.
Highlights of our stay include the ever refreshing coconut water, the hermit crabs battling in a "shell exchange" on the sand and the small gecko friend that loves clambering over our arms (perhaps our energy is already changing???).
Tired and determined not to sleep until at least after dinner, we try taking out the kayaks. They are sit atop makeshift boats which we paddle out past the coral reefs. Somehow I manage to choose the only kayak with a leak and can't understand why I'm bobbing uncontrollably from side to side until I capsize and have to swim back to shore pushing the half sunken kayak. On the upside, the water is very, very warm!
The sodden kayak exchanged, we paddle out the dredging channel and then in both directions. To the north is a mangrove water forest and to the south is a yacht club. Returning to the resort, with the tide well out we pull up on the reef and check out the coral (and the dredging work). Jenn sights of a small moray eel which makes for an excellent end to our paddle.
Our first night's sleep couldn't be deeper. (The Fijian best bitter makes a fine sleep aid...)
Hey guys, it's obvious that nature still has something to teach you both. rain = rest, flying fruit bats = prime time viewing, lazy days = great additions to the blog.
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Elaine