2 Crazy Sheilas

So as I have mentioned in my last few posts, while I was obviously catching up on them, I spent ten days in Fiji! I won’t go through a day by day tell all of my time there because it mostly was made up of sitting in the sun, going on a day trip, and taking my open water scuba dive certification coarse. But I will let you know how much fun I had in paradise!

As soon as Miranda and I got off of the plane in Nadi, which we had to walk outside in order to get to the terminal, we were blasted with the sticky, humid and hot air that hovers over the Fiji Islands daily. Although I was completely not used to it, coming from Sydney where it was rainy and chilly the whole time we were there, it was welcoming. We were greeted by Fijians yelling and exclaiming their joy of us being there by saying, “Bula!” which means welcome, or hello in the Fijian language. Throughout my stay saying Bula to everyone became customary and I didn’t even realize it was another language at times, just normal. I also learned another good Fijian word, vinaka (pronounced vee-naa-kaa) that means thank you. I am sad to say that I was taught many other words and sayings but I can’t seem to remember them today.

After going through the worldly customs and immigration rituals Miranda and I hopped on our shuttle, which draped us with traditional Fijian necklaces made from shells, and headed for our accommodation Mango Bay Resort, which is on the south side of the main island of Fiji directly an hour and a half between Nadi and Suva. Mango Bay Resort turned out to fit right in with the Fijian atmosphere, with permanent tents, bures, and huts, all with grass roofs, which gave a real island feel. Heading toward the ocean when at Mango Bay you could look straight through the dining area, past the pool and see the clear blue water waves crash against the sand beach. The resort was also lined with a reef just in the near distance off the water, which made it a perfect place to learn to scuba.

The second I arrived I decided that it would be a perfect place to get my scuba certification, and since it was offered and I was the only one interested I got a one on one certification. The course didn’t start for a few days so Miranda and I lounged at the resort for the first rainy cloudy day and got massages in one of the huts. The second day was what Fiji should be, sunny and warm, so I decided to lounge in the sun along the pool, just beside the ocean. Today Miranda and I made coconut jewelry. We collected the coconuts, peeled the protective layer of starchy stuff from it and then the fun began. Once left with just the nut Miranda and I sanded and sanded until we felt we could sand no more, then we got the saw and sawed the nut into half, peeled out the coconut (saving as much as possible to eat while we worked) and cut the pieces into the shapes we were after. After more sanding we varnished our pieces and left them hanging to dry in the water sports and activities hut. Later that day I went back to collect my pieces of coconut and make them into the jewelry I had planned.

The third day Miranda and I went on a day trip to Yanuca Island, a small Fijian island just off of the mainland. On the boat trip there the group of nearly 12 did some deep-sea fishing. We caught a few tuna that we were going to get to enjoy at lunch later that day. While fishing we got to do some whale watching as a group of what seemed to be 20 or so whales passed our boat and even swam directly under us. As they came up to get some air we all oooed and ahhhed and snapped as many pictures as we could. After fishing and whale watching the Fijians took us to the reef to hop into the warm water and get a glimpse of the underwater world. As we snorkeled we got to see all sorts of fish, colorful underwater plants and coral and even a turtle and a reef shark! The sun and the snorkeling left my stomach rumbling with hunger so it was a perfect time to pull up to a nearby island and have some lunch. We cooked up our tuna on an open fire and enjoyed the fresh fish with sandwiches and sodas. Once full we had some free time to snorkel some more, lounge on the beach and even get a few games of volleyball in. After letting our stomachs digest our food for some time we all boarded the small boat and headed over to Yanuca Island. The wind, which made for very choppy water, accompanied by our crazy Fijian boat drivers, soaked us along the way to the island. When we arrived on the island we got a tour of the small village and learned a little about the village and how it survives. It was interesting to learn that they survived almost mainly on sweet potatoes and a plant called kava, which they take the roots and dry them and then grind it into a powder a made a drink out of it. Miranda and I were able to try kava one night while in Fiji and I found it a quite interesting experience. Kava turned out to be a sort of alcoholic drink, as you drank it you could feel your throat numb.

Going back to the village trip, after learning a little about the village we headed up the hill and got to look at the school and meet some Fijian children and watch the whole school group, which was made up of about thirty children of all ages, sing a number of songs to us in both English and the Fijian language. It was such a treat to get to watch the children perform and be excited to meet us and learn about our lives. Once the show was over it was time to head back to the resort. On our way back we opened the wine and beer bottles and enjoyed the beautiful Fijian sunset, which was just the icing on the cake to a perfect day.

The next day at the resort was the start of my open water scuba course. Today I spend the morning in the swimming pool learning about my scuba gear and getting used to breathing underwater. That afternoon I got to go on my first scuba dive out on the reef just off of the shore along the beach. Let me tell you it was such an amazing thing to be breathing under 36 feet of watch and to get so close to the fish and coral along the reef. The fish along the reef were so colorful and diverse; I have never seen such a beautiful underwater location before. The rest of my scuba certification I spent going back and forth between the swimming pool and the reef. In the pool I learned the basics of scuba diving and what to do in certain situations, such as out of air, regulator problems, leaky goggles and buddy troubles. When in the open water I practiced the things I learned in the pool, but in an obvious realistic environment. After practicing in the open water the dive instructor, Marcel, and I swam around and did some sight seeing around the reef. When exploring I saw some of the coolest things I had yet, including four reef sharks that were 5 to 7 feet long swimming below us, a manta ray that came speeding toward us with its 12 foot width only to jet to the right just in front of us, and a little purple octopus about the size of a melon! It was seriously the coolest experience I have had yet. After completing the water part of my course, it was time for my test, which was on the book I had been reading about open water diving since the beginning of the week. Luckily I passed the test, with only two wrong, and got my scuba certification! It was my favorite part of being in Fiji!

While I spent my time on getting my certification, Miranda had gone back to the states and I was left to meet some new friends. I spent my last few days hanging out with a Dutch friend, two British girls, and an Aussie, on the beach and in the bar lounging and having fun in paradise.

My Fiji experience had come to an end, after eight wonderful sun soaked days and it was time to head to my next island, Hawaii. While in Fiji, not only did I enjoy being in paradise but also I made some wonderful friends and got my open water scuba certification, all of which will be with me for the rest of my life, not only in my memories, but also in the experiences to come.

~Claire