Day 10 - Wednesday, Sep 14th, Back to Fiji for One More Night

We arise super-early again to pack for our trip out.  Each morning on this trip, we have gotten up before the alarm and each time was super-early for us.  6AM or 7AM at the latest. Amazing.  Still, I imagine, an impact of perpetual time zone changes, flights, frenetically busy days, and minimal alcohol consumption. 

We shower and pack and realize that we have too much stuff. Too many little mementos that have now added up to 100 pounds of clothes and other check-able items.  Ouch.  On our way to the airport, we upgrade to Virgin Blue’s “Economy Plus” which affords us 140 pounds of checked bags at no added cost.

Sydney Airport: OK America, you are great at many things—but our airports are terrible, dull and depressing.  The Sydney International Airport is one of the best in the world.  Everything feels grand and new, it’s like a fantastic mall and blocks of great cafes, first-class shopping, services and bars.  Literally, it feels like a brand new upscale mall with everything you could want to do, but and see. Fantastic.  Laguardia looks like a dark rainy cave compared to Sydney.  People are bustling about shopping, doing wine tastings, I even saw a Bellevedere Vodka launch of a new flavor where people were sampling flavors, next door they were doing massages and in the next shop they were doing samples of custom perfumes.  All AFTER we got through security at the international terminal!  A great airport with great amenities.  Plus, an upscale feel and people dressed with style. 

We board Pacific Blue—which is apparently the same as Virgin Blue and head to Fiji on our four hour flight, thankfully in Economy Plus seats with no kids around this time.  The uneventful flight is only marred by a delay getting of the plane as someone failed to return the little tv viewer they rented and the flight attendants lost track of who had it.  

Sugar cane truck - unsafe  load!

After the world-class airport of Sydney, we arrive in Nadi, Fiji and it feels nearly Third World.  But, we get our bags rapidly and grab taxi to our hotel, the Intercontinental Fiji, which is about 40 minutes South of the airport on the main island of Viti Levu.  Our taxi is an old old Toyota stationwagon driven by a local who is from India and practices Hindi religious, of which he is giddy. He notes that Fiji has 40% Hindi and I add that the island is 30% Methodist (which I read).  He replies “No” it’s 40% Christian.  It becomes clear to me that when you are Hindi… all of our Catholic vs. Methodist vs. Anglican vs. Baptist all falls on deaf ears. We are all Christian in his eyes, in Hindi eyes, no difference.  I mean, it makes sense.  If he said I am Orthodox Western Fiji Hindi vs. Eastern Island XYZ… would I know or care? No, he’s Hindi. That’s it.  It’s a religion.  It makes me realize how minute our differences are sometimes—relatively speaking. Wow.

View from the lobby at the
Intercontinental Hotel at Natadola Bay

Our lengthy ride in a rickety old Toyota reminds us why seatbelts exists. Plus, we pass dozens of trucks that would fail any inspection standard in any country.  Many are loaded with tons of sugar cane as it is harvest season here.  These trucks are clearly unsafe.  So, we take photos to send to our friend Kevin Ryan for his fun website, www.UnsafeLoads.com . This is the COUNTRY of Unsafe Loads. Old Trucks packed with trees and giant loads over-heaping on all sides.  Our driver stops for me to take a picture of a really Unsafe Load~|**|~.   

We arrive at the hotel and tip our very friendly driver well. The entrance is grand and long and we are greeting with shell necklaces and more “Bula,” which is there “hello/greetings.”  The sunset view from the open air massive lobby area is amazing ,so we snap a few photos.  The beach and fire torches frame a perfect and brilliant Island sunset.  We are on the far Southwest of the main island of Viti Levu, so the sunset is directly in front of us.

The swimming pool at the Intercontinental Hotel

Our room is great with very open spaces, a great balcony with a bathtub/spa area, lots of seating, and modern décor.  We make a dinner reservation at Navo, which requires playing the honeymoon card as they are already booked for the night and we head to dinner. The restaurant is a fabulous setting on a separate little cove with nice outdoor seating.  The waves crashing to the beach are lighted by large spotlights and our meal options are show to us over at the kitchen window.  Tons of seafood and shellfish are there specialty. Our meal is great, again and we head to explore the property.  The main lobby has a huge bar where everyone is still watching Rugby. Rugby is everything here in Fiji and even more so in Australia.  Most guests are Australian, so the loud TV of Rugby games sends us to the shops which are open late at the resort.  We return to an outside cocktail bed (think Miami) to watch the waves roll in and finish with a night cap.  Another great day in the South Pacific.