Bula from Fiji

Mon, August 26

A few years ago we stayed in a lovely resort on beautiful Denarau Island, and explored Nadi and the surrounding areas, so it was interesting to arrive in Suva this time to see a different part of the island.

Suva with its colonial buildings is the commercial centre; not a great deal to do there so we jumped on a mini bus (with real air conditioning this time) for a 3-hour tour and headed out of town. We drove through rainforests and coastal areas and passed many villages – groups of houses where families and extended families live in close contact. There are no nursing homes to be found here.

The unemployment rate is very high, about 30% and many people live in very poor housing so that they can afford to give their children a good education. Some houses were no more than small shacks and because it was Monday, everyone had their washing hanging out to dry.

In contrast, we drove through roads where the President, Chief Magistrate and Attorney-General had lovely big houses surrounded by beautiful gardens, tended by prisoners from the local jail. We also passed Government House, residence of the Governor-General. Every two hours, the armed military sentry is changed and our guide we were told that having a photo taken with him was fine as long as we did not touch him or speak to him.

Once back from our bus tour, it was interesting to take a stroll around the shops and then through the market to see the colourful fruits and vegetables, spices from India and many karva stalls.

What I remember most about Fiji is the warmth and friendliness of the people; lots of smiles and waves and greetings of “Bula” met us wherever we went.

Suva

Roadside stall

Police Dog Unit

Guess where the restroom stop was!

Government House

Safety tunnels dug during WWII which were never used

Market place

Negotiating the shallows as we left the harbour

The Day That Never Was!

Sunday, August 25, 2013 was a day we will not remember; this was the day that was completely omitted when we crossed the International Date Line. So we went straight from Saturday to Monday and although it was a pity to lose a day, no one really noticed as one day seems just like another on board ship.

Seas are calm and the weather has been wonderful – we have hardly seen any rain at all. Our vacation is coming to an end …. and we don’t want to go home!

Postcard from Pago Pago – American Samoa

Fri, August 23

I woke up early this morning, looking forward to our arrival in Pago Pago, interestingly pronounced Pango Pango! When I walked out on the promenade deck, it was magic. The sun was just rising and the ship was silently making her way into a beautiful sheltered harbour where jungle clad mountains rise abruptly out of the seas. The only sounds to be heard were the waves gently lapping against the sides of the ship and some crowing roosters announcing the start of another beautiful day.

American Samoa is made up of five volcanic islands, located halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, and when the seaward wall of a great volcano collapsed it created one of the best, most spectacular natural harbours in the South Pacific.

We had no plans for the day, other than to have a swim, so after breakfast we set off and immediately got caught up in the vast expanse of market stalls next to the ship. Promising ourselves that we would explore them later, we only had a 5 minute walk to the downtown area. After a brief check of the local shops, we continued on our way and were immediately picked up by one of the local buses (and I use the term “bus“ loosely) to be taken to the $2 Beach for a fare of $2!

Many of the island villages are situated on small, quiet bays and coves along the coast. There are many inviting beaches to be seen, but the lands belongs to the families and so are privately owned, which is why the beach we went to is called $2 Beach – that is how much it costs to use it. There was a bar next to the beach, so with a cold drink in hand we spent the next few hours swimming in the crystal clear waters and relaxing on deck chairs in the shade of palm trees. There are many dogs on the island and one slept in the shade nearby, whilst children played ball behind us or frolicked in the water.

Back up on the road again, another bus came along in a matter of minutes and for a fare of $5, took us halfway around the island and then back to the ship. There is nothing like riding on one of the local buses – timber bench seat and air conditioned – meaning no windows! The driver gave us an interesting trip, even stopping so that we could take photos, completely ignoring the double yellow lines by weaving back and forth on to the wrong side of the road so we had the best views of the coast. Hey, we were in laid-back Samoa – no problem!

Along the way, we noticed houses grouped together around a central open sided meeting place – the culture of the extended family is very strong here. There are no cemeteries – graves are placed in front yards, some under shelters with the washing hanging overhead, and I saw several graves that were situated on the front verandahs of some houses.

Back at the markets, there were many beautiful sarongs, clothing and a vast array of local crafts, such as woven baskets, bags and mats made from the leaves of the Pandanus tree. Also nicely carved wooden items and jewellery. Duty-free shopping was an added attraction.

My impression – you will find no five-star hotels or fancy name retail outlets here; but if you just want to give yourself up to the beauty of this island, you will not be disappointed. If we come back again we’d only change one thing. Next time we will go up-market, and instead of the $2 Beach, we will go the $5 Beach, where there is a restaurant as well as a bar!