FIJI ISLANDS
BULA BULA
NOVEMBER 1981
DAY 1 AFTER THE LONG DAY OF FLYING CONTINENTAL AIRLINES TO WHAT WE SUSPECT WILL BE PARADISE WE ARE FINALLY REWARDED BY ARRIVING AT THE BEAUTIFUL HYATT HOTEL ON THE CORAL (SOUTHERN) COAST OFVITU LEVU. WE THEN GOT SETTLED IN OUR ROOM WHICH HAD AN ABSOLUTELY SMASHING VIEW OF THE REEF. NIRVANA? TRUE HEAVEN? YES!!
A LONG DAY (LITERALLY) OF TRAVEL MADE US ABSOLUTELY STARVING SO WE WENT TO THE HOTEL BUFFET. IT WAS AMAZING. PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN EVER. AS MY WIFE WAS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FOR AT THAT TIME PAN MAERICAN AIRWAYS, AND WE HAD YET TO HAVE CHILDREN,. WE WERE BLESSED WITH THE ABILITY TO GO ANYWEHERE AND ANYTIME AND WE DID. I HAVE TO SAY THAT IN ALL MY TRAVELS THIS BUFFET WAS TOPS! WE SAT AT AN OUT DOOR TABLE IN TROPICAL PARADISE BEING ENTERTAINED BY THE SINGING AND CHIRPING OF A COMPNAY OF VERY PLAYFUL MYNAH BIRDS. EVEN FROM THE DISTANCE WE COULD SEE THE HUGE CURLING WAVES BREAKING ON THE OUTER REEF. THEY WERE SIMILAR TO THE MONSTER WAVES THAT THE NORTH SHORE OF OAHU IS FAMOUS FOR.
AFTER DINNER WE STARTED TO WALK OUT TO A LITTLE ISLAND
OVER THE SHALLOW REEF CONNECTED TO THE HOTEL BY A WALKING BRIDGE. WE HAD GONE ABOUT HALF WAY ACROSS AND, BOOM, THE WALKING BRAKES SCREECHED ON. IN FRONT OF US ON THE NARROW BRIDGE WAS A BLACK AND WHITE BANDED SEA SNAKE ALIVE AND MOVING OUT OF THE WATER!!! IT WAS ABOUT FOUR FEET LONG AND WRITHING. . I JUST STOOD THERE AND WATCHED IN
AWE . THE SNAKE JUST STAYED THERE AND DID NOT GIVE GROUND.
WE CAREFULLY BACTRACKED AND FOUND ONE OF THE HOTEL STAFF. WE ASKED ABOUT THAT SNAKE. HE SAID WHEN THE SURF IS POUNDING IT IS COMMON FOR THE SNAKES TO SEEK THE SAFETY OF THE SHORE. HOW BIZARRE. CONSIDERING THE PACK THE WALLUP OF 15 KING COBRAS, WE FELT GOOD ABOUT OUR DECISION TO BEAT A HASTY RETREAT. INTERESTING FIRST DAY AND I HAD NOT EVEN GOTTEN WET YET!
WE DECIED TO SPEND OUR SECOND DAY IN HEAVENLY PARADISE EXPLORING THE SHALLOW REEF BY KAYAKING AND SNORKLING. IF YOU HAVE NEVER TRIED REEF WALKING YOU SHOULD. IT IS REALLY FUN. THE TIDAL CHANGE RUNS ABOUT 6 TO 8 FEET SO AT LOW TIDE THE ENTIRE REEF IS EXPOSED. YOU WEAR SNEAKERS AND USE A WALKING STICK. IT IS COOL BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF NEAT TIDAL POOLS WITH GREAT MARINE LIFE. EASY PHOTO OPS!
THE PEOPLE IN FIJI ARE REALLY GREAT. FOR EXAMPLE TH AT NIGHT WE WENT TO DINNER WITH A GROUP OF OTHER ADVENTURERS. WE WENT TO A HOLE IN THE WALL MOM N’ POP CHINESE RESTAURANT. ABOUT HALF WAY THRU THE MEAL THE POWER WENT OUT. THE CEILING FANS STOPPED SO THE WAITER TOOK A NEWS PAPER AND MANUALLY FANNED US. . THE NATIVE FIJIANS ARE DEEPLY RELIGIOUS CHRISTIANS AND THE OTHER MAJOR ETHNIC POPULATION ARE HINDUS FROM INDIA. THE HINDUS WERE ORIGINALLY BROUGHT IN TO WORK THE SUGAR CANE FIELDS. OCCASIONALLY THERE IS FRICTION BETWEEN THE TWO ETHNICITIES. BOTH CULTURES ARE FRIENDLY AND FAMILY ORIENTED.
DAY 3
WE WENT EXPLORING THE ISLAND. WE FOUND FIJI TO BE VERY SELF SUFFICIENT. THEY GROW THEIR OWN FRUITS AND VEGGIES, RAISE GOATS, PIGS AND SOME CATTLE. OF COURSE THEIR SEAFOOD IS AMAZING AND SO ARE THEIR SAUCES - WOW.
THE MOST AMAZING -
DAY 4
WE MET A THE DOCK AFTER AN INCREDIBLE BUFFET BREAKFAST TO BOARD THE BOAT FOR A DAY TRIP TO A FAR OFF ISLAND. THEY SAID THE NAME OF THE ISLAND WAS BEQA ISLAND (PRONOUNCED -BENKA). BEQA ISLAND IS WHERE FIREWALKING ORIGINATED IN THE PACIFIC BASIN. AFTER BEING IN OPEN WATER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, ONE OF OUR NEWLY MET FRIENDS YELLED - WHALE.
ABOUT A ¼ MILE OFF THE PORT BOW WAS A BLUE WHALE THAT HAD JUST BREACHED. HE DOVE DOWN AGAIN AND THEN BREACHED ONE MORE TIME SHOWING HIS FULL SIZE. IT REMINDED ME OF THE BLUE WHALE IN THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN NEW YORK CITY. THIS WHALE WAS HUGE. AFTER THE SECOND BREACH IT WAS OVER. GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.
A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR LATER WE ARRIVED AND ANCHORED IN BEQA LAGOON. IT WAS JUST A SHORT SWIM TO THE BEACH. I KNEW WE STRUCK GOLD IMMEDIATELY. THE DEEPEST PART OF THE LAGOON WHERE WE ANCHOED WAS ABOUT 60 FEET. YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE A QUARTER ON THE BOTTOM. WOW
I JUMPED IN AND THEN THE WORD “WOW” TOOK ON A NEW MEANING. I RENAMED THIS AREA “DAYGLO” LAGOON. THE ABUNDANCE AND COLORS OF THE SOFT CORALS AND ANEMOMES AND GIGANTIC CLAM SHELLS MADE YOU THINK, THIS CAN’T BE REAL-I MUST BE ON A HOLLYWOOD SET. BUT THEN I REALIZED I WAS IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CORAL GARDEN THAT GOD
KEPT SPECIAL FOR HIMSELF. THERE WERE FIELDS AND PILLARS OF FLOURESCENT SOFT CORALS THAT SEEMED TO NEVER END.
.
DAYS 5 AND 6
THE REST OF THE TIME I SPENT EXPLORING THE ISLAND AND SHOPPING FOR TOURIST GOODIES.. ONE PERSON BOUGHT A TURTLE SHELL, NOT KNOWING THAT IT WAS PROHIBITED TO BRING IT BACK TO THE USA. THE SHOPPING WAS ACTUALLY FUN. FIJI IS KNOWN AS THE HONG KONG OF THE PACIFIC.
DAY 5 AND DAY 6 WERE ALSO SPENT JUST RELAXING, PLAYING POOL VOLLEYBALL AND BEACH VOLLEYBALL, REEF WALKING, SIPPING THE BEST PINA COLADAS AT THE SWIM UP POOL BAR AND WATCHING THE CRAB AND CACAROACH RACES AT NIGHT
MARCH 2008
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THE 798 ISLANDS IN FIJI THAT I DIDN’T SEE ON THE LAST TRIP. COME EXPLORE WITH US ON OUR NEXT SOUTH PACIFIC ADVENTURE.
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