The Best Layover EVER!

Snail resting in the shade of a Bird of Paradise flower in the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. More pictures on our Webshots site: http://community.webshots.com/user/FutureMrsDrMcD
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Jonathan and I had a long layover in Fiji. Initially, we hadn't planned on leaving the airport, but the customs made us go through immigration and customs because our layover was more than three hours.

After battling with customs to keep my shoes (apparently I was harboring US soil,) we hired a private taxi for a "three hour tour."

Best Layover EVER

Our tour driver Jone (pronounced Jon) was more than eager to share with us the history and culture of the island, as well as his insights in regards to the recent military take-over.

First, we went to First Landing, a resort constructed where the first settlers to the island landed. We had a lovely breakfast overlooking the Pacific & outlying Fijian islands.

Then, we went to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, named for the mountain ridgeline above that resemble a man and a woman lying head-to-toe. The garden was started in the 1970s by actor Raymond Burr to house his orchid collection and has a beautiful walk through the lower mountain rainforest. It was absolutely gorgeous. We even had a chance to see the wild horses that live on the mountainside.

Then, it was off to Brisbane!