''Fiji Time''...

So the time had come for us guys to relax! Still gutted about Mat's departure there was not a lot else we could do other than spend a few nights relaxing in the sun, letting our hetic lives catch up with us as if we had ran ahead.

We were advised of one thing before we got to Fiji, other than the usual 'paradise, hot, beaches blar blar' and that was this new concept called ''Fiji time'', we were not totally sure what it meant but we had been warned!

new concept called ''Fiji time'', we were not totally sure what it meant but we had been warned!

As we flew in a landed in what appeared to be some sort of shack for an airport, more resemblent of an aristocrats garden shed, went through visa control, we were immediately made aware of Fiji time. Its basic mean is that it is an excuse for anyone in Fiji to be late. I honestly think it'd apply no matter the situation 'Ambulance arrives 10 minutes later than expect after an elderly person has a cardiac arrest, the family are distrought at the lack of efficency showed by the paramedics and all hell breaks loose, yet as soon as the words 'fiji time' are muttered by the paramedic some sort of truce is called and everything is fine again. It really is that effective. I think they lead such a laid back life that honestly time does not matter, in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of like in England.

We picked a hostel and hailed a cab. On the 5 minute drive down the rickety concrete roads of the Fijian capital Nadi, the cab driver had given me his name and a contact number should we wish to 'pick' anything up. We politly said 'maybe tomorrow' as not to offend him, paid up and checked into the hostel hoping we would never see him again...

Our new home for a few days was small but nice, it had a pool, decent rooms and very helpful staff. We immediately arranged a trip to one of the smaller islands just off Fiji, one of 300 odd to choose from. We went into town the following day to get some money and dinner to prepare for our days away from the main island where cash machines were non existant. Who did we bump into on the frantic streets, non other thna the taxi driver from the previous day, to our suprised he only said hello and did not hassle us further to go see his 'drug den'!

We awoke to a scorching hot Fiji day and had to lug our bags down to the local beach where our boat would pick us up and take us away. Away from reality it seems in heinsight, to a place where food was free and all people did was relax, maybe go swimming or just catch a beer. I can describe the excitement of having 4 days to catch up, and think about what we had just been through in South America and New Zealand, all the people we had met, the things we had done, the good times and the bad. Then to just laugh at it all.

Another thing we had learnt in our few days in Fiji was the word Bula, although to locals it only means about 5 different things, to foreigners it can mean a multitude of things and will practically get you by with any local! perfect, what a word!!!

BULA! we checked into our new island home, we were sung a vibrant welcome song, which made everyone laugh and then just spent the days on the beach, exploring the 4km circumferenced island named 'Mana'.

Each and everyday started with a cold shower, free breakfast and then a few hours lounging around on the beach, basically until free lunch had arrived! I was beggining to like this a lot. We spent the evenings either watching sun set on one of the sunset beaches, or drinking and playing games with the other islanders.

On our 3 day we took a little trek through one of the small jungles based upon a hill in the centre of the island. I'm not going to lie, we didnt know our way around but we had a new friend.. A friend that didnt take the usual two arms two legs form, more kind of a four legged canine buddy, aptly named Fido who lead the way. What we stumbled across was staggering. It was a Cove with abandoned beach huts, like a little town which had been hit by a minor tsunami with was in ruins, but that added to the mysterious island affect. We later found out it was the remains of the American TV show 'Survivor' who had filmed using the set it had built and then left without dismantelling. Which I suppose most would consider littering, but in all truth I think the islanders were proud with the fact their island was used. I'm quite suprised they hadn't relocated the tiny village to the perfectly built beach huts and communal halls.

On our second to last day we met three girls, Simone, Rosie and Lauren who strangly were from Epsom and even started humming one of the London Fractures songs, to their suprised I played it on my iphone and they were amazed how I had the song, I explained to them all about Joe being a friend of mine and how the band had now gone seperate ways to the girls suprise. Simone explained a new card game to us that evening which was at great relief to us as 4 months of shithead and poker had really got to us. The game was named spoons and was hilarious!

Leaving Mana island was very sad as the locals Bosko and Maria had made us all feel so welcome, but we had had a good time and our sun tans had improved tenfold from the arctic, should I say antarctic conditions of Queentown.

We had a few more days on the main island, which were again spent surrounded by the pool, catching the sun and chilling out.

Our next destination Australia, somewhere I had always longed to go, and now the time had come! G'day!!

Photos:

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