Tops of the Bottom

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Winds on Ellesmere Wharf

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Fiji is an interesting country.  It reminded me a lot fo Cuba.  Kev and I were trying to categorise Fiji.  It is not a first world country and yet it didn't seem like a third world country either.  Is there such a thing as a second world country? The overall impression I got was: Third world infrastrucutre with first world products.  This all from a shuttle bus flying along the northern coast line from Nadi to Rakiraki.

To avoid the monotonous question of 'what did you think/did you like it?' for each individual activity on our trip, we resolved the question to be - 'Would you go back on a different trip?' My answer to this question about Beachcombers was no, while I enjoyed it, I don't feel an overwhelming urge to return.  If anyone were to ask me about Nananu, I would return in a heartbeat - and tell anyone interested in a completely different beachfront experience that this tiny island is a must.

The shuttle delivered us to Ellesmere Wharf in incredible winds (pictures up soon) - so strong that you could lean into them at a significant angle.  The fishing boats arrived and delivered us soaking wet, through angry seas to several huts on the beach.  Only booked to stay one night after our Beachcomber bag fiasco, within an hour of our arrival, we each decided, quite independently, that we wanted to spend the rest of our stay in Fiji on this tiny island.  And this is what answered my daydreaming question, 'is this life for me?' The answer is a resounding YES! But now I know it just depends on the location.  I expect to fall in love many times along this trip but as the cliche goes, you always remember your first.

After extending our stay we both promptly 'enrolled' to advance our SCUBA qualifications.  Kev is more advanced than I am and therefore got to do more advanced diving, such as Shark Junction.  Amongst the diving culture, Nananu is a world famous dive site for soft coral - photographed by publications such as National Geographic - maybe you've heard of them? I got to dive sites like Dream Maker and Golden Dreams - these are truly the places where dreams are made.  I was fortunate enough to see a Grey Reef Shark.  Needless to say I've got the bug and I'm sure I'll dive as frequently as I can throughout the rest of my trip. And I wouldn't rule out doing my Dive Master training, or even going to back to Nananu to complete it.  Without a doubt this tiny island was the highlight of my trip - so far.