Bula is the traditional greeting here in Fiji, you can’t walk past anyone without them saying it, nice but it got a bit wearing at times. It also sounds quite close to the Spanish “Hola” and as my Spanish is so good, I found myself replying “Hola” to them, no wonder they looked confused! I have to admit, I have been a bit lazy here in Fiji, but the hotel was so fab, I really didn’t want to move. Most of the activities also seem to be based on boat trips, and as there isn’t a tame little lagoon here, we are talking open sea, I wimped out. It’s odd, it felt a bit like a “holiday”; a week in a great place – but holiday from what I ask myself, isn’t that what I am doing all the time? The pic is my favourite reading spot, 2 metre square cushions sunk into the deck by the pools (there are 5), with a view of the sea – very relaxing. And after the edge of the cyclone passed the weather has been perfect, a really pleasant change from the Cook Islands. Lots of sunshine with a really heavy tropical shower in the late afternoon. I did go into Nadi for the day – a scruffy little town with not a lot to redeem itself. Half of the population here are Indians who generations ago came here to work the sugar fields. Nadi is very Indian – small sari shops, lots of curry cafes and motor spare part shops; the smell of the curry combined with lots of incense really took me back. There is a large Hindu temple at one end of the town which I went to see and was taken around. Very colourful buildings and murals and ceilings, all depicting the various Hindu gods. I made a special puja to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, so will check my lottery numbers this week! Whilst I was there, there was a service going on so I was invited to stay for that. Not sure my ears have recovered yet, drums seem to be rather important, and unfortunately I was standing right beside the “drum machine”, a Heath Robinson contraption fuelled by a diesel generator and lots of fly wheels that made the most unbelievable noise… the guide confided in me that they used it to save the cost of drummers, obviously diesel is the lower cost option. The guide also suggested that I might like to stay on for lunch at the canteen inside the temple, but I made my excuses and left! I was also shown the “float” with statues of Hindu gods on that is taken around the town each day. I was told that on Saturday as it is the biggest Hindu festival of the year, it will be pulled around the town by men who are attached to it by hooks embedded in their skin… not sure if I am sorry or glad to be missing that spectacle as it is the day I leave. Each night at the hotel there was something on at 8.30pm. A couple of nights it was the usual not very good hotel band, but I also saw a fire show and a Fijian dance. The fire show was really interesting – obviously a strange local custom and there was lots of macho throwing of rather dangerous looking flame torches by the men in their grass skirts (how come a man in a grass skirt with a flower behind the ear can look so good – perhaps it was the six packs they were all sporting…), and lots of more graceful fire basket swinging by the girls, odd really but entertaining. But like on Aitutaki, I think we got the local amateurs, lots of fire was dropped on the sand…… But it was all done on the beach against an amazing backdrop of the huge Nadi Bay, a full moon and a thunderstorm in the distance with some quite impressive lightening in the background. And as the final fire crescendo happened, there was the most tremendous roll of thunder exactly the same time as the audience applauded – the gods must also have approved of their performance. Last night there was a Fijian dance – it has been interesting to see the slight differences in the cultures of the different Pacific Islands, but all with similar hypnotic drumming and beautiful Polynesian voices and harmonies. And fashion of course, the costume here is still grass skirts, but only for the men and the young women. Last night’s dancers were mainly larger middle aged women and they have eschewed the old half a coconut bra (probably wise…), they wear what looks like some sort of tree bark wrapped around, which is tied in a very elaborate bow at the back. So back to my fantastic room to pack, and at turndown was presented with a lovely miniature carved Kava bowl as a souvenir from the Hilton. How nice, thank you Mr Hilton, I really appreciated it.
