Bula From Fiji
Hey guys.
So I'm wondering who's idea it was that the Only flights from Melbourne to Fiji Leave Melbourne at 11:25pm? Tuesday was hectic with packing and nail-biting. I was sure i had forgotten something. Turns out what I forgot was to make sure that Crystal had all the contact details for everyone she might need to contact in case of emergency while I was away.
So of course I had a flurry of phone calls from the airport to make sure everyone either kept in touch with her or that she had their numbers.
We arrived in Fiji at 6am after a 4 hour flight. Sam was very excited during take off and landing but spent the hour where she actually slept kicking me.
It then took an hour to drive from the airport to the resort. We are staying at the Shangri la hotel on Yanuka island. Its so beautiful. The room sucks a little because Im sharing the king bed with the two girls. But Sam isn't kicking me all night so I'm getting enough sleep.
Everything here runs on what they call Fiji time. So everything is laid back and taken easy. The food is delicious. and there are like 5 restaurants on the island and everything is in walking distance. You can see the pool and the ocean from our room. There are three pools. But our one (the closest to us) is so close to the beach that you just walk out of the pool and down the sand into the sea.
There is lots of fauna and flora. We had dinner with the kids last night on the terrace of the restaurant that looked out over the ocean and we saw a sea snake, eel crabs and several fish. and it was on about 50 meters from where we had swum earlier that day.
Sam and Lillie swam on Thursday in the pool and Mum, Norm and myself sat on the deck chairs watching them and Sam slipped off the step into the deeper water and almost drowned. So now although she wants to go swimming she wont go deeper. Its probably a good thing because she wont venture from the shallows but the water here isn't very deep because its a lagoon with sandbars and the reef. so you can walk really far out before it gets deep but Sam wont go deeper than her waist.
We went to a traditional feast and saw Polynesian fire dancing. Which was brilliant. No one caught fire though. And they invited any women volunteers out to dance and so of course i got up and went and danced with the warrior's. That was lots of fun. Then the men went up and danced with the ladies which was hilarious watching all the men trying to sway their hips.
The wedding was on Friday and it was wonderful. My baby brother had the Grooms smile. (my favourite part of every wedding when the groom sees the bride in her wedding dress and smiles with sincere happiness *guh*)
Amanda looked beautiful and Kerry (the celebrant and Mum's best friend) cried. The girls looked beautiful. Little silver dresses with pink Taffeta. The chapel had a glass wall at the vestibule and you looked out over the ocean it was just incredible. when the ceremony was finished Amanda and Jez went out and nailed in the last hammer of the plaque with their name and date of their wedding on it to the wall.
ON Monday were going to go on a boat cruise and have a traditional lunch and kava ceremony in a Fijian village. Which I'm looking forward too and then Monday night were doing fire walking. (wish me luck!)
I've managed not to get sunburnt until yesterday (saturday) which is my mums fault for doing a shitty job putting sunscreen on my back. lol. I'll survive though.
I miss all of my friends and my teenagers (wish you were here Crystal and Ash!) But I am also having a wonderful time. will post pics when i get back. the net in the rooms here is intermittent at best and I don't have the time to spend sitting in the net cafe when Sam would rather be swimming. I'll be back Saturday though!
So I'm wondering who's idea it was that the Only flights from Melbourne to Fiji Leave Melbourne at 11:25pm? Tuesday was hectic with packing and nail-biting. I was sure i had forgotten something. Turns out what I forgot was to make sure that Crystal had all the contact details for everyone she might need to contact in case of emergency while I was away.
So of course I had a flurry of phone calls from the airport to make sure everyone either kept in touch with her or that she had their numbers.
We arrived in Fiji at 6am after a 4 hour flight. Sam was very excited during take off and landing but spent the hour where she actually slept kicking me.
It then took an hour to drive from the airport to the resort. We are staying at the Shangri la hotel on Yanuka island. Its so beautiful. The room sucks a little because Im sharing the king bed with the two girls. But Sam isn't kicking me all night so I'm getting enough sleep.
Everything here runs on what they call Fiji time. So everything is laid back and taken easy. The food is delicious. and there are like 5 restaurants on the island and everything is in walking distance. You can see the pool and the ocean from our room. There are three pools. But our one (the closest to us) is so close to the beach that you just walk out of the pool and down the sand into the sea.
There is lots of fauna and flora. We had dinner with the kids last night on the terrace of the restaurant that looked out over the ocean and we saw a sea snake, eel crabs and several fish. and it was on about 50 meters from where we had swum earlier that day.
Sam and Lillie swam on Thursday in the pool and Mum, Norm and myself sat on the deck chairs watching them and Sam slipped off the step into the deeper water and almost drowned. So now although she wants to go swimming she wont go deeper. Its probably a good thing because she wont venture from the shallows but the water here isn't very deep because its a lagoon with sandbars and the reef. so you can walk really far out before it gets deep but Sam wont go deeper than her waist.
We went to a traditional feast and saw Polynesian fire dancing. Which was brilliant. No one caught fire though. And they invited any women volunteers out to dance and so of course i got up and went and danced with the warrior's. That was lots of fun. Then the men went up and danced with the ladies which was hilarious watching all the men trying to sway their hips.
The wedding was on Friday and it was wonderful. My baby brother had the Grooms smile. (my favourite part of every wedding when the groom sees the bride in her wedding dress and smiles with sincere happiness *guh*)
Amanda looked beautiful and Kerry (the celebrant and Mum's best friend) cried. The girls looked beautiful. Little silver dresses with pink Taffeta. The chapel had a glass wall at the vestibule and you looked out over the ocean it was just incredible. when the ceremony was finished Amanda and Jez went out and nailed in the last hammer of the plaque with their name and date of their wedding on it to the wall.
ON Monday were going to go on a boat cruise and have a traditional lunch and kava ceremony in a Fijian village. Which I'm looking forward too and then Monday night were doing fire walking. (wish me luck!)
I've managed not to get sunburnt until yesterday (saturday) which is my mums fault for doing a shitty job putting sunscreen on my back. lol. I'll survive though.
I miss all of my friends and my teenagers (wish you were here Crystal and Ash!) But I am also having a wonderful time. will post pics when i get back. the net in the rooms here is intermittent at best and I don't have the time to spend sitting in the net cafe when Sam would rather be swimming. I'll be back Saturday though!