When I started this trip, I hadn't imagined I was going to spend most of my Australian time in Brisbane, but that was how it worked out, and I wouldn't have changed a thing. At times in that city, with the people I was staying, it felt like I wasn't really backpacking at all, but more like I had been stepped into a parallel universe or been given a new identity on the other side of the world. Although life was different in many ways, it also felt very familiar, very homely. I loved my time there.
On Friday 20 March I left Bris for what was to be the last time on this world tour. The airport goodbye with CB in the early hours of the morning was once again a horrible experience, sweetened only by the fact that Cass had now booked herself a flight to visit England in June. The long slow countdown to that date began the moment I stepped onto the plane.
I only spent one quiet night back in New Zealand, and on the 21st March I caught my next flight to the paradise islands of Fiji in the South Pacific. On the way to the airport I met up with Irish Sinead and Scottish Jen both of whom I had gotten to know on the Stray bus and were also heading to Fiji. It seemed daft not to knock about with some familiar faces so we all had a beer before getting on the plane and decided to book ourselves on the same island-hopping package tour when we landed in paradise.
Arriving in Fiji was a little confusing. For one, it was pouring it down with rain. Hardly the weather we were anticipating. We also heard there was a tsunami warning, so that was encouraging too. The Fijian tour guides at the airport were very pushy, trying to get us to take this deal and that deal. We really didn't know what was going on at first, but eventually managed to get booked on a 5 day tour of the Yassawa and Mamucca islands, including accommodation on 3 different islands and a couple of nights stay on a boat.
After struggling to get any money out from the ATM machine, I eventually had to borrow a wad of notes from Sinead to see me through the week. As it turned out, I probably should have borrowed more. Fiji is an expensive place. When we arrived at the hostel Horizon on the main island Nadi, the beer was pricey and tasteless, the food took forever to arrive, the rooms were average and the internet was impossibly slow and cost the earth. Not a great start.
The tour began properly the next morning. It was overcast and drizzly as we got on the bus down to the port. A sick-inducing 5 hour boat ride followed, with one poor girl opposite us violently chundering over the side the whole way. When we eventually arrived at the island of Tavewa in the Yassawas, the bad weather had cleared and the sun was blazing. We were welcomed onto the island by the smiling faces of the Fijian staff at Coral View resort who led us to our digs. Once we were settled in, then the serious business of major relaxation began.
There was nothing much to do on the island other than sit, bake in the sun and swim. Unfortunately for me, I had lost both my sunglasses and even worse, my boardies. So I had to dip in the one of bluest ocean I had ever seen squinting like Mr. Magoo and wearing my thick grey River Island shorts that took forever to dry and weighed me down so much I might as well have been trying to swim in pyjamas.
Food at the resort consisted of set meals at set times, so if you were peckish during the afternoon you were shit out of luck. But that was OK, when dinner was finally served it was worth the wait - there was beer-battered aubergine, some kind of vegetable that's cooked in the ground that I can't remember the name of & something called 'bread fruit'. OK, maybe I'm overselling it by saying it was excellent, but we were all so hungry we would have eaten absolutely anything. Just like on Nadi, the beer and wine served at Coral View was fairly appalling and ludicrously expensive, so after just a couple of post dinner drinks, followed by a spirited performance from the Fijian hotel staff band, I crashed out in my hot mozzie-netted bunk and was asleep by about 9pm.
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Being so early to bed meant getting up at 8am for breakfast on 23 March was no problem. Ever since New Zealand I had got into the habit of getting up early and had really started to enjoy it. That feeling that you're not wasting the day. However, the only problem with Fiji was that once you were up early there was a hell of a long day ahead of you, and by 3pm you were bored shitless. There's only much relaxing I can stomach before I start getting restless. I had the same issue at Thong Nai Pan Yai on Koh Pha Ngan. I can't just sit around for hours, I find it frustrating. I need to go out and explore, but on this tiny island it was rather difficult.
One highlight of the day was getting the boat over to the Blue Lagoon on the opposite island for some snorkeling. This is the famous area where they shot the Brook Shields movie of the same name, and it really is the idyllic paradise island. Beautiful coral, crazy looking fish and plenty of coconuts all about the place...
In the afternoon back on Tavewa I went off exploring and trekked up the mountain (well, hill really) which overlooked the whole island. The walk made me feel like I was in an episode of Lost especially when encountering things like this...
...and I got bitten to smithereens by the bugs as I rummaged through the forest and scrambled up muddy slopes to the top, but it was worth it for the view. I've never felt so far from home.
The evening back at Coral View consisted of dinner, a few games of cards, some limbo and then a lesson in how to do the traditional Fijian "bulla" dance, which to me just seemed like a slightly less cringeworthy version of the maccerana. But I gave it a bash nevertheless.
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24 March - After a "candi sausage" lunch (nope, me neither) we transferred to the Wana Taki cruise boat where we were to spend 2 days at sea docked near various islands. This was the longest I'd gone without internet since my world tour began, and it was beginning to do my head in. Facebook and email were my windows to the world and I was frustrated not to be able to connect with CB back in Oz. Trying to remain positive I spent most of time swimming, kayaking and playing guitar during the day and watching jittery pirate DVDs in the 24-bunk dorm in the evening. I also took some excellent pictures to contribute to Matt Davey's Great Big Book of Sunsets...
At night it rained and the ceiling leaked onto my bed.
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26 March - Awoken early by what sounded like a Japanese man playing the ukulele and singing over the boat's Tanoy system ("wake up everyone, now is the time to go peepee!"). At first I thought it was a member of the boat staff, but later I realised it may have been a bizarre Fijian radio station.
We took a connecting boat to South Sea island around lunchtime. This is the smallest Fijian island of all, it's so tiny that you can walk around the whole thing in 7 minutes.
After settling in and taking a few photos, it wasn't long before the sun was coming down and I was sat on the beach enjoying a cold beer. Dinner and drinks followed, and by about 9 O'clock I was having a ukulele jam with the island's diving instructor. A fitting end to my week of island hopping.
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27 March - Caught the boat back to the main island Nadi and was relieved to finally get back online, not only to Skype CB but also to sort out my Visa for the U.S. which was starting to cause me some mild panic as I was due in Los Angeles the next day. I stayed at Horizon again in a room which had frogs and ants outside but a very good shower. I left my travel companions Sinead and Jen for the day as they went off to explore one additional island, and I kicked about the hostel trying not to spend too much money. Sitting in the bar I got chatting to a pervy egotistical 42 year old Canadian "helicopter pilot" (yeah right) who said he only comes to the bar on a Fridays because "that's when the fresh pussy arrives".
I do hope I never end up like him.
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Watching:
Slumdog Millionaire - as excellent as everyone says it is.
The Express - decent biopic of black American football player Ernie Davis in the 1950s. I fell asleep and missed the end, but I'm told he died of leukemia aged 23. Not exactly a happy ending then.
Iron Man - f-ing ace! The best Marvel film yet in my opinion. Finally a superhero flick with some humour. Thank you Robert Downey Jr and John Favreau.
Reading:
Pig City by Andrew Stafford - excellent account of the Brisbane music scene
Listening:
The Saints 'Know Your Product'
The Go-Betweens 'Draining The Pool For You'
Loads of Rocket From the Crypt
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True ('Welcome to the Working Week', 'The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes' - what tunes!)
Santogold
TV on the Radio
Vampire Weekend
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
The Modern Lovers 'Road Runner'
Jonathan Richman 'New Kind of Neighbourhood'
David Crosby - If Only I Could Remember My Own Name
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