Sunday, March 5, 2017

Fiji

The waterfall
 I'm going to start by saying that the people that we met in Fiji were so lovely. One of my patients at work last year had been from Suva, and I was excited to see where they had come from. We disembarked at the port of Suva to an amazing band, that really created a party atmosphere. We decided to stick together (the eight of us) in Fiji. Stubbornly refusing to take a carnival cruise tour, we had a quick look to see what the locals were offering. It all seemed to focus around this waterfall. So after waiting for our bus in the blazing sun, we were on our way to the waterfall with a 'tour', which would include a lookout and a local village stop on the way.
Oh the tour was bad. We were in a minibus and we stopped three times, the first stop was at the top of the hill, looking back at our cruise ship. I think Chloe was the only one to get out of the bus to get a photo. The next stop was at a random house, our 'local village' stop. We were literally just sitting in a minibus outside of someones home, and we weren't really allowed out of the bus/there was no one there expecting us. So awkward.
Finally (after our guide pointed out the prison and Mormon church) we made it to the top of the waterfall. The guide thought I WAS GOING TO STAY IN THE BUS. While my family went down for a swim. Oh I am such a little hot head. While everyone around me were discussing the best way down I said *oh F*ck it* and picked the closest track and started my way down.

It was half way down the steps of slippery death, as I imagined how difficult it would to be removed from this scene in a stretcher that TLCs wise words finally made sense... don't go chasing waterfalls.


The waterfall
It wasn't the easiest thing, getting down all the "stairs" that were covered in wet leaves. But I am stubborn. To a fault. And just took it one step at a time. And hey, I didn't die.
Imogen and I at the waterfall :) I'm not waiting in the bus
 What blows my mind is that two older ladies from our cruise chose NOT to climb down to the waterfall, the highlight of our dodgie tour. Why not just stay in Suva?
ice cream
 After our "tour" we were dropped back into the middle of Suva, where we did some shopping. Arch bolted from me, when Ri went to put something away in a store. Arch ran in the opposite direction to Ri. Oh it was just about the scariest thing. I thought I was about to lose my boy in Fiji.
Shopping at the markets 

Immy got her hair braided by the locals

watching the band as we were leaving 

I am obsessed with collecting books while we travel

Would I go back to Fiji? Probably. I've seen photos from friends who have holidayed at the resort side of the island and those holidays look ah-mazing.