Pacific Harbor and Nadi, Fiji

Pacific Harbor is in southern Fiji and we went there so Jim could dive with the sharks.

Our ensuite bure at the Uprising Resort. Ensuite

means a private bathroom, although shower was outside

The private, though outside, shower

Our bure, which is room, in Fijian

Bula (hello in Fijean). The transport picked us up at Nadi Airport from our 4 hour flight in from Brisbane. We then drove over 3 hours to reach Pacific Harbour. We were so glad to finally get there.

We stayed at the Uprising Resort in a thatched roof style cottage with an outdoor shower. It had a palm tree growing in it! Here we learned about “island time.” People show up when they do (tour operators, servers, massage therapists, etc.), and everything is perfect. Here’s a brief poem I wrote to sum it up: “Slow down. What’s the hurry? It’s island time. What’s the worry?”

We enjoyed delicious fresh fruit from this nearby fruit stand. Papayas, bananas, pineapples, and passion fruit. Such a difference when it is local and has not been shipped several thousand miles!

We did not see any sea horses under the water, so

this was as close as we could get to a "sea horse"

Suzan has become a coco NUT. She drinks coconut milk with her coffee and most of the dishes she eats have either coconut milk or cream in the sauce. She loves to drink coconut water right from the coconut!

We took a great snorkel trip to the fringing reef with Beqa Island in the background. This is the only area in Fiji (and there are 333 islands here) where the gifted firewalkers originate. They can walk on hot stones that have been burning in a fire for many hours prior and not burn their feet. This skill is past down generationally. In order to prepare for this ritual they go into seclusion for 2 weeks. We were told the most important 2 things to avoid are: coconut milk and sexual relations with their partners. This will take them out of the trance they go into to be able to walk the hot stones. The Beqa Island men are also healers as they can touch people who have recently been burned and heal their wounds.

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The Fijian "chain" grocery store.

Jim's ideal retirement bure, on a beach with

a coral reef.

We spent one night at the Aquarius Resort (a simple, laid-back establishment on a beachfront in Nadi) before going out to the Yasawa Islands (with a bus pick up to take us to the dock at 7:00 am the following morning). With only the late afternoon we went for a beach walk and stopped by a backpackers hang-out. While there we rested in hammocks, ate a late lunch, and checked out their unusual ping pong table. We also admired how these youth can travel for so long with so little (fitting it all in a backpack). We used to be like this and now seem to need more "comforts for the aging process."

Our "backpacker" hotel of Aquarius on theBeach. We

had a private oceanview room (w bath) upstairs

Gotta love the net on this ping pong table. Made

of coconut fronds.

Even the volleyball nets are laid back in Nadi

The Uprising Resort had a memorable cultural show which included fire dancers. They performed on the lawn and it seemed so authentic (not something staged for tourists). One woman spun the fire into the air and it looked like fireworks. Others could swallow the flames (or appeared to do so). So impressive! We both got a chance to join in the fun as the women were invited to be in a Polynesian dance “performance." (Suzan seemed to go left whenever they went right yet still had a great time). The men were later asked to take it all off on “stage” (they only got as far as their shirts).

Fijian exhibition of fire dancing

Suzan getting into the swing of the Fijian dance

Pasty white men trying to dancelike a Fijian man

Fire Walkers from the island of Beqa. A tradition

passed down via bloodline which is only on Beqa

Enjoying Kava. Clap, "Bula", drink, clap 3 times.

Repeat until a numb, relaxed feeling permeates the body

Hanging with the local Kava men and the "band"

Kava drinking is a way of life for most Fijians. The ceremony included clapping once and saying Bula. Then one drinks it all down and claps three times. Everyone has a chance to either refuse another drink, or request a touch, a half, or a full cup more on each round. During our ceremony the leaders serenaded us with guitars and native songs. It was the night before Jim’s shark dive, and he’d never tried Kava before. He kept asking for full cups until Suzan finally nudged him (whispering about the shark dive in the morning). Turned out he slept soundly and Suzan did not.

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Jim experienced one of his favorite dives here and yes, it involved SHARKS! He even pet a Nurse Shark. She was friendly : )He also swam with Lemon Sharks, and White and Black-Tipped Reef Sharks. The area he dove in is considered a shark research area. Groups of Marine Biology students come in frequently to study them at this location. Jim had such a great time that he decided to go on a 3^rd dive to see the many varieties of Soft Coral which Fiji is renowned for. He had someone call the hotel to let me know that he’d be back around 3 (instead of 1:00 pm). When I went up to the front desk the agent told me in a serious tone, “The dive company called about Jim McNeil…..” She told me he’d be back later yet my heart quickened a bit at the start of her message. Relieved to know it was just another case of not being able to get him out of the water! While Jim dove 3 times I had a massage by the beach and went for a long beach walk (not quite as exciting yet so relaxing).

Fiji is the soft coral capital of the dive world

Nurse, Bull, Reef sharks swarming all around. And

YES, the were BIG!

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