Goodbye Geelong, Hello Fiji

from w
Wow, the weather is different here. We left Geelong which was about 2 degrees at night, and 12 in the daytime. Here it is 22 at night, 28 in the day and the humidity is 80 per cent. Anyway, it's lovely to see our family - the grandkids are looking after me very well.

The Air Pacific Spirit of Taveuni took just over four hours so it was a good trip. The supper was a bit strange though - a bun with some kind of curried chicken or fish, don't know which, dry biscuits and cheese, and a chocolate bar. Peceli asked for more! Economy class was crowded though and I got elbowed numerous times.

We reached Nadi airport by 6.15 am. and a newly married couple met us (supposedly for breakfast together) but the bus was ready so we clambered onto the Sunbeam bus for the 4 to 5 hour trip to Suva. We were really stacked in, four to a seat for three, with bottoms hanging over the aisle. They just kept selling more bus tickets and shoving people onto the bus. It's school holidays, Hibiscus Festival, Methodist conference, bazaar, choir festival and rugby tournaments! At Sigatoka, not quite halfway, we stopped for 10 minutes. While I bought bananas in the market Peceli bought mugs of tea and two roti and curry parcels for our breakfast. I had a water bottle thank goodness.

We reached Pacific Harbour to our daughter-in-law's lovely village by midday and it was a relief after the bus trip of grinding up a dozen mountains. A swimming pool was a welcome sight.

More stories to come later.