Day 3 - Nadi

Bula! Greetings from Fiji!

Our two flights so far were uneventful. Even managed to sleep on the trans-oceanic flight from LA to here. When we arrived at 5:30 yesterday morning, we caught a taxi to show us around town and drive us the hour south to our hotel. Natadola Beach Resort. Highly recommended. Huge room - bigger than my condo! And the pounding of the surf shakes the bed.

Walk along the white-sand beach. Local kids frolicking in the turquoise surf. (Sorry, no photos from this computer.) Bright blue sky, sun almost directly overhead. Hot. Humid. Reminds me of Houston. Very warm ocean. Warmer than the swimming pool at the hotel. The kids swam in it all day, for it was Saturday. The men played volleyball and rugby on the beach. The women sat in the shade of the trees. It was nice under the trees, with the cooling breeze off the ocean. Smart women.

Heavy rainstorms in the evening, pounding the roof down, just about.

The colorful Hindu temple here in Nadi is in the middle of a festival. Worshippers circle the temple (the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere) several times, with flames and fruit carried, then go inside. Or inside one of the small side temples. Bright colors everywhere. Incense in the air. Flaming butter pats on coconuts. . .

Lush forests, farmlands. Goats and cows and horses roam freely. But this is the dry side of the island. Pine trees up in the hills, the halfway point between Nadi and Natadola. Christian natives, Hindus (and Muslims) from India. Churches and temples and mosques. The coup friction is a world away in Suva. But even so, it feels like the groups merely tolerate each other, not integrate with each other.

The native Fijian men wear straight skirts when they dress up to go to church. With shirt and tie.

Did I mention this place is as hot and sticky as Houston? Yeah, I think I did. It's summer here. The low season when it comes to tourism.

Chunlin says hi!