Fiji
Door: Erik van der Maarel
Blijf op de hoogte en volg EriK
18 Januari 2015 | Fiji, Nadi
Fiji
The flight with New Zealand air went pretty fast and before I knew it I was in Nadi once again. While I was waiting for my taxi I got into a conversation with Chris from Germany. He would take the ferry to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort the next day (So was I :)), we would meet up the next day. I had to wait one hour in total before my taxi finally brought me to Bamboo backpackers. I checked in around 2 o'clock and opened up a beer. I saw a Scottish couple that I met a week ago at Bamboo and sat down at there table. During the day Sandra joint in also and the only thing we did the entire day was drinking and chatting :).
After a insane night I woke up around 6:00 am. A guy in my dorm room kept everybody awake during the night because he was screaming and hitting himself while sleeping... I hopped on the bus around 7:00 am and saw my new mate Chris straight away. We checked in at the cruise terminal and were allowed to board the Yasawa Flyer at 8:30 am. We just exited the harbor and Chris asked me if I would like to have a beer... Sure why not :). We sailed in beautiful weather past all the tropical island, I'm in paradise. Around 1:30 pm we departed the boat and came ashore at blue lagoon. The staff of the resort was waiting for us and welcomed us with a drink, a song and a lowed BULA! We sat down for lunch and after that we discovered the reef for the rest of the day. In the evening we had a terrific dinner together with some beers.
The next morning Chris and I walked into the hills to take some pictures. We came back around 11:00 am and it was time for a new round of beers. We chilled the rest of the day at the beach and met three English girls from another resort. They would come for a drink later on the night. In the evening we had a Fiji BBQ that was amazing. After dinner the three English girls joint us and we had a nice evening together.
In the morning I had to check out and look for a new place to stay the upcoming two nights. I decided to go to Safe Landing and then come back to blue lagoon again to chill with my mate Chris. Around 1:00 pm I said goodbye (for now) to Chris and was brought to Safe Landing with a small boat. Once ashore I met three Walsh guys (Llifon, Ifan and Gethin) and had lunch with them. Unfortunately during lunch clouds started to come in and it started to poor rain. Luckily the Wales guys had a game named tourettes on there phone which we played for almost the entire afternoon. During dinner we were introduced to the crew and we had to introduce our selfs also. The locals played live music for us and we had a nice relaxing evening.
It was good weather once again and we all signed up to visit a local village in the morning. We sat together with the chief that explained us a little bit of history. After the lecture we were allowed to walk around and take pictures. Before I knew it it was lunch time and I decided to go snorkeling. After a long walk I saw a beautiful reef with loads of fish. I got back at Safe Landing were I chilled together with the Wales guys. After a nice curry dish it was game night! The first game: limbo dancing... I failed big time :). Second game: grab a object from the floor with your mouth without using your hands and resting on your knees... Winner! Third game: hitting a coca cola can with a wrecking ball from one side to the other (boys vs girls)... Winner! Fourth and final game: getting a coconut from your waist down to your chin without using your hands... Winner! An awesome last night at Safe Landing!
In the morning I asked if it was possible to walk over the hills to the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort. They told me it was possible and they would put my backpack on the Yasawa Flyer. After breakfast I said goodbye to my Wales mates and I started walking to Blue Lagoon on my flip flops... Not a smart decision because it was pretty slippery some parts so I had to walk barefoot. After an hour of sweating I reached my destination and said "Hi" to my mate Chris. I checked in at the resort and told them about my backpack that would be arriving via the Yasawa Flyer. They told me it wouldn't be a problem and they would unload it at the resort. After lunch the small boat of Blue Lagoon arrived with the new people and without my backpack...
I went to the reception and told them my backpack didn't arrive... They called Safe Landing: they loaded my backpack on the Yasawa Flyer, so my backpack was still on the Yasawa Flyer... They called the boat and asked them to unload my bag at the next stop; no problem. In the meanwhile the manager of the resort was informed and he came with the following solution: because my backpack was at a different resort they would pick it up for me, but I had to pay for the pickup... "I don't think so buddy!". I told the manager that I informed the staff upfront and they told me it wouldn't be a problem. The manager replied: "It isn't our mistake because you should have claimed your backpack on the Yasawa Flyer, you should have gone with the staff to the Yasawa Flyer and pointed out your backpack". I: "Well you should have told me that upfront and not now... Because you told me it wouldn't be a problem". The manager sighted and said: "Okay, we will pick up your backpack for free, it will be here in a couple of hours".
The rest of the day I snorkeled, chatted with Chris and Martin (guy from Austria) and collected my backpack :). After dinner we did a multiple choice questions game with four big groups. Our group made it to the final but unfortunately we lost in the end... Still a great night dough!
After breakfast we had to say goodbye to Martin because he was gonna go to Barefoot Island Resort. Chris and I did some kayaking in the afternoon but that didn't go according to plan. Chris didn't feel okay because of the bright son so we turned back around quite quickly. The rest of the day we used for snorkeling and working on my suntan. In the evening Chris and I drank some beers for the last time, I had to leave the island again the next day.
After breakfast I updated everyone from back home that I would be without Internet for some time (they charge you a lot of money (25$) for one day...). I said goodbye to my mate Chris for now and hopped on the boat to go for Barefoot Island Resort. I arrived there around 2:30 and saw a lot of people that I met before. My Wales mates, Martin and a couple of other people were all there. We chatted and chilled together during the day and I also went snorkeling. The reef at the island was very nice, there was a big drop off and loads of coral. At 5:00 pm it was volleyball time, all the employees from the resort laid down there work and came to the volleyball court. They are really good at it and are very competitive also. After dinner I joined a group of five (Stephanie, Olli, Tatjana and a English couple) that were playing card games. We had a laugh, drinks and a awesome first night.
After breakfast I decided to extend my stay with another two nights at barefoot because I liked the island that much. I had to move rooms though but that wasn't a issue. In the morning I went snorkeling together with Olli, Tatjana and Stephanie. Before I knew it it was lunchtime again and I had to say goodbye to my Wales mates. After a siesta in a hammock I was ready to go for another round of snorkeling together with Olli and Tatjana. It was the first time we saw a white tip reef shark that approached me from behind! Cool to see a shark from this close. After another intense session of volleyball and beating the locals I was ready for an ice cold beer. I sat down with a Australian woman and Fiji guy that grabbed his guitar out. While the sun was setting down, he started playing his guitar and singing at the same time... It was absolutely amazing. We drank a couple of drinks together after dinner and had another nice night.
During the night it started to rain, wind picked up and thunder clouds started to roll in. The wind, the sound of the thunder together with the lightning was pretty terrifying. It felt like the hut were I was sleeping in could breakdown any second. But luckily I woke up the next morning safe and sound. In the morning the weather was a bit better but it was still raining. I actually woke up to late for breakfast so I used the rest of the morning to write my blog. After two main courses during lunch I was feeling okay again :). It was still raining but Olli and I went in the water to do some snorkeling. It was good decision because the fish were very active but after 1,5 hours I started to freeze. After dinner I signed myself up together with a German and Swish guy for a night snorkel. We saw a lobsters, squid, jelly fish and other weird looking fish... It was totally different then during the day which was nice!
The sun was shining once again the next morning so it was gonna be a good day. After breakfast I grabbed my snorkeling gear and went in the water together with Olli and Tatjana. We did the same after lunch, joined the volleyball at 5:00 pm and were completely exhausted around 6:00 pm. I sat down with a beer with the Australian woman and Fiji guy and repeated the same thing from two nights before. After dinner Olli, Tatjana and I played a card game together with four girls from Melbourne, Julia (Germany) and another German girl. It was a good last night at barefoot.
The next morning I hired a kayak together with Olli, Tatjana and Sarah (Switzerland). We paddled around the island and took our time to enjoy the scenery. After lunch and some card games I decided to go to Manta Ray beach resort for two days. I said goodbye to Olli and Tatjana and we would meet up again on Waya Lailai beach resort. The employees of barefoot dropped me off at Manta Ray and I was assigned to a 32 bed dorm room :). I grabbed my snorkeling gear and jumped into the water with two English girls. This place had by far the best coral that I've had ever seen, amazing. I got dried up, showered, changed and was ready for the night. During dinner I met a German and Dutch (Denise) girl that were very friendly. After dinner there was an traditional Fiji dance preformed by locals. We were even allowed to join in and did a massive snake. The rest of the evening we chatted and drank a couple of beers.
It was an early wake up call for breakfast the next morning. During breakfast I saw a Swedish girl that I've been seeing at every resort but never had a real conversation with. And who would have guessed, another nice person :). The girls from the night before and the Swedish girl joint in for a round of snorkeling which was absolutely amazing. We saw three sharks, a snake, big fish and loads of big schools of fish. After the first round of snorkeling we had to say goodbye to the German girl. After lunch and another round of snorkeling it was time to smoke the big Cuban cigar given by my mate Bart Spronk. He gave me the assignment to smoke it at a nice beach with a drink. The atmosphere was perfect for it and the cigar was very good, thanks Bart! After some photos we also said goodbye to Denise and we went for some more snorkeling. During dinner I met two Dutch guys (Bart and Oscar) that were working at the Dutch embassy in Sydney. We joined in for the event of the evening: a crab race! We had to capture our own crab and let it compete vs all other crabs. The Dutch were eliminated in the first round... But the Swedish did a awesome job and managed to get to the final round and win it! So it was time to celebrate once again :).
It was time to pack my bag once again and move on to Waya Lailai beach resort. I had to wait until 3:00 pm so I had loads of time to do some snorkeling and chilling with the Swedish girl. After lunch and some more snorkeling we were picked up by the Yasawa Flyer. I arrived at Waya Lailai around 4:00 pm and met my friends Olli and Tatjana again. The resort was almost empty so I was happy that they were there. We kept it easy for the rest of the day because we were gonna join a shark fee the next day...
After breakfast we jumped into a boat that brought us to a remote reef. I pulled on my flippers and opened a old wound (every time when I were flippers I mess up my feet). Blood was coming out of the wound... Sharks and blood that's not a good mix, right? I jumped into the water and started swimming towards the shark feed location. I was just five minutes in when I saw a reef shark swimming 10 meters below me. The shark didn't stay down but started to swim up, aiming straight for my feet. Luckily he didn't bite me but he came way to close for comfort, "not cool, not cool". The shark feed started a couple of minutes later. It was awesome to be swimming in the middle of sharks and even touching them. At some point there were around six sharks all circling our guide, awesome. We got out of the water and powered back to land because the weather was changing for the worst. We came back ashore and chilled at the common room for a while. After lunch I was taking a nap in a hammock until my mate Olli decided to flip me over, thanks buddy :p! In the afternoon Olli and Tatjana went to another island but we would meet again on the mainland the next day. In the evening I chilled out with my roommate Max and some other people before going to bed.
I packed my bag and was ready to leave the resort! I only had to wait until 4:00 pm before I would be picked up :). There was absolutely nothing to do and almost everybody left the resort. Anyway, I was looking forward to go to the mainland because it was Julia her birthday tomorrow and we would go party tonight with a big group! I opened up a beer around 2:00 pm and got picked up two hours later by the Yasawa Flyer. I got dropped off at the mainland around 6:00 pm and went to Bamboo Backpackers once again. Everyone was there again, even the Scottish couple that I met the two time before! We waited until midnight for Julia and then went out to a nightclub with a group! A awesome last night of my time in Fiji.
The next morning I was ready to leave the island but I first had to update my phone. I didn't had Internet for nine day's (which was very nice) so it was a big update. I said goodbye to all my friend from Fiji and went to the airport around midday. I boarded my plain around 3:00 pm and left the wonderful country that is named Fiji to go to Australia. My time over here was amazing and I would definitely come back one day!
The flight with New Zealand air went pretty fast and before I knew it I was in Nadi once again. While I was waiting for my taxi I got into a conversation with Chris from Germany. He would take the ferry to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort the next day (So was I :)), we would meet up the next day. I had to wait one hour in total before my taxi finally brought me to Bamboo backpackers. I checked in around 2 o'clock and opened up a beer. I saw a Scottish couple that I met a week ago at Bamboo and sat down at there table. During the day Sandra joint in also and the only thing we did the entire day was drinking and chatting :).
After a insane night I woke up around 6:00 am. A guy in my dorm room kept everybody awake during the night because he was screaming and hitting himself while sleeping... I hopped on the bus around 7:00 am and saw my new mate Chris straight away. We checked in at the cruise terminal and were allowed to board the Yasawa Flyer at 8:30 am. We just exited the harbor and Chris asked me if I would like to have a beer... Sure why not :). We sailed in beautiful weather past all the tropical island, I'm in paradise. Around 1:30 pm we departed the boat and came ashore at blue lagoon. The staff of the resort was waiting for us and welcomed us with a drink, a song and a lowed BULA! We sat down for lunch and after that we discovered the reef for the rest of the day. In the evening we had a terrific dinner together with some beers.
The next morning Chris and I walked into the hills to take some pictures. We came back around 11:00 am and it was time for a new round of beers. We chilled the rest of the day at the beach and met three English girls from another resort. They would come for a drink later on the night. In the evening we had a Fiji BBQ that was amazing. After dinner the three English girls joint us and we had a nice evening together.
In the morning I had to check out and look for a new place to stay the upcoming two nights. I decided to go to Safe Landing and then come back to blue lagoon again to chill with my mate Chris. Around 1:00 pm I said goodbye (for now) to Chris and was brought to Safe Landing with a small boat. Once ashore I met three Walsh guys (Llifon, Ifan and Gethin) and had lunch with them. Unfortunately during lunch clouds started to come in and it started to poor rain. Luckily the Wales guys had a game named tourettes on there phone which we played for almost the entire afternoon. During dinner we were introduced to the crew and we had to introduce our selfs also. The locals played live music for us and we had a nice relaxing evening.
It was good weather once again and we all signed up to visit a local village in the morning. We sat together with the chief that explained us a little bit of history. After the lecture we were allowed to walk around and take pictures. Before I knew it it was lunch time and I decided to go snorkeling. After a long walk I saw a beautiful reef with loads of fish. I got back at Safe Landing were I chilled together with the Wales guys. After a nice curry dish it was game night! The first game: limbo dancing... I failed big time :). Second game: grab a object from the floor with your mouth without using your hands and resting on your knees... Winner! Third game: hitting a coca cola can with a wrecking ball from one side to the other (boys vs girls)... Winner! Fourth and final game: getting a coconut from your waist down to your chin without using your hands... Winner! An awesome last night at Safe Landing!
In the morning I asked if it was possible to walk over the hills to the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort. They told me it was possible and they would put my backpack on the Yasawa Flyer. After breakfast I said goodbye to my Wales mates and I started walking to Blue Lagoon on my flip flops... Not a smart decision because it was pretty slippery some parts so I had to walk barefoot. After an hour of sweating I reached my destination and said "Hi" to my mate Chris. I checked in at the resort and told them about my backpack that would be arriving via the Yasawa Flyer. They told me it wouldn't be a problem and they would unload it at the resort. After lunch the small boat of Blue Lagoon arrived with the new people and without my backpack...
I went to the reception and told them my backpack didn't arrive... They called Safe Landing: they loaded my backpack on the Yasawa Flyer, so my backpack was still on the Yasawa Flyer... They called the boat and asked them to unload my bag at the next stop; no problem. In the meanwhile the manager of the resort was informed and he came with the following solution: because my backpack was at a different resort they would pick it up for me, but I had to pay for the pickup... "I don't think so buddy!". I told the manager that I informed the staff upfront and they told me it wouldn't be a problem. The manager replied: "It isn't our mistake because you should have claimed your backpack on the Yasawa Flyer, you should have gone with the staff to the Yasawa Flyer and pointed out your backpack". I: "Well you should have told me that upfront and not now... Because you told me it wouldn't be a problem". The manager sighted and said: "Okay, we will pick up your backpack for free, it will be here in a couple of hours".
The rest of the day I snorkeled, chatted with Chris and Martin (guy from Austria) and collected my backpack :). After dinner we did a multiple choice questions game with four big groups. Our group made it to the final but unfortunately we lost in the end... Still a great night dough!
After breakfast we had to say goodbye to Martin because he was gonna go to Barefoot Island Resort. Chris and I did some kayaking in the afternoon but that didn't go according to plan. Chris didn't feel okay because of the bright son so we turned back around quite quickly. The rest of the day we used for snorkeling and working on my suntan. In the evening Chris and I drank some beers for the last time, I had to leave the island again the next day.
After breakfast I updated everyone from back home that I would be without Internet for some time (they charge you a lot of money (25$) for one day...). I said goodbye to my mate Chris for now and hopped on the boat to go for Barefoot Island Resort. I arrived there around 2:30 and saw a lot of people that I met before. My Wales mates, Martin and a couple of other people were all there. We chatted and chilled together during the day and I also went snorkeling. The reef at the island was very nice, there was a big drop off and loads of coral. At 5:00 pm it was volleyball time, all the employees from the resort laid down there work and came to the volleyball court. They are really good at it and are very competitive also. After dinner I joined a group of five (Stephanie, Olli, Tatjana and a English couple) that were playing card games. We had a laugh, drinks and a awesome first night.
After breakfast I decided to extend my stay with another two nights at barefoot because I liked the island that much. I had to move rooms though but that wasn't a issue. In the morning I went snorkeling together with Olli, Tatjana and Stephanie. Before I knew it it was lunchtime again and I had to say goodbye to my Wales mates. After a siesta in a hammock I was ready to go for another round of snorkeling together with Olli and Tatjana. It was the first time we saw a white tip reef shark that approached me from behind! Cool to see a shark from this close. After another intense session of volleyball and beating the locals I was ready for an ice cold beer. I sat down with a Australian woman and Fiji guy that grabbed his guitar out. While the sun was setting down, he started playing his guitar and singing at the same time... It was absolutely amazing. We drank a couple of drinks together after dinner and had another nice night.
During the night it started to rain, wind picked up and thunder clouds started to roll in. The wind, the sound of the thunder together with the lightning was pretty terrifying. It felt like the hut were I was sleeping in could breakdown any second. But luckily I woke up the next morning safe and sound. In the morning the weather was a bit better but it was still raining. I actually woke up to late for breakfast so I used the rest of the morning to write my blog. After two main courses during lunch I was feeling okay again :). It was still raining but Olli and I went in the water to do some snorkeling. It was good decision because the fish were very active but after 1,5 hours I started to freeze. After dinner I signed myself up together with a German and Swish guy for a night snorkel. We saw a lobsters, squid, jelly fish and other weird looking fish... It was totally different then during the day which was nice!
The sun was shining once again the next morning so it was gonna be a good day. After breakfast I grabbed my snorkeling gear and went in the water together with Olli and Tatjana. We did the same after lunch, joined the volleyball at 5:00 pm and were completely exhausted around 6:00 pm. I sat down with a beer with the Australian woman and Fiji guy and repeated the same thing from two nights before. After dinner Olli, Tatjana and I played a card game together with four girls from Melbourne, Julia (Germany) and another German girl. It was a good last night at barefoot.
The next morning I hired a kayak together with Olli, Tatjana and Sarah (Switzerland). We paddled around the island and took our time to enjoy the scenery. After lunch and some card games I decided to go to Manta Ray beach resort for two days. I said goodbye to Olli and Tatjana and we would meet up again on Waya Lailai beach resort. The employees of barefoot dropped me off at Manta Ray and I was assigned to a 32 bed dorm room :). I grabbed my snorkeling gear and jumped into the water with two English girls. This place had by far the best coral that I've had ever seen, amazing. I got dried up, showered, changed and was ready for the night. During dinner I met a German and Dutch (Denise) girl that were very friendly. After dinner there was an traditional Fiji dance preformed by locals. We were even allowed to join in and did a massive snake. The rest of the evening we chatted and drank a couple of beers.
It was an early wake up call for breakfast the next morning. During breakfast I saw a Swedish girl that I've been seeing at every resort but never had a real conversation with. And who would have guessed, another nice person :). The girls from the night before and the Swedish girl joint in for a round of snorkeling which was absolutely amazing. We saw three sharks, a snake, big fish and loads of big schools of fish. After the first round of snorkeling we had to say goodbye to the German girl. After lunch and another round of snorkeling it was time to smoke the big Cuban cigar given by my mate Bart Spronk. He gave me the assignment to smoke it at a nice beach with a drink. The atmosphere was perfect for it and the cigar was very good, thanks Bart! After some photos we also said goodbye to Denise and we went for some more snorkeling. During dinner I met two Dutch guys (Bart and Oscar) that were working at the Dutch embassy in Sydney. We joined in for the event of the evening: a crab race! We had to capture our own crab and let it compete vs all other crabs. The Dutch were eliminated in the first round... But the Swedish did a awesome job and managed to get to the final round and win it! So it was time to celebrate once again :).
It was time to pack my bag once again and move on to Waya Lailai beach resort. I had to wait until 3:00 pm so I had loads of time to do some snorkeling and chilling with the Swedish girl. After lunch and some more snorkeling we were picked up by the Yasawa Flyer. I arrived at Waya Lailai around 4:00 pm and met my friends Olli and Tatjana again. The resort was almost empty so I was happy that they were there. We kept it easy for the rest of the day because we were gonna join a shark fee the next day...
After breakfast we jumped into a boat that brought us to a remote reef. I pulled on my flippers and opened a old wound (every time when I were flippers I mess up my feet). Blood was coming out of the wound... Sharks and blood that's not a good mix, right? I jumped into the water and started swimming towards the shark feed location. I was just five minutes in when I saw a reef shark swimming 10 meters below me. The shark didn't stay down but started to swim up, aiming straight for my feet. Luckily he didn't bite me but he came way to close for comfort, "not cool, not cool". The shark feed started a couple of minutes later. It was awesome to be swimming in the middle of sharks and even touching them. At some point there were around six sharks all circling our guide, awesome. We got out of the water and powered back to land because the weather was changing for the worst. We came back ashore and chilled at the common room for a while. After lunch I was taking a nap in a hammock until my mate Olli decided to flip me over, thanks buddy :p! In the afternoon Olli and Tatjana went to another island but we would meet again on the mainland the next day. In the evening I chilled out with my roommate Max and some other people before going to bed.
I packed my bag and was ready to leave the resort! I only had to wait until 4:00 pm before I would be picked up :). There was absolutely nothing to do and almost everybody left the resort. Anyway, I was looking forward to go to the mainland because it was Julia her birthday tomorrow and we would go party tonight with a big group! I opened up a beer around 2:00 pm and got picked up two hours later by the Yasawa Flyer. I got dropped off at the mainland around 6:00 pm and went to Bamboo Backpackers once again. Everyone was there again, even the Scottish couple that I met the two time before! We waited until midnight for Julia and then went out to a nightclub with a group! A awesome last night of my time in Fiji.
The next morning I was ready to leave the island but I first had to update my phone. I didn't had Internet for nine day's (which was very nice) so it was a big update. I said goodbye to all my friend from Fiji and went to the airport around midday. I boarded my plain around 3:00 pm and left the wonderful country that is named Fiji to go to Australia. My time over here was amazing and I would definitely come back one day!
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