4.24.8 - Thursday - Day 13 (Kayaking Snorkeling and Glamor Shots)

Click here for the complete photo album for Day 13

The first thing I saw upon waking... I love living in a grass hut!.

We got up in time to catch the continental breakfast which was as lavish as such a thing can be. Again fresh papaya and uncultured yogurt which is stronger than what we are used to but tasty. We rented kayaks, Rae Chris S and I packed packed our snorkeling gear. We paddled across the lagoon and put ashore on a small beach. After poking around a bit and bouldering on the rocks there we swam out to the reef and snorkeled for an hour or so. We came across a school of cuttlefish (a kind of squid) and watched them mating I think. Then swam back to the shore.

Kayaking for fun and profit! ...ok, really just for fun.

Putting the boats out was a little challenging but Rae and Chris didn't have much trouble using the tandem Kayak. I played in the surf a bit but was cautious not wanting to hurt the reef.

Kayaking for fun and profit! ...ok, really just for fun.

We made it back in time for lunch, I had Tahi Coconut chicken curry which was excellent and plentiful.

Sand floor... no shirt, no shoes...no problem!

I decided to go for a second dive but the others passed due to the cost. We were supposed to go for a deeper dive but the water was too choppy for the novice divers in te group so we continued on to a more protected site "mystry reef". It was a bit more vibrant than the previous dive but still showed signs of the cyclones. We saw a small ray which was totally unconcerned with our presence. The dive master found a live Tiger Cowlery and I found three Moles Eye cowlrey's, all larger than any I had seen before. I'll take pictures of the ones I have from my previous trip.

Not the best rocks ever, but the scenery makes up for it.

The dive master found a tiny Mantis shrimp and one of the other divers got pictures with his digital camera which was the smallest waterproof digital I have ever seen. I spotted a lion fish and everyone admired it from a safe distance.

There are better beaches in the world... but only two.

We got bsck and I relaxed a bit on the beach before dinner. Dinner was a fish buffet.I'm not much for fish but this was really good. Both the deep fried and broiled and the raw lime cured fish stew...man do I love that stuff.

Wow...just wow...

We had our bags moved to the dorm which was nice even if it didn't have the privacy of the bury. Oh, we aranced a private guide to take us up to te summet since the next day's group was scheduled to go elsewhere.

Not bad for a dorm.

4.23.8 - Wednesday - Day 12 (Trip to Octopus and Resort Drive)

Click here for the complete photo album for Day 12
You really want to check this one out, lots of amazing shots.

As we were getting out things moved to the lobby of the hotel a local government (I think) group was gathering at the hotel, all in ties and dress sulu but it had a strangely 'Godfather' feel to it.

Ginger... defiantly Ginger.

The driver from Octopus picked us up a half an hour late and took us to their offices. We didn't have time to fill out paperwork because of the time...this would come back to haunt us later. He then drove us to the harbor outside of the city where we boarded a 20ish foot open boat for the ride out to Waya.

Our first view or Octopus.

The ride was fun, we passed a modernish square rigger and a few smaller islands. Everyone got a bit wet but it was a beautiful day and our luggage was piled in the center of the boat and stayed relatively dry.

Todd and Rae in the hammock outside our bury.

We arrived at the island and transferred to a longboat to get ashore. A small string band welcomed us and we were given fruit juice and had a short orientation.

Todd's impression of a Navy SEAL intimidated the locals.

To say the resort was beautiful would be an injustice. It was the perfect tropical resort, adventurous and rustic and at the same time comfortable and luxurious. And it's where they keep all the pretty tourists!

People in SCUBA gear look silly...they just do.

For lunch there were half a dozen choices from burgers to raw fish stew... I avoided the stew the first day but discovered later that it is one of the best foods EVER! We ate and relaxed a bit, but not for long. We discovered that the learn to dive course was only offered every other day so we had to do it at 2pm or miss it. I talked to the dive master and he let me sit in on the class and take pictures.

We all felt great after the dive though.

After their video and lecture (the power went out half way through and the dive master had to cover the second half with flash cards) Todd, Meadow, Chris and Rae were suited up and hit the pool for their practice exercises. They had a blast though Rae had trouble with her ears and elected not to do the open water portion. Meadow particularly took to it like a fish to...well...

Did I mention that Waya is kind of beautiful.

For the open water dive they took us to a near by reef called 'the three sisters' the dive was to 12 meters (36ft, the gauges were metric which threw me). The island had been hit by three cyclones in January and the reef was pretty beat up. But the new coral growth looked healthy. Compared to some of the dives I remember this one was pretty drab but it was a good introduction for everyone.

Ok, more than a little.

We got back and rinsed off in the pool and relaxed for a couple of hours. Due to the dorm being full we ended up splitting a three person bury and a two person bungalow. They were beautiful, I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Kava...it still tastes like muddy water... the ceremony was nice though.

Before dinner we had a welcome ceremony and Kava. It was much milder than what we were given in nandi. We watched the stars come out on the beach and turned in early. Oddly given the young crowd there wasn't much of a night life, everyone is exausted by the end of the day.

LINKS
Octopus Resort
Nifty interactive map of Waya

4.22.8 - Tuesday - Day 11 (Rainforest Zip Line and drive to Laotoka)

Click here for the complete photo album for Day 11

Big Bug! Really Really Big Bug!

I got up early and went fro a run down to the Pearl and back, the resort dogs were my escort :) The others were up when I got back and we had the complementary breakfast... I am coming to love fresh papaya.

Chris S had no fear!

We called about the zip lines and found out that we could go at 1 p.m. Chris, Rae and I went this time. The first run was off a Cliff across the river and to the ground. Then there was a climb up to the second run. After the first run you never touch the ground until the end of the 8 runs. We got to make two circuits. It was thrilling, though by the end of it we had the hang of it (pun intended) and were playing around, going backwards and spinning... on purpose even. We took lots of pictures and video:

Rae went first.

I talked a bit with the owner who said that there is some great climbing in fiji but little interest among tourists in doing it...I wonder if it is a marketing issue?

When we got back we used the uprising Internet and spent some time setting up our stay at Octopus and hotel in Laotoka. The drive back was beautiful!

Vibrum 5 Fingers are great for many sports, now including Ziplines!

We stopped for dinner at 'The Crows Nest' resort's restaurant. I remember eating there on my first trip to Fiji. In my memory there is an old man sitting in the corner smoking a pipe and looking wise... I always thought that would be a good place to be at 80.

The Crow's Nest seems not to have changed much in the last 20 years.

We got into Laotoka late and got a room at the hotel Cathay. It was a bit of a dive but cheep and we could get picked up there by the folks at octopus.

LINKS
Zip Fiji Website

Zip Fiji Video (amature, but with wierd ants)