A Star in the West

Ok, the original intent wasn't to name all the blogs this way, but it's worked out nicely. Please pretend to be amused by my creativity.

Somehow two days in Fiji felt like a week and this is just what I needed. Living in the northeast leads one to live life in the fast lane. On top of the pace of the city, my extended busy stretch at work has certainly raised the pressure level I feel about everything. Therefore, I've spent my days in Fiji telling myself relax, relax, relax. It turns out that the only time zone that was hard to acclimate to was going from Boston time to island time. Everything happens in its own way in Fiji; one would do well to go with the flow.

My two days here have given me a fascinating picture of a place that currently relies heavily on tourism but has a very long and multi-cultural history. There is much here beneath the surface that puzzles me; two days are just enough to show you how little you know about another culture.

I'll start with the second day as it's likely to be easier to me to explain and for readers to identify with. After toast and tea at my hotel in Wailoaloa Beach, I was picked up by a shuttle service to go to Port Denarau. The port area happens to be Nadi's resort area. As the shuttle pulled onto the Port's property, I observed a marked contrast to the scenery. An immaculately paved road was lined with lush palm trees and flowers next to a green golf course. The shuttle let us off at the marina, where South Coast Cruises had its terminal next to a touristy outdoor shopping area. 

The plan for the day was to take an "Ultimate Encounter Snorkeling with Sharks" trip. I would take a high-speed catamaran almost two hours out from Viti Levu (Fiji's largest island) out to the southern end of the Yasawa archipelago for a day of snorkeling, BBQ, and resort lifestyle.

In the blazing sun the catamaran set out at a brisk 22 knot clip over the Pacific waters. Indeed, the highest wave or swell I saw in my two days in Fiji was only ankle high. With remarkably low haze on the horizon, the ocean seemed as flat as a marble floor and stretched infinitely in all directions. You could see a bobbing coconut at a distance of a quarter mile. The catamaran made quick work of the water with not a single jolt or lurch. From the bow, one could watch the scene speed by. On the horizon, tiny and huge islands alike jutted out from the water. Most had sharp features and steep igneous cliffs, but some, like South Sea Island, were comically tiny bulges of sand somehow avoiding being swallowed up by the ocean. The water itself was mind-blowing in it's navy blue color. It was rich, vibrant, deep, yet also perfectly translucent. At one point on the way back, we made a pit stop to pick up passengers from a tiny island in the Mamanucas and the water was so clear you could see the bottom! Remember, this is the Pacific Ocean. It was so indescribably perfect.

When the catamaran reached the archipelago, the water at the Barefoot Kuata Resort, we made for land pirate-style: by disembarking from the catamaran onto landing vessels and motoring the last 200 ft to shore. Clamber out of the landing boat, splash splash splash, and up onto the beach. The resort was located on one of two adjacent volcanic islands with a narrow straight protecting the beach. The catamaran sped off through the straight on its long journey up the archipelago leaving us stranded like castaways. But the resort actually was marvelous. We followed the coral-strewn beach past a long series of cabanas for long-term guests. Literally at water's edge, a couple cute foot-long black-tip sharks patrolled the beach. At the end of the beach, before a towering black megalith of volcanic rock, we were welcomed into a beautiful pavillion by a four-part harmony with a guitar singing a polynesian melody. With a loud "BULA!" the Fijian word of greeting, it truly felt like paradise.

After some logistics, we were finally able to set out for snorkeling. We reboarded the landing craft and sped away from the resort back the way we came. It felt like we cruised much faster than the catamaran, but maybe it was that we were a mere arm's length from the immaculate water. Four boats in total, we sped for 15 minutes until curving around into some shallows. Shallows? In the wide open Pacific? Yes. 

Fins and snorkels donned, we splashed into the water. It was like bathwater. No shock to the system, no gasping. Just an immediate underwater world ready to explore. 

We had pulled up just next to a coral reef. The reef itself was within 7 ft of the water surface in places, but where we left the boats, the edge of the reef dropped off to a depth of maybe 30-40 ft. The reef and its edge were teeming with life! Three or four six-foot black-tip sharks were hanging around right next to the reef and were very comfortable around the snorkelers. Once or twice I even had them at arm's length. They were amazing to behold, amazing oceanic creatures.

But I was equally spellbound by the reef. Countless species of fish in all shapes and colors swam off the reef and within it. There were schools of striped fish in the open water and little clusters of neon fish in the nooks and crannies. Yellow, blue, black, silver, green: all colors were on display. The reef itself also was full of life. Nudibranchs were all over the place, investigating the many types of coral for goodies. I don't even know what to call them, but the reef was full of creatures of different shapes, doing their thing, having a great day in the sun. It was spectacular to behold.

There were only two bummers about exploring the reef. One, I am quite unpracticed with fins, so I was a bit like a bull in a china closet. Thankfully I never touched any of the reef, but I definitely came close, wobbling around clumsily. Two, apparently I failed at applying sunscreen and today I'm an all-around lobster. Two coats on my face proved insufficient and I am still doing the raccoon look. What a day.

An hour at the reef passed in a heartbeat. We returned back to the resort for a delicious buffet lunch and relaxation in the five mini pools and on the perfectly manicured lawn. Relaxing isn't my forte, but it was nice chatting with a couple from Melbourne who were on their honeymoon while a dozen Pacific Swallows darted all over the resort with their typical agility. All too soon, the catamaran reappeared and we headed back to Nadi in the golden hour of the afternoon.

That evening I enjoyed a traditional dish of grilled marlin in coconut sauce with steamed cassava and pineapple fritters at the hotel. A group of Fijians sang four-part harmony while playing guitars and ukeleles. A Fijian rum (Bounty!) and Coke made for a splendid end to a splendid day.

So that's the Fiji that everyone thinks about. Lush, tropical, coconut palms, and snorkeling. Absolutely amazing.

On the first day I got to see a lot more of what daily life in Fiji is more typically like. I gleaned some bits and pieces of info from some friendly taxi drivers. People have been on Fiji for thousands of years, having first sailed from elsewhere in the Pacific. In more recent times, there have been different waves of immigration due to British colonists, then people from India. Tourism of course makes up a significant part of the economy - visitors primarily come from Australia, New Zealand, China, and the US - but historically Fiji has relied heavily on subsistence farming. In the colonial era (ending in 1970), sugarcane was the primary export crop. Much of the western part of Viti Levu, where Nadi is, was clearcut for sugar. In addition, there are some other small manufacturing industries too.

Still today sugar is grown in Fiji. As in colonial times, almost all of it is exported and the locals rely in imported sugar for their own consumption. Nonetheless, Fijian sugar is available and I enjoyed trying it. The dark crystals are full of flavor, similar to a demerera or turbinado. I enjoyed it in Ceylon tea, which is the primary drink of choice, having been part of the Empire.

The clearcutting of the land around Nadi means that the area around the town is not the lush jungle landscape you would expect. Much of it looks like it's been aggressively farmed. I learned that much of the town's infrastructure was built in the 40s and 50s, so the concrete is significiantly deteriorated. Fiji relies heavily on foreign investment and programs like China's Belt and Road Initiative for development, but the majority of infrastructure sits waiting, slowly crumbling.

Where I stayed was a hotel in Wailoaloa Beach, a quarter-mile strip of beachfront hotels away from the resort area of Port Denarau. The street serving this beach was as very compact with old paving and old concrete buildings. Old cars lined the street, including a small taxi rank served by, basically, a tent with a painted sign. The scene on the whole was not so appealing. 

The taxi situation was so confusing to me in Nadi. Except for yellow cab drivers at the airport, most of the taxis seemed to be the drivers' unmarked personal cars. There were also, I think, driving services for hire, but I was certainly unsure as to what was what. When I came from the airport, the driver encouraged (pressured?) me to let him take me down to the popular Coral Coast and hour away and seemed to be feeling out how much I would pay for such a trip. He did acknowledge that it was the low season so I assume he was also trying to drum up business. 

This was the most uneasy I felt in a taxi, as I relied on the hotel's driver contacts for the rest of the trip. Nonetheless, I learned that it's common for the drivers to recommend further excursions. It became clear that they were trustworthy to take you directly to your destination, but they were certainly keen to compete for your business - I ended up with three drivers' phone numbers in my contact list!

Another common thing is for drivers to chauffer tourists on 2-4 hour driving tours to visit the sites. My hotel set me up with a 2.5 hour tour around the city, just me and the driver. We first went into Nadi town and drove the main strip. It was full of activity, but the stores and streetscape did not entice me to get out of the car. My driver did explain that with two rivers flowing through Nadi, the city often floods. I saw the rivers: brown and muddy. Not too fun. I did make a brief stop in town at Jack's of Fiji, a department store with fixed prices and some nice Fijian handicraft. Next it was on to a Hindu temple where for 5 Fijian dollars, I could walk around and explore, barefoot. The temple was ornately painted with amazingly ornate and brightly colored images from Hindu scripture. Much of this outdoor temple had been repainted in 2024 so the color was explosively bright and vivid. I realized I knew surprisingly little about Hinduism; I got a pamphlet I'll have to puruse when I get the time.

Fijians tend not to drink coffee, but my driver, Imran, told me that a coffee culture is slowly emerging. He said that frozen coffee is becoming especially popular because of its creaminess and cool temperature to offset the tropic heat. He also said basically everything in Fiji is made with coconut (Not sure if that was hyperbole) but that was likely also in their frozen coffee. So we stopped for a frozen coffee and a walnut and carrot cake before proceeding to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant.

As I finished my delicious coffee something occurred to me. The coffee was probably made with ice... and aside, I had already been drinking some tap water. Hm. As a foreigner, this was probably a really bad plan as my system wouldn't be acclimated to the bacteria in Nadi's drinking supply. Oh well, I thought, let's see what happens. So I stressed about that for nearly a full day and - thank goodness - nothing seems to have come of it. I felt, and still feel great. 

Between the taxis and the water-borne illness; figuring out who you can trust and where to leave your passport/money/technology while you snorkel, traveling sure has its stresses. The rewards are great, but you certainly test the risk assessments sometimes.

Anyway, the Sleeping Giant is what they call a small ridge of mountains north of Nadi. It's so called because the end of the ridge appears to be the upturned head and face of a giant. Forehead, brow, lips, and chin, it definitely has "Old Man in the Mountain" vibes. The botanical garden, located at the foot of the giant, was created by actor Raymond Burr. He cultivated an orchid collection that he tended to there. So I went and enjoyed the orchids and got really toasty from walking around the lush, humid forest.

Driving in and out to the garden gave me a good feel for daily life in the Nadi area. Lots of traffic as people went to and fro. Cows tied to posts next to the road to graze on the grass, and kids, barefoot, playing football or rugby in open fields. Plenty of ramshackle buildings and homes, but many people wore colorful clothing consisting of flowery dresses and shirts, or otherwise polyester rugby shirts. Along the road, an overgrown railbed featured a tiny locomotive for pulling flatcars of sugarcane into town.

So that was pretty much my excursion. 

My hotel itself was a small one, only about 12 rooms. Entering down a small hallway past a concierge, the hotel had a tiled common area that doubled as a restaurant. This area spilled out onto a patio with a beautiful pool and a couple hatched pavilions suitable for outdoor dining. Beyond was the beach, looking to the northwest. A small bay had a handful of moored sailboats sat perfectly still on the water like duck decoys. The water, perfectly placid was as warm as bathwater. Looking out, you could see the far distant Yasawa Islands way off on the horizon; the marble floor of the Pacific stretching infinitely in all other directions. I pondered whether I could see the curvature of the earth at the horizon, or if I thought it looked flat. I decided that I could understand why many people for thousands of years thought the latter.

Since I'd arrived at the hotel in the morning before my room was ready, I still hadn't settled in. So I grabbed my bag, went to my room, and finally relaxed. I was tired from the long trip, anxious about whether I'd get food poisoning, contemplative about the nature of "real" Nadi vs tourist Nadi, and apprehensive about how to prepare for the next day's snorkeling. But at least in the privacy of my hotel room I could decompress. It felt nice.

In closing on the Fiji chapter, I did go to dinner in the hotel restaurant that evening and enjoyed a piping hot chicken curry. Given the colonial influences, curry is very popular in Fiji. It naturally seemed like a twist on Indian curry - though I can't say why - but it was rich and flavorful and hot and delicious. A perfect meal looking over the Pacific and the most magnificent sunset really did the trick for getting me into the island spirit. I could get used to epic sunsets and delicious food every day! 

On Saturday morning I caught a ride to the airport for my next leg and I reflected on my time in Fiji. At first I wasn't sure I would come back based on my experiences in town, but the natural beauty of the marine environment, the friendliness of the people, and the amazing food ultimately changed my mind. Maybe one day I'll come and spend a full week here. There seems like so much to explore (hundreds of islands, in fact) - and once you acclimate to "Fiji Time", you find it's really quite a special place to be.

So Vinaka or thanks to those warm people I met in Fiji as I turn my eyes to the south, and New Zealand!