Wow! Fiji is amazing!!!!
I'm travelling with 3 others girls that are also all solo backpacking; one Yorkshire lass, a Dutch girl and a German girl. We're on a tour around the main island with our guide, Emy, who is so much fun plus we seem to get treated extra special when we're with her as she's so popular, and a driver, Ravi.
The hostels I've stayed in so far have been incredible (it'll be a shock to the system when I get to the norm dorms haha). The first was a real party place where we stayed with the Aussie under 21 hockey teams (lively bunch!). We had a bonfire and fireworks on the beach and stayed up until 3am swimming, dancing to a dodgy Aussie playlist and drinking. The second was like a 5 star resort (with bunk beds!) - huge padded sun loungers, beanbags on the beach, an outdoor shower in a walled private garden and a buffet breakfast of made-to-order omelettes, pancakes and tropical fruit salad. All the food has been seriously good. I'm going to put on weight but should loose it in Asia haha. Also, had a couple of fresh young coconuts to drink from and a snack of deep fried coconut, all complimentary along with the kava (a traditional drink that gets you mildly stoned - it's considered rude to refuse!).
As for activities, upon landing I was given a beautiful shell necklace and within 2 hours we were on a pristine beach called Natadola. Also been sand boarding and swam in a waterfall that we trekked up to but returned to our bus by swimming, jumping and sliding our way downhill from one waterfall to another which was scary at times, hilarious and totally stunning. At the main/highest waterfall we swam behind the waterfall and at the bottom we took a boat ride downstream through a forest which came out at a beautiful sandy beach we were staying at the other end of. We've been to a mud pool and got caked head to toe then washed off in a hot spring before visiting a orphanage later the same day. My favourite thing so far though has been a trip to a village where we took part in a traditional ceremony, ate a delicious Fijian meal made solely from the crops of the village including cassava and lots of spinach, went for a trip on bamboo rafts and danced with the villagers where I think I've scored myself a potential Fijian husband lol. We've been introduced to lots of Fijian customs which has been special.
Tomorrow I'm heading to one of the outer islands for a two night stay in the blue lagoon area of the Yasawa Islands via a 4.5 hour catamaran trip past many if the smaller island and as I love boats I'm really excited.
It's down season at the moment in Fiji so we've had pools and beaches almost entirely to ourselves which has been great and the water is so warm in both.
The girls I'm travelling with are really well travelled, full of pointers and we're already planning to meet up again.
Fiji has given me my first taste of backpacking (continually moving from one place to the next and shared rooms). Initial observations... It's funny how:
1. Quickly I've felt like family with the girls I'm travelling with
2. Often someone can say "In Peru..."
3. Some of my sensibilities have instantly gone out the window, like eating raw sugar cane prepared with a rusty machete (I didn't want to appear rude so I ate it with everyone else and glad I did - it was good)
I'm struggling to maintain an internet connection but hope to load pictures and more stories of my Fijian adventures shortly...
