We're sitting in a hotel in Nadi with air conditioning! The first room we've had with AC since we left. In fact the first room with AC for longer than that since we didn't have it anywhere we stayed in the US :) Kind of nice to feel cool finally. We happened to see the weather outlook today in Portland, we'll get used to the heat :)

This is our last day in Fiji and it's time to reflect on the stay. This was fairly short compared to other places we will be visiting. We were here a total of 18 days, 8 of which were spent on Vanua Balavu.

Some things to remember about the stay:

1. Arriving in Nadi at 3:00 a.m. and sleeping in the airport
2. A 4 hour bus ride to Suva with the AC so cold we could see our breath (the last time we would enjoy this for a while)
3. Meeting Eric's cousin Alan and his wife Susan, only to find out they were leaving while we were here:(
4. Lots of rain in Suva
5. Attending Alan's farewell dinner
6. Beer tasting Fijian style
7. Great Indian food
8. Cancelled flight due to a wet runway?!
9. Landing on a wet runway (yikes)
10. A sleepy Fijian village
11. Moana, Carolyn and Tevita!
12. Too sick to dive, but plenty of time to read
13. A bumpy flight back to Suva
14. Lots of rain in Suva
15. Melanie opening her home to us (you rock!)
16. A wild party at Melanies!
17. Bus ride to Nadi with sick kid (you know how much Eric likes kids)

Books Read:

1. Harry Potter 1 thru 5 (Val)
2. Harry Potter 4 thru 6 (Eric)
3. Deception Point (Val)
4. Ethan Frome (Val)
5. Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy (Eric)
6. Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident (Eric)
7. Tom Clancy Power Play - Politika (Eric)
8. Going After Cacciato (Eric)
9. Teach Yourself World Faiths (Eric)

This trip to Fiji was very different than the first. We knew people here, we knew how to get around, where to go, how things like the phone system work. It was easier than the first time, but that seemed to take a little of the adventure away. If the 'journey' is the 'prize', this was first place this time, but not the 'Grand Prize'. Not because of anything or anyone here in Fiji, only because it wasn't the excitement of the unknown as it was last time.

Would we return to Fiji? You bet we would. Fijians are so warm and kind to their guests it's almost embarrassing to be one. Their charm and strong desire to hold on to their culture wins our hearts and respect like no other people we have ever met. We've travelled to places around the world and later returned to find out that some of the charm had been lost to 'progress'. We found that in Fiji this wasn't the case. In fact, parts of Fiji had slipped backwards in terms of advancement and this actually made things more charming. It's nice to know there are parts of the world where Britney Spears isn't the most important name on the minds of young kids:)

Tomorrow, New Zealand and our home on wheels.

Until then, moce Fiji. Vinaka Vaka Levu once again.

Eric & Val