Three years. We stayed in Australia for three years, literally like some criminals in a penal colony.
Without being able to leave the mainland, we began to feel like prisoners. In addition, the nasty weather, cold, cloudy sky and the ubiquitous moisture gave us more and more signs.
One evening I said, "ENOUGH !!! I need sun!"
I started rummaging around on the Internet where we can go. One: to warm old bones a little, and two: because we had something to celebrate. This year we both reached the "REAL ADULT" age, so we wanted to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of ours existence in this valley of tears called earth!
I started my search from - it would seem obvious - destinations: the north of Australia, where the dry season is right now, and the temperatures reach the level of pleasant 32 degrees. Since we could only take a week off, air transport was an option. After checking the first prices of sample flights to Darwin or Carnis, my hands dropped. Ticket prices were shocking, not to mention accommodation and meals. Horror.
I opened Google Maps and thought ... "Okay, how are things a little further?"
Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and even Papua New Guinea - I was looking and checking.
Bali looked really promising and it was possible to complete a short trip, but there was still something wrong: the flights not so good or accommodation price above our budget.
I almost gave up, but set up a cheap flight alert and waited a few days.
And suddenly a notification came about a quite attractively cheap flight... to Fiji. In addition, it was already after the Australian school break, so there will be no crowds.
Fiji? Well, after all, on the eastern side of Australia we have thousands of exotic islands - why not try this destination !? And once I caught the bug it went quickly.
I didn't know much about the Republic of Fiji, except for hackneyed information that you can read in tour office folders or not up-to-date travel blogs with pre-pandemic entries.
So I had become so fixated that there was no turning back. How to go to Fiji?
Traveling after a pandemic is not easy. These islands were closed for the last two years. Some are still inaccessible to tourists, such as Castaway Island. Yes, this is exactly the island where Tom Hanks spent a few moments and was nominated for an Oscar. 😀
In addition, the country took a long time to recover from the last Yasa (Category 5) cyclone that hit Vanua Levu (Fiji Minor) the hardest on December 17, 2020. To be able to go to the Republic of Fiji, you must meet a number of requirements. Have an international certificate of vaccination, mandatory travel insurance to cover Covida treatment costs, and you must book tests on the government website that you must do on the island within 72 hours of arrival at one of the government-certified locations. At the airport, we had to provide confirmation of all these documents before we were boarded. Taught by experience, I additionally had a thousand documents printed with me: copies of passports, visas, medication certificates, accommodation and car reservations. Yes, because we decided to rent a car. The history of vehicle booking through a third-party scam company I had a hard time contacting is long and convoluted - and I do not recommend this company. I do not recommend any company that brokers a car rental in Fiji. Skip it, they have prices from outer space! Our car cost more for 5 days than our hostel for 7 days (we quickly found out why 😀)! It's best to contact a rental company directly on site in Fiji and book a car there, but I'll tell you about it later.
I was packed three days before departure. We took one suitcase and put snorkeling gear, reef shoes, beach towels, two sleeping bags, two hammocks and suntan oil in it. Literally just that. We packed the rest into hand luggage. We had a flight at 9.00am, but due to chaos at all airports in the world and increasingly complicated check-in procedures, we had to be at Sydney Airport by 6.00am, so we left the house at 4.00am. There was no sleep that night.
I wouldn't fall asleep anyway. Through this long pause in longer travels, I felt an irrational fear about the departure. As if I forgot how to do it! I forgot how to fly with airplanes! How do travel! I had concerns about everything: will the check-in go well, if I have all the documents, I checked 17 times if the dates of accommodation were correct, if I had taken everything! Gee - it had nothing to do with a pleasant "travel fever" - I got some tropical diseases fever! What a horrible feeling!
But when I finally got into the seat, fastened my seat belts, and the plane flew into the air, I saw Sydney from above, I was relieved and felt incredible joy ... Finally, I will break free from this country where I was stuck for three years!
After a five-hour flight, the plane lowered its altitude, and behind the window I saw the amazing blue of the first Fijian lagoons, only to land over the incredibly green areas of the island in a moment.
I didn't know what to expect.
It took us about an hour to check in, we picked up our luggage and after a while we were hit by the humid and hot air of the tropics. Immediately, smiling ladies with exotic flowers stuck in their hair approached us and asked where we were going and informed us which taxi to choose.
Our motel was separated from Nadi town by an airport runway. Let's make it clear - we took the cheapest accommodation in the whole Viti Levu (Greater Fiji). I didn't know if it was a good choice. Walking distance from town, rather dark beach, but there was one shop and a few hotels and bars nearby. And the 8/10 rating seemed surprisingly high, but honestly - almost all hostels, motels and hotels in Fiji are rated 7/10 and no lower! Later I understood why.
But maybe I'll tell you a bit about the Republic of Fiji first!
First of all, at the beginning it was difficult for me to understand in which region these islands are located, because, as you know, there are a lot of them here, and finally I found a map that best describes it. The Republic of Fiji is located in the region of Melanesia - I bet you haven't heard about it, because only Polynesia or Micronesia are associated, and there are differences between these regions. Especially cultural. I found out about it while reading about traditional tattoos of particular regions. Because I really wanted to make one, but not this time.
The Republic of Fiji is an island country located in the south-western part of the Pacific Ocean - in the Melanesia region (from Ancient Greek: μέλαςmelas "black" + νῆσοςnesos "island"), right next to Polynesia (from stgr. Piολύςpolys "numerous" + νῆσοςnesos island "). It is easy to guess what the name Micronesia means 😀 .
Fiji comprises 322 islands and 520 islets. 110 of them are inhabited, and 87% of the country's population lives on the two largest (Vitti Levu and Vanua Levu). The territory of the country consists mainly of water, only 10% of its area is land.
There are over 4,000 square kilometers of the Great Astrolabe Reef in Fiji. The longest river is Reva - 130 km, and the highest peak is Mount Victoria - 1,324 m above sea level.
Before the nineteenth century, acts of cannibalism often took place here. The last man eaten was Thomas Baker in 1867. His shoes can be seen at the National Museum.
Independence from Great Britain was obtained on October 10, 1970, but the country's motto is still: "Fear God and honor the Queen."
There are three official languages in Fiji: English, Fijian and Hindustani, which was established here when Hindu workers were forcibly brought to the islands at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Apparently, the Hindustani have now evolved so that neither the Indians nor the Fijians understand it anymore.😀
Anyway, I got the impression that the integration of these two nations is not yet fully accepted by the inhabitants of the islands. The turbulent history of this island country is characteristic here, in which the most frequent reason for changing the government is not the elections, but the coup d'état. I encourage you to read the history, because this young, barely 52-year-old republic is still shaping its independence.
But it's not history, beautiful beaches, charming little islands, colorful reef or wonderful greenery that stole our hearts, but... people. Fijians.
But let's start from the beginning.
We got out of the taxi and stood in front of our hostel. A tiny guesthouse with a small swimming pool, hidden among palm trees. We went to the reception desk, where Aggis, the owner, was smiling from a distance. This petite (which is rare, because 50% of the inhabitants suffer from obesity), about 60-year-old woman, wearing a traditional, flowery sulu or sarong (such a scarf-skirt belt around waist), welcomed us very warmly and invited us to our room.
Well, we were a little surprised. The room had two beds, a bedside table and a mirror. And that's it. We were supposed to have a private bathroom, a cupboard and a table, some kitchen facilities or at least towels, or a cup or a plate, or whatever (we finally asked for towels on the second day). We had a slightly sour face for the first hours, but it soon turned out that it didn't matter in the slightest. Aggis and her coworkers were so kind and warm and yet so delightfully disorganized, carefree and with a Fijian sense of time that they absolutely bought us with it and we understood that this 8/10 rating was not a room rating but a great atmosphere of this little hotel. Hence I suppose the ratings of all the hotels in Fiji are so high!
We quickly changed into summer clothes and went to the store for food. We were already very hungry. It was 5:00 p.m., almost 12 hours after departing Sydney. The store, proudly named a supermarket, was just around the corner. Right from the entrance from the staff we got heartfelt smiles and a warm word "Bula", that is our "hello, hello, nice to see you", but also "cheers, greetings, happy" and it probably has a thousand other meanings, because we heard this word at every step in every situation.
So a quick plan: let's buy some bread, something for sandwiches, fruit, vegetables and something to drink. And the knife as it will be. But here we were surprised again. The shop, like probably all shops in Fiji, is poorly equipped, and the concept of a sandwich and something for sandwiches is rather unknown here. The choice is very small, there is no ham or some bread spread. We could buy raw fish or chicken and cook it in coconut milk. We could if we had kitchen facilities at the hostel. But that's okay, we stocked up on tomatoes, sliced cheese, ketchup, jam, chips, juices, water and beer of course.
And then we set off to explore the area.
We had 20 meters to the beach which was long and huge. There was a small bar next to the beach and behind it were already four small hotels with restaurants overlooking the ocean. Everything in one row next to each other, which was such a small tourist enclave on the whole great beach.
And this place turned out to be the coolest place we could ever dream of.
First of all, as I mentioned, we were cut off from the entire city by the airport. There were few tourists here, they usually stayed only for a few nights, later setting off to conquer smaller islands. And the rest were natives who one day served you dinner in the restaurant next door, but the other one were dinking beer and dancing with you all night long in the other bar.
We spent the first three days swimming, sunbathing and walking on the beach. We could observe how the inhabitants of the surrounding village, using traditional methods, caught fish and seafood, which they sold to a restaurant right next to the hotel, as on Sundays, under palm trees, whole families with children gathered to spend the day off eating, drinking and dripping in the ocean and how in the evenings the staff and waiters ate, drank, danced and sang together.
I love watching the Fijians. Everyone, but absolutely everyone, smiled at us, greeted us with a nod of the head and a loud "Bula!". It is the friendliest nation in the world.
The total opposite of Poles! 🤣
But I must say that it is a proud nation. They walk upright with their heads held high and proudness in eyes. I was surprised how tall they all are! Men are powerful. After all, this is where the best rugby players in the world are born. And despite their bulky stature, they have gentle smiles and such delicate catlike movements. Even when they walk down the street, it's as if they are afraid to step too loudly. At the same time, they are modest, slightly shy, always smiling broadly and very, very polite.
The women, dressed in colorfully flowery dresses, are beautifully round (it's really the best country when it comes to body positive movement) and so incredibly sensual. They laugh out loud, boldly and flirtatiously, with a singing sound that I cannot explain. This laugh is pearly and cheerful. You can hear the pure, sincere sound of joy in it! You can almost see the waves of the ocean in the movements of their hands and hips. Their gestures are as gentle and calm as the light breeze in the morning.
These people have the ocean and the wind in their blood.
Everyone, regardless of gender, has exotic white, pink or yellow flowers attached to their ear. Gender is also very fluid here, and the tolerance for different orientations is absolutely normal. Everyone is who they are and everyone accepts it.
I fell in love right away. It is impossible not to love these people, it is impossible not to like them, it is impossible not to play with them, it is impossible not to dance. The more that their music is immediately captivating. At the Wailoaloa Beach Club, where we sat almost every evening, the same band was playing with the same repertoire of newer and older hits in a very insular, light reggae arrangement. And they were great at it! After a week, we knew all their numbers by heart!
And that's how they celebrate each day. They enjoy life.
And I would like to point out that there is nothing intrusive in their behavior, nothing by force, nothing unnatural, because a white tourist, because this, because that. Although it is a poor country, but more on that in the next episode. We had contact with the service anywhere - bar, shop, post office - it was always honest, natural and heart-warming. Gee, even when they serve a drink, it's with a beautiful smile, delicately serving like it was not a bottle f beer but a little bunny on the pillow. They will always ask where you are from, and how long have you come for and why so shortly. They are very curious and chatty. One whole evening we talked to such an incredibly cheerful waiter that I remember fondly in my heart. It started with food and encouragement to try traditional dishes. Because eating in Fiji is my second love, right after the natives.
On my name day, we went to dinner to try these delicacies.
This very nice waiter accompanied us at every step and told us interesting facts about his country. It turned out that in addition to the fact that he works in a restaurant, he is also a so-called "village boy", who shows tourists around the island and all the most interesting nooks and crannies. He told us a lot about the turbulent history of the islands, about the traditional rituals and beliefs, about the fact that they are actually proud of not knowing where they come from (haha), about politics, about places we should visit and of course about sports. Because if Poland so Lewandowski, football is the second most regarded sport after rugby.
And the food we ate that evening ... I have to, because I'm going to suffocate. I have to tell you. Generally, we liked everything very, very much in every pub we visited. From drinks, in which - believe me - they do not skimp Fijian rum, to regular fish'n'chipis. Everything was delicious and fresh, and let me remind you that we were completely cut off from the entire island.
And Fijian cuisine is nothing but taste surprises. I had some concerns to admit, because I hate coconut milk in dry flavors. Correction - I hated it in Asian cuisine. But what Fijians do with coconut is magic. All the dishes we ate that evening were served with coconut milk or coconut cream.
At the beginning there was a tropical seafood soup, because I love soups so much. The soup was thick, like a stew, very brown in color (which surprised me) with tiny pieces of fish that didn't taste like fish at all! I don't know what spices they added, how they did it, but it tasted like our polish mushroom soup made from noble Polish mushrooms and was delicious! Gee, how nice my tummy felt. Marcin, on the other hand, ordered Ika - Vakulolo, a fish in coconut cream with cabbage, chili, tomatoes and onions, served on cassava. We tried cassava for the first time in our lives, and it's great. It's like our good potato, but with a more intense flavor. Then we ordered curry, because it is known that if there are Indians on the island, the influence on the kitchen must also be there. It was correct and good, but as an mid curry fan, I took it without enthusiasm. Well, yeach, nah. Just nothing new.
Below are the photos that I was able to take before the dishes and drinks disappeared in our stomachs. Try to guess what is what 😀. And if by some miracle, someday somewhere in the store you find "tribe" drinks - this is a must! You have to try! Beer is also very good. Not to mention the sophisticated cocktails, juices and fruits so fresh and delicious that it's a shock! Even the coffee was great and I usually don't drink coffee! Yummy!
But I have to say about the starter, which we ordered at the beginning, because it blowed my taste buds. Namely: Kokoda!
Kokoda is a traditional cold dish served in a shell or half a coconut. The basis of this dish is the meat of mahi-mahi fish. Look what a beautiful beast it is:
The fish is marinated in lime, then covered with coconut milk, red onion, tomatoes, chives, you can chili, you can pineapple pieces and this is fantastic. It is very similar to our herring. Here is the recipe - be sure to try it! I am going to make such a fish this year for Christmas, so you can totally surprise your family at the Christmas Eve table! And not necessarily at Christmas Eve, because cocoda is a great alternative for every dinner and works great in hot weather, because it has to be served chilled. I recommend!
Recipe:
Ingredients for two servings:
200 g of raw white fish (skin and bones removed), e.g. snapper, but it can be successfully e.g. cod or halibut
juice squeezed from two limes
½ glass of milk or coconut cream (good quality)
spoon of natural yoghurt - if you find the milk too sweet
small onion, preferably red, finely chopped
chopped tomatoes
chili, sliced into rings (if you like)
chives
a pinch of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
pineapple cubes if you want a little sweetness, but not necessarily
How to make:
Cut the fish into small, centimeter pieces, mix them with lime juice (the juice should completely cover the fish). We close it tightly, put it back in the fridge, marinate for about 6 to 8 hours, preferably all night. After removing from the refrigerator, add the remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly. We serve it immediately, on a lettuce leaf. Bula!
So we spent the first three days just for fun, lazing on the beach, swimming in the warm and crystal clear waters of the ocean, watching the sunsets and integrating in local beach bars.
After a week, everyone knew us and greeted us like theirs! We spent a lot of interesting evenings here. We ate delicacies, beer, rum and tequila poured in streams, there was a lot of dancing, good music, laughter and cordiality - see for yourself (eng subtitles):
After this rest, we picked up the car and went on a trip around the island, but you will read about it in next episode! Bula!
If you are looking for practical tips on how to organize a vacation in Fiji, write to me at misiax.travel@gmail.com, I will be happy to help!