Vina, Una, Raji, and Thomas

BULA FIJI!!!

Welcome to Fiji, indeed!! The names in the title of this blog are the names of my Fijian angels :) But first, we'll start at the very beginning....

After stepping off the Air Pacific plane and out of the Fiji airport, I was almost physically smacked with humidity! But I was oh too happy to be alive and in Fiji. I waddled under the weight of my backpack to the bus stop to catch a local bus over to Lautoka, where I would change buses and then head to RakiRaki at the north end of the big island of Fiji, and then a 15 minute taxi to the tip of VoliVoli beach (gotta love the names, eh?). I was enchanted by the local bus with its bike bells instead of stop bells, an open door policy (literally) at all times, pop music or Indian music blasting through the speakers (for those of you who don't know, Fiji had many migrants from India early on and now I would suspect that the population is almost half of Indian descent), and the pretty much invisible bus stops (not to mention that the local bus doubles as a school bus....I can't imagine the stares I was getting, being the only white person on the bus and NOT in a school uniform!). The white clouds and the lush, green landscape flash by the window and the only thing you can do through the heat is smile. I will never forget the look on a little girl's face as she walked aimlessly along some train tracks beside the road. As the bus drove by, we made eye contact, and her eyes lit up, her smile grew broad on her face, and her hand started waving wildly as she ran her little legs just trying to keep up with the bus. It was all I could do to not jump out the window and start running with her! When I was in China, I realized (while playing hide and seek with a little Chinese boy) that a smile transcends language; but here in Fiji, I realized just how much a smile can cut through tension. The first thing that stikes you about the Fijian people is their smiles, and next on the list is their willingness to help you....no price, no hassle, and no problem. When I glanced around the bus, I realized that a few young faces would continue staring back at me; but as I flashed them a broad grin, I was greeted with giggles and brilliant white teeth. I first spoke with Vina who sat beside me, hesitatingly at first. I leaned over and asked, above the wind of the open window, "How was school today?", she lit up and replied, "Fine, thank-you. How was school for you today?" I was instantly charmed. As we continued along I made small-talk with her and her two friends Una and Raji. Suddenly I realized that we were stopped alongside a sign which read 'Lautoka' and rushed to get up. The girls put there hands up for me to stop and asked me where I was headed. I told them that I had to change buses in Lautoka to get to RakiRaki. The girls ushered me to sit down again and told me that this was not the correct stop. As we rumbled on towards my actual stop, I realized what a situation it would have been to have gotten of the bus at the first Lautoka stop: an industrial district mostly comprised of hardened looking men and about a half hour walk from the true Lautoka bus station. My three little angels then told me that they'd help me find the correct bus (which was much appreciated at the busy bus station). It was not until I had safely stowed my bag and got on the bus that these three little girls (maybe 10 years old, at that) waved an enthusiastic good-bye and disappeared into the crowd. I was already amazed at this country. But the next angel took the cake. About halfway to RakiRaki, an older Fijian man named Thomas sat next to me. Even though it was extremely difficult to understand him (what? sorry? pardon me? ohhhh! [and nod head even though i still don't understand]), we managed to talk about our families and my trip to Fiji, etc... He then asked me if I had planned to get a taxi in RakiRaki when the bus stopped. When I replied yes, he informed me that the taxi services generally stop at 6 pm in RakiRaki! I balked at this and sputtered pure nothings because, well, what could I say? But immediately Thomas asked the bus attendant to get a taxi on the phone, which prompts the attendant to call his best friend and ask him to be waiting for me. I could not express my appreciation!! The sun had already gone down and it was a 15 minute car ride to where I needed to be! Thomas made sure all was ready for me and then got off the bus before rakiraki, waving farewell and smiling a huge squinty smile at me. I flashed him one back.

The taxi was definitely waiting in town and swiftly brought me to volivoli beach resort. It was dark at the time, but the next morning i was to awaken to a masterpiece of nature and R & R.
[stay tuned for my next Fiji post!!]

So Long Kiwi Adventures!

Well, if you've been watching this blog closely, then you'll have noticed that there hasn't been much activity for several...ahem....weeks (oops!). Now, I could throw in a few excuses here; such as laziness, procrastination, expensive internet fees, busy schedule...., but who really wants to hear excuses ;) Here's the low-down on my last week in New Zealand....the land of adventure, Maoris, and the long white cloud :)

From the hustle and bustle of Queenstown, I hopped on another Kiwi Experience bus and headed from the west coast of the South island to the northern end of the East coast: the town of Kaikoura. This bus trip took about 10 hours as we bypassed Christchurch so as not to add to the confusion: us being a bunch of camera-happy tourists who can't understand fully the devastation of the quake and who mindlessly eat and drink the scarce resources (and not to mention use the toilet paper!). So, although Christchurch was originally supposed to be the highlight of my trip, as I would have got to see my friend Anita (who got through the quake fine, thank goodness!), we instead detoured and headed to the next stop: Kaikoura and dolphins!

Now, I feel that I'm pretty good about being optimistic with the weather, but I can admit that I almost drowned in the downpour of rain that was Kaikoura for nearly the whole two nights and days that we spent there. It's a pity because I really feel that this town flourishes in the sunshine; but even so, some amazing things happened there. First off, I SWAM WITH WILD DOLPHINS!! We were up at 445 am (ugh!) and it was freezing, but oh so magical! The boat operators tell you to make as much movement and noise as possible because these dolphins are not trained to come to you....YOU must entertain THEM! If they like you, then they will continue to frolick with you. Well, this 'entertainment' of mine was exhausting (!!) but was so worth the pay off! They'd glide by you and then begin to circle, and if you could keep up with those circles then they would go faster and faster until you were absolutely dizzy and disoriented; and then they'd slow down and look you straight in the eye before dashing off into the murkiness of the distant ocean. I'd often (against the wishes of the boat operators) try to touch the dolphins (who wouldn't?!) but then as I realized that these creatures were much more in their natural environment than I was and with a flick of their tails could shoot a thousand metres away (a possible exaggeration), I thought, "What am I trying to prove to myself?" and then sat back and enjoyed the interaction; with immitations of dolphin squeals erupting from my snorkel.

The rest of the time in Kaikoura was spent dodging large raindrops from overhang to overhang and meandering through little shops and checking out menu prices. Worthy mention goes to the Strawberry Tree Irish Pub where the mahogany decor was so saturated with the memories of its drunken patrons that it smelled sweetly of revelry and merriment. And the potato and leek soup wasn't too bad either. Also in Kaikoura, as a few of us waited out the rain in the hostel while watching Lord of the Rings 2 (an intuitive experience, mind you, to watch any of the films of the trilogy while actually IN New Zealand), we experienced a small earthquake (!!!) Only about 5 seconds long and nothing to really write home about, but it was the first of it's kind for me! (we were told it was an earthquake and not an aftershock because Kaikoura does not share the same fault line as Christchurch). Let me just say that I have a whole lot of respect for earthquakes and what the people of Christchurch have had to go through in recent days. This small, tiny, i would guess non-existent blip on the rictor scale which we experienced that day actually shook the house AND the couch which we were sitting on!! IMAGINE!! And this was nothing compared to the quake a few weeks earlier!! Respect, man. Respect.

As we left Kaikoura and headed to the Picton Ferry the next day, we enjoyed several viewings of seals on the rocks (ya gotta love the little barks that the baby seals give to their parents!). These seals look so utterly pathetic trying to get around on the rocks that I had to remind myself of how versatile they are in their own natural aquatic environment. After the ferry back to the North Island, I stayed for several days in Wellington. On the way south on the bus, I had stayed only from 7 pm to 7 am in this wonderful city; consequently seeing absolutely nothing except the hostel bar (in which Stine and I were the only ones dancing, lol!). This time around I took a few days to relax and really experience the city. And Wellington was fabulous! A boardwalk full of active residents and equally restless tourists surrounds the grand expanse of harbour, and the city is littered with bohemians, government officials, and backpackers alike....all living in harmony. (awww). I visited the Te Papa museum (NZ's largest museum, boasting 6 levels of artifacts and interactive wonderment). Here I spent 3 and a half hours perusing the facts and features mainly highlighting the Maori and European interaction and even THEN I missed some exhibits! The photography exhibit (I believe it was Brian Bryce) was the highlight for me; as well as relocating my lost camera at the lost-and-found (thank-god my brain-dead ways of losing my things is supplemented by kind souls who return them) :) Cuba Street had a fantastic artsy feel, with Fidel's Cafe (a bohemian-esque cafe with outdoor, undercover seating, camo-mesh walls, bright colors, good music, and delicious carrot cake) being a highlight for me. On the way to Wellington is also where I met my two favorite dance buddies: Yuval from Israel and Dave from England. If you've ever seen my dance moves then you can appreciate the scene of the three of us dancin' the night away and ignoring the gawks and looks of bewilderment from the innocent bystanders.

Alas, the final days came and the bus moved steadily up from Wellington, with a brief stop in Taupo (where I had a creepy run-in with a german man who owned a second-hand book store....after an hour of chatting I left the store with his psychic assurance that I would be fine with regards to poisonous creatures in Australia and a growing concern that I had just spoken with the devil), and then up through Rotorua and back to Auckland. This bustling metropolis which I had already visited twice on my kiwi trip, was not too much in my books: the outlying suburbs such as Parnell peaked some interest, but I couldn't even muster up the money or the fascination to hitch it to the top of the skytower and take a look around (what a boring backpacker I am!). On the other hand, I took a ferry out to Waiheke island (about 30 minutes from Auckland) and stumbled upon beauty and wine in the heart of hippy bohemia. Waiheke has a charm that is similar to what I imagine Byron Bay will have: long, white sand beaches (with optional nude sections), friendly locals, brilliantly-colored buildings, and WINE!! I spent my day doing yoga and sunning myself at the rather isolated Palm Beach, then taking the local bus back to the main town and walking over to the closest winery (which, at this point in time, I have forgotten the name of....dammit! It started with a 'c' though, haha) ....perhaps a little too much wine was drunk. I do remember the barman taking pity on my lonely travels and giving me a few extra tastings along with some very interesting wine knowledge. I then stumbled along to the next winery where I realized that I had planned my day incorrectly and should have done the wineries first as they were all getting ready to close. Oh well, it was a beautiful walk through the scenic backtrails from wine country to the ferry. After another two nights in Auckland I said good bye to Aotearoa (Maori for 'land of the long white cloud), and all the adventures which I had had there. Five weeks of bus tour was just enough to get an introduction to NZ; but I feel like, with my own means of travel, I could stay in this green and gorgeous adventure country (pathetically free of ANY dangerous animals, excluding the nasty sand flies) for several months. There's always time ;)

And so, on March 14th, I flew on to my second destination country: FIJI.

Queenstown parties and the beauty of Milford Sound!

Hello Hello!

Well, last time I left off I was headed to Wanaka where I spent one very chill night with good friends. First off we settled in to the hostel and then off to the best burger joint in town! (too bad I can't remember the name of it!) Honestly though, this was the best burger that I have ever had....in my entire life....and lives to come! (that includes having tasted a reknowned fergburger!) Gourmet burger patty, garlic aoili, bbq sauce, ANOTHER sauce (gotta love the sauce!), tomato, lettuce, onion, pineapple, shredded edam cheese, and an enormous bun (are you drooling yet??) After we had filled our tummies and were completely satisfied, we waddled across the street to experience the most fantastic idea for a cinema that I have ever encountered: it was a small theatre, filled with COUCHES and all kinds of easy chairs and then halfway through the movie we paused for an intermission and went to grab some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a hot chocolate, or a latte, etc...and then settled back into our comfy seats to enjoy the last half of the show. In my opinion, the world should be filled with these places!! :P We saw The Fighter (a must-see show, by the way! Fantastic acting....and that's coming from a person who cringes when she has to watch a boxing movie!). I left the theatre jogging and giving a jab, jab, right hook combo all the way back to the hostel (and you KNOW that I did! haha)

Our next stop was Queenstown. I would describe Queenstown as a magical place. Very touristy, but so much so that it is just accepted. It is rumoured that you would have to spend a year here and $70,000 before you could complete every activity that Queenstown has to offer! Obviously, I have neither that time, nor the money, so I am being very low-budget and just enjoying the spectacular (and cheap) views that this Whistler-esque village has to offer! The town itself is surrounded by towering mountains named The Remarkables (they really weren't very imaginative with the names in NZ, but at the same time, this makes their naming system unique and quite adorable :) On the other hand, you can't say that these mountains AREN'T remarkable! Their craggy peaks snake their way up to the sky and change their colours as the day wears on. There is a gigantic lake situated right at the base of Queenstown, as well as parks, mountains, and a gondola which climbs to the top of the nearest mountain and....of course....boasts a bungy which plummets you through the air right over the heart of Queenstown (is this place great, or what??) It's a haven for the adrenaline junkie, a romantic getaway for honeymoooners, and a sanctuary for the worn-out Kiwi Experience buser, such as myself. Queenstown has it all.

I went out on the town here for the first two nights....no matter that they were monday and tuesday nights and that we only visited two bars in all! But that's the way this place works: every night is a Friday, and the crowd is full of cheap backpackers dancing and drinking til the wee hours (those hours being 130 am for myself, lol!) The hostel bar at Base named Altitude has a karaoke night on mondays...and you know that I can't resist a good karaoke night! The girls and myself did a great rendition of "Man, I feel like a woman!" (complete with Rich, our resident outgoing guy, doing a short stripp-tease on stage....just the top, just the top ;) ). Then I selected Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" to sing solo, and immediately began to question my choice. I'd sang it well before when in Vancouver, but the crowd here was much bigger, much rowdier, and much more....well, critical. But after hearing a few slow love ballads sung (and sung not too badly either), I decided to just go for it.....and drank a little more, haha! So then I was called to the stage, the music started (I could hardly hear it, or myself!) and I looked out into the crowd and saw the face of everyone of my buses around NZ, from the first bus to my current one (as everyone tends to meet up in Queenstown). They were all cheering me on and it gave me the courage to sing my heart out, act out every emotion, and dramatically air guitar my way to a free night at the hostel as a prize! The whole crowd was singing and air guitaring along with me. I tell you, that kind of rush is up there with skydiving and delicious burgers! :P After that amazing feeling we continued on to World Bar and enjoyed teapots of alcohol (Russian Roulette is my absolute fav: vodka, kahlua, triple sec, and coca cola!).

Yesterday I ventured out to Milford Sound on a bus tour. This place is a World Heritage Site and is on the nominee list for the 8th wonder of the world. The Sound was covered in ice by a huge glacier 20,000 ago. The ice carved through the mountains towards the Tasman sea, and then left enormous sheer cliff faces as it melted and created the water at the moutain base. The Milford Sound should technically be named the Milford Fjord as it was created by a glacier, and a 'sound' is created by a river which erodes away the surrounding mountains. At any rate, this place is one of beauty, serenity, and grandeur as the mountain faces drop thousands of feet to the water below. We were greeted by downpour rain for the bus ride in, but soon realized that this made the day more dynamic as the small ribbons of waterfalls appeared on the mountains surrounding us....like veins for these mammoth beasts of rock! Once we hit the Sound, we stepped onto boat for a hot lunch buffet, and the rains immediately cleared up and Mr. Sun paid us a visit! Perfect weather! The boat brought us directly underneath the waterfalls, we cruised beside some seals sunning on a rock, and we gazed stupidly at the sheer size of everything around us (there's nothing else that you could really do!) Several times I put away my camera, telling myself that there is no way to capture this on film, and everytime I had to bring it back out again, just in case THIS was THE SHOT of the day!! Such a fantastic experience and I recommend it to anyone travelling through NZ.

Only two more nights in Queenstown....time to enjoy the sunshine! :D