FIJI – Backyard Paradise, December 2007

BULA! Already on the airport I got the first impression of the Fijian mentality. A power failure brings everything to a standstill, except the Music Band. They were still singing with a big smile while jingling on there small Ukulele.
Now you learn the most important thing on Fiji – PATIENCE.
Time to lay down your watch and get used to the “Fiji Time” Everything works 10 times slower and “rush” or “punctually “ doesn’t exists in there culture.

My friend Marty ( worked with on “Australia” ) picked me up and greeted me with a Bula and a shell necklace. It was still hot and humid outside as we drove to his place near Nadi.
The fixed network is not fixed here. They don’t have much but they can take the fixed network everywhere they want to.

The next morning bad news arrived. A big Cyclone is on the way and gets stronger and stronger. It even turned to a hurricane so we had to pull out his boats and the small harbour closed.

After two days doing nothing but wait, we got the news that the hurricane passed Veti Levu and destroyed some small villages on the northern Island Vanua Levu. Lucky us, could have been worse.

Leutoka – Pacific Harbour, Veti Levu, Fiji

I took the bus to the small town Pacific Harbour in the south of the Island. Very mad drivers, no wonder that death by car accidents is on the third place of the main deaths on Fiji. The others were Diabetes and cancer.
The bussed were funny, no windows in it, just a kind of plastic roller in case it’s raining.
The road along the ocean leads far away from touristy places and you get the chance to feel the real Fiji life.

Very very dirty, to much rubbish between Beaches and Palm trees. I guess there is no waste management..