January 23,2016

Before I recount the tale, let me set the stage. There are a couple of guys harvesting coconuts and opening them with a machete on lawn in front of our beach hut. Bobbie is sampling the fresh product while Peggy documents the event. The tide is coming in and covering the reef where we we just spent some leisure time in 90 degree water.of course we needed to avoid the weird sea snakes that seem to be vegetarian but who worries? We also watched a family do a dinner of spiny sea urchins after singing the spines. The setting and the casualness of it all is amazing.

After a two hour ride to LAX and a couple hours in the boarding area! we departed LA at 10:30 PM for an eleven noir non-stop flight to Nadi Fiji. Bobbie Evans had joined us in LA and we were eager to get going. The flight on Fiji Aire was pleasant although crammed in our usual home in economy. Eleven hours of purgatory is doable and I even managed some sleep.we crossed the Equator and International Date Line. It was,6am in Fiji and the sum was shining. With luggage and rental car in hand, we started down the highway on the left side of the road. About 70 km of driving brought us to Sigatoka and our hotel/resort for the week.

The cities reminded me of Ensenada but everyone spoke a form of English that I could understand. It is good. The countryside is lush and green. There are plenty of rivers and beaches to admire. The highway passes through numerous small villages with very effective speed bumps. Busses and “jitnies” pick up people who are not manning countless stands selling mangoes, bananas and coconuts.yes, we are in the South Pacific.

After a large English breakfast at the hotel, we decided to explore a little while waiting for our room to be ready. We scouted likely swimming beaches along with craft shops. I am afraid that my Scandinavian sensitivities are not totally in tune with the Micronesian and Polynesian styles but craftsmanship was certainly there.

Ou Bure or cabin overlooks the beach. We also have a pool and a happy hour and plenty of menu choices. What is not to like? The staff will carry your stuff and open a coconut. With a smile and with very ,oldest expectations for a gratuity.

We spent a bit of to,e in the warm water with the little tropical fish and the ugly but harmless snakes, The local families use the sea as a convenient source of food along with the fruits and vegetables that they grow or harvest from the jungle. This is not Eden, but it is close.

After a good nights sleep we plan to assume our tourist routine.good he from our humble cottage on the ocean