Saturday 21st February 2004, Day 161/366 - Beachcomber Island, Fiji Island to Nadi, Viti Levu, Fiji

For backpackers Beachcomber Island is like being treated like royalty. It's more of a holiday resort than a backpackers location, but it does have dorm beds, excellent food and nightly entertainment from the polynesian dancers and the far from invigorating band, whose entire repertoire consists of 80's slow numbers sung in Fiji time. Between each song they have a 5 minute break where they just stand there looking spaced. Occasionally 1 of the members will go to start the next song, but the others will just not bother playing along. If they were paid by the number of songs they played they certainly won't be rich men. Everytime they make an announcement they always say 'Bula, to the bar'. It's a surreal world that I'm living in.

If you're not into drinking and listening to the band then you could always do one of the numerous water sports on offer, play volleyball or touch rugby, go snorkelling, do a diving course, have a massage, play crazy golf or just sit in the hot tub. I plumped for sitting in the bar, reading and chilling mainly. I even managed to finish my 15th book 'The autobiography of MLK Jr.' edited by Clayborne Carson. The editor made the book from the papers that the King family kept from notes that MLK made at the time. I didn't know much about MLK before I came away, but now i understand what a great man he was, very clever and well educated and how many times did he go to prison?

Note to Andy H, I met 2 more Norwegians and they confirmed that 1 Nordic mile = 10 kilometre's. They can't all be having me on can they?

Whilst in Fiji I've spoken to lots of people about NZ and I've now changed my flights to leave 2 days earlier. I feel I've done my time in Fiji. A lot of the conversations about NZ are about which bungy jump you've done. I'm sure NZ has more to offer than that and I intend to find out. What everyone did say was that there was more to do in the south island. I can't actually change my RTW ticket to fly direct to Christchurch, but apparently the transfers are relatively cheap.

I took the early boat F$41 (11.30) back to the mainland. Beachcomber drops you back at the hotel you are checked into. I stayed at the Nadi Bay Hotel F$20. Nadi is nicer in the sunlight, but still a dump and not somewhere that I want to spend any amount of time. It was nice to kick back for a few hours at the hotel, go for a swim, write some postcards and read a book.

I turned in early for the night as i had a 5.00 start to get to the airport. At 20.30 the feejee experience bus arrived and 6 young and excitable aussie girls ended up in my dorm. They spent 2 noisy hours getting ready and then went out on the beer. I'm so glad I didn't do the Feejee Experience. I'm too old for all that.