It was a Random Torrential Downpour sort of day in Fiji and I decided that rain or no rain, I was going for a walk. And not just any sort of walk. I wanted to walk in the country, away from the beautiful but polished environs of the resort to see how real people live in Fiji.
So I donned my walking shoes and comfy sundress and asked the boatman to ferry me across the straight so I could stroll along country roads.
I hadn’t gone far before the skies opened and dumped a mighty torrent. It fell heavy and warm and felt absolutely wonderful after a day spent in airports and airplanes. I strolled past boat landings and fields, tidy little farms and seemingly abandoned ones.
I love how Fijian homes are painted in gloriously bright colors, surrounded by flowering trees and bushes, their wide welcoming porches beckoning passersby in for a chat.
The countryside is breathtaking. Lush and green dotted with palm trees and checkered by sugar cane fields and family gardens.
In spite of the pouring rain I was not alone on my walk. Others strode cheerily along in their flip-flops, greeting me with beaming smiles and a hearty “Bula!” as we passed.
By the time I got back I was well and truly drenched, much to the amusement of the taxi drivers I had to squelch past on my way to the boat. But it was worth it!
Good morning, luvs! I am finally home in my little apartment again after nearly 6 weeks of travel. Phew! It has been a beautiful adventure and I’m so grateful for every person I met and experience I had, but golly, am I ever tired. 🙂
I am back in the cold north, trying to adjust to time changes, work schedules, and the switch from summery Australia to wintry Washington. Brrr! Sundresses are being packed away, sweaters, tights and woolly socks brought out to warm my bones.
This weekend I slept a lot, read a lot and cooked a lot. I roasted tomatoes, made sausage bean soup, roasted veggie salad with shredded chicken, and a creamy chicken curry with cilantro and lime. Mmm. I start work again first thing in the morning and it feels good to have all my lunches made and packed in the fridge, ready for the week.
Tonight as I huddled under my quilt and listened to the icy wind rushing through the trees, I pulled out my Fiji pictures, remembering the warm winter rains drenching the ground and sprinkling the flowers with glistening drops.
I have no idea what these lovely, spidery ones are, but aren’t they splendid?
I like these cheery yellow ones. I fully expected them to start trumpeting at me. 🙂
I’m so glad to be in regular contact with you again. I will leave you with a short video of the rain falling outside my porch in Fiji.
Hello dear ones! How I’ve missed you these past few days.
I arrived in Fiji in the wee hours of the morning, groggy but smiling as I wandered through Customs to the sound of four jolly Fijian chaps singing their hearts out in welcome. It was gloriously warm and humid and I basked in the weather so very different from the snow and ice I’d left behind.
The day started off right with the airline losing my luggage then finding it ten minutes later! Hooray! I stopped by the ATM for some Fiji dollars, found a cab and headed out through the countryside to my hotel. It was a gorgeous morning, the sun rising over lush green hills and fields of sugar cane. My taxi driver was a delightful Indian man who told me all sorts of stories from the area and even pulled over by the side of the road so I could capture the sunrise.
Much to my surprise, instead of driving me to my hotel, he dropped me off at a small dock and informed me that a boat would be by shortly to pick me up. I was thrilled to discover that I had inadvertently chosen a hotel on an island, one reachable only by boat. 🙂
Sure enough, within a few minutes this beaming fellow welcomed me aboard and soon I was grinning happily as brisk sea breezes tossed my hair wildly and awakened my oh-so-tired self. I was greeted at the dock by another beamy chap. I LOVE the genuine smiles and loving natures of the Fijians. They make you feel like long-lost friends coming for a visit.
I arrived at the Sonaisali Island Resort in time to get an early morning breakfast, and found the perfect perch beside the pool, mere yards away from the ocean. Fresh passion fruit, watermelon, and red papaya with lime juice made me a happy camper.
At last my room was ready and I hurriedly showered, changed and headed out for some treks around the island. More on that next time… 🙂
As the sun disappeared after dinner, we bundled up to the hilt and braved the snowy streets for a magical nighttime walk.
I do love going for walks, especially with dear folks who make a jolly time of it. We trudged through mounds of snow and found a little park with a working Flying Fox that we simply had to try! We whizzed through the air, hovering over the snow and shrieking with fright as the speed nearly sent us catapulting into the logs holding up either end. It was grand fun.
I loved how the moon hidden behind the clouds rendered the landscape blue and glowy, the tree branches etched beautifully against the sky.
Before too long our jean legs were frozen stiff, our limbs chilled through and we happily trudged home again for eggnog and Amaretto.
Good morning, luvs! I’m writing to you from VERY snowy Amsterdam. It’s wicked cold and absolutely gorgeous. We’ve had such fun getting bundled up and going for walks along the canals, through the parks, then dashing home to warm up with hot food, cozy afghans and great movies with popcorn.
Hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are. 🙂
PS – My article on Montengro is up at The Travel Belles today! Click here if you have a moment to discover a little bit about this beautiful little country.
Good morning! I’m yawning and stretching and yawning some more this dark Monday morning, wrapped securely in a quilt as I eat a Christmas orange. It’s been a good weekend filled with hustling and bustling and getting some much needed rest. After not taking any vacation time this year, I now have two trips, back to back, with only one day in between to prepare. Yipes!
As a result my house is dotted with stacks and piles and lists, one set with boots, sweaters and scarves for Europe, the other with sundresses, sandals and sunscreen for Australia. Then there’s the other lists, the ones filled with things to do for work: articles and posts to be written, interviews to be done, projects to be completed, all by Thursday. Again I say, YIPES! 🙂
All this madness WILL be worth it though. I’m going to see people I love, experience things I’ve never experienced, eat things I’ve never tried before. I’m excited and grateful.
In the meantime there is regular life to be lived and in between scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and sorting laundry, I had such fun this weekend cooking up a couple different curries to last me the week: Green Chili Cilantro Chicken and Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes. Mmm.
I also got to see the progress of my homemade Vanilla Extract. My friend Darren made me a Vanilla Extract Making Kit for my birthday – complete with a bottle of vodka and 6 vanilla beans that we sliced in half and slid into the vodka. It’s coming along beautifully, the liquid getting darker and darker as the vanilla infusion works its magic.
Tomorrow I’m excited to be participating in a Blog Challenge with my friend Cailin from A White Picket Fence. We are going to be writing and sharing photos about warm holiday destinations such as Jamaica, Mexico and Fiji.
If you could go to any warm place for your next holiday, where would you go?
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Ingredients:
1 bottle good vodka 6 vanilla beans
Directions:
Lay vanilla beans on cutting board and careful split each one in two, leaving 1/2″ at one end intact for easy removal.
Open vodka bottle and insert vanilla beans, split ends first.
Seal tightly and store in cool, dark place for 6+ weeks.
