Fiji – HurricaneMaine

Bula and Vinaka, Fiji

Sunrise in Fiji

Parasailing

I thought I would be nervous but not after experiencing skydiving. You take off from the boat and they land you back on it. Pretty easy and peaceful.

This is the video of landing. I have yet to upload the others yet.

While parasailing

Fire walker ceremony and dinner

Showing the dress of chiefs, women, warriors, and today’s Fijian attire. We were treated to dances as well.

The ceremony if walking on very hot stones. Fire walkers from a nearby village.

Mana bird

Sunset in Fiji

Vinaka, Fiji!

They have a pretty consistent message on the island. It is this:

Snorkeling Fiji

Malamala beach club. We were on a ship past this island.

Mana sand bar

Snorkeling

Monu island

Purple starfish!

We stopped at Modriki island for lunch. This is the island that was used for the movie Castaway. We were taken in by small motor boat where a villager from a nearby island had cooked our food using traditional underground cooking.

We ate and then took a jungle walk and had time for snorkeling.

A bird that burrows under the ground. It comes out to feed on squid which light up in the water. They cry as they dive to the water to capture squid.

This is the other side of the island where he came ashore in the movie.

Where he climbed the mountain

The rock where he buried the pilot

Garden of the sleeping giant and mud baths

I took a short tour to see a couple of things around Nadi. Everything is so close.

View from my balcony. I appreciate sitting outside and working instead of the four walls of an apartment. The first day was all online work with a break for a swim.

First stop was Sangam temple.

150 years ago people from India were brought here as slaves. This is the biggest of 20 temples in Fiji. They continued adding their culture by building schools and businesses.

Shiva is known as the destroyer and transforms the universe. Sri Siva subrahmanya swami. One must face the horrible parts of ourselves and humanity first before transforming. This is the larger temple.

Sri Ganesh. After lord of war temple is the path to rebuild. We have demons inside. Recognizing and then to pray to heal those demons and let peace come in place of it. This is a smaller temple.

Sri mahalakshmi. The last small temple is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Afterwards was a quick visit to look at souvenirs and visit a farmers market.

Next was the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. Raymond Burr of Ironside fame grew orchids here and named the garden. His residence is now the Orchid hotel.

Red Palm or lipstick palm.

Hanging orchid.

Dancing lady orchid

Butterfly orchid. purple

Other orchids

Lady fingertip bromeliads

Ornamental ginger. Red plume.

Sleeping giant mountain

Spider orchid

Pandana. Used to make mats and hats.

Fish pond

This is a Fijian greeting meaning hello.

A lookout at the sleeping giant mountain

A drink of tropical fresh juice of papaya, coconut, and other fruits and we were of to the last stop.

Tifajek mud pool. Villages are composed of relatives of a family. They will work together for common food and money. This village suits on a thermal area with a natural hot spring and mud bath.

First a thin layer of mud and let it dry. Then removing the mud in the first pool followed by a dip in the hot spring.

Back to work for the afternoon and evening. Later on, I moved my workspace to outside. Doing work outside at dusk…. A little entertainment for a quick break…