A few days behind the curve and we can’t blame it on an Internet connection this time. We’ve just been having too much fun to sit down and do this.
After Friday’s cooking class, we ended up at the hostel next door which was quite the scene. One of the many things I love about traveling with Tom is that he’s never met a stranger. By the end of the evening we had met Kayla, a young Canadian nomad; Jeremy and Gavin, brothers from Australia celebrating their 30th birthdays on a fishing trip; as well as Ali and James (?), Brits making a short stop in Fiji on their way for a month long bus trip across New Zealand. We both really enjoy these random encounters and are always sad to see them end.
On Saturday, the weather in Nadi was gorgeous, and it was tempting to do nothing but sit on the beach and nap the day away. But, in the true spirit of tourism and lingering jet lag, we popped awake at 5:30 am and decided to make a trip to the Gardens of the Sleeping Giant. Apparently, back in the 70s, the actor Raymond Burr (Perry Mason, himself!), bought a large chunk of land to house his extensive orchid collection. It is now open to the public and the orchids really are stunning.
All that and we were still back at the hotel in time for a long walk on the beach and some lounging by the pool. Dinner at the hotel (where Tom got to try a little kava), then back over to the hostel for a nightcap and to watch the Rugby World Cup—something I think is going to be prominent for at least the Australian portion of our trip. Unfortunately, for at least 2/3 of the crowd, England stomped Australia, and as expected, the New Zealand All Blacks easily dispatched Ireland.
Sunday saw us up at 5 am to catch our morning flight to Brisbane and the start of our Australia adventure!
Wow, looks like an awesome time!