An airport has its own unique atmosphere; anxious people rushing for planes, stressed out people waiting for flights, mothers battling restless kids, people asleep at the departure lounges, people walking with those yellow duty free bags with that contented smile of having scored a bargain, the well groomed hostesses, the pilots in their smart uniforms, and the dodgy looking security guards, who you think in the back of your mind, are the ones who really need to be searched. Then there are the constant messages over the PA system. The final boarding calls, “Paging George Burns to Gate 24”, and, “the final call for Air Mexicana to Los Angeles”, which gives one a quiet satisfaction that you are not on “Air Mexicana”. Then there is the spectacle of the jumbos lined up at the departure gates, taking off, or landing. I marvel at the people taking photographs of the planes, like who cares - just look at this idiot posing in front of an Air Pacific Jumbo (pictured below)
“Bula, vinaka”, the smiling Fijian hostess said as we handed over our boarding pass, which I know means hello, and thank you, in Fijian – I had a quick language lesson from a Fijian work colleague.
At 210pm, Air Pacific Flight FJ 910 is on its way to Fiji. Fiji is made up of 322 Islands, but only 106 are inhabited. Vitu Levu is the main island where most of the people live. The capital Suva is on the eastern side of the capital. We are headed for the international airport on the western side at Nadi, where we were greeted by the blast of warm tropical air as soon as we stepped off the plane.
Stepping into a dilapidated yellow taxi that we noticed had no meter, we off into the dark night through the ram shackled town of Nadi. Then we were bouncing along the potholed roads through the countryside. Every now and then dark figures walking along the side of the road would loom into view. Twenty minutes later we were pulling up to a bridge where on the far side was what looked like a border control check point complete with a boom gate – a tropical Checkpoint Charlie.
“Security guards for the island” The taxi driver said. The van ahead was being thoroughly searched by large men with hard faces that subsequently burst in simultaneous smiles as soon as they saw we were tourists. "Bula" they all chimed together. They will certainly keep the riff raff out I thought. And they need to because on Denarau Island there some of the best resorts in Fiji, like the Westin, the Sheraton, and of course the Radisson where we were now arriving.
Then it was time for some more “bula”, and more “bula”, all said with a big friendly Fijian smile. Levi, our porter would not be out of place packing down in a scrum for the All Blacks, but then again all the male staff looked like they played rugby, after all the brochure said that Rugby is the national sport of Fiji. Levi explained all the hotel room's features; two large flat screen televisions, king size bed, huge bathroom with a deep bath, dining table, lounge, kitchen, balcony with ocean views.
Then he explained how many pools there were, "a family pool, a kids pool, an adults pool, and a teenagers pool". A bus, called you guessed it, a "Bula Bus", arrives every twenty five minutes to take you to Port Denarau where boats take you out to the outlying islands. "Twenty five minutes Fijian time - so add ten to fifteen minutes on top of that" he added with a smile.
When Levi was showing us around the bathroom he suddenly realised he was standing in a huge pool of water. Above him water was dripping from the ceiling. He didn't seem the least bit worried, "Don't worry we'll get this fixed", and then continued on with his tour without missing a beat. A short time later the maintenance man arrived, and whilst inspecting the ceiling, was suddenly drenched with a huge volume of water.
We went for a walk, and by the time we returned it was all cleaned up. Our room service took and an hour and a half, but you can't get worried about that, after all, you are "on Fiji time'.
Whilst we were about to go to sleep to the crashing of the waves against the shore, and the trickle of water from one of the waterfall from the nearby pools, Louise said "Hey, my colds completely gone now" She has had a continuous cold for two weeks.
Fiji is magic.
