What I love.....

If it could go wrong, it did. 

That was what Suva was like for me last time I was there.  We couldn't find my husband's relatives.  Our trip into the rainforest was mysteriously rained off.  I had to queue up for change to buy toilet paper for the public loo.  It was stinking hot, and less that 5 minutes from arriving, we were offered drugs.

Not what you want, really.

But, then this happened.  It rained.  All of a sudden the dirty roads and litter filled port became calm.  The temperature dropped, and we found, ironically, the Peace Garden.

The idea that a large group of multi-ethnic women would leave a garden for peace.

And peace came.  From this point on, Suva became one of my favourite places in the world, even with the unemployment, beggars, filth, drugs, solicitation and overpriced internet services ;).

I can't wait to go back.  And this time, we will get into the rainforest.

Heading back to Fiji, Baby...

This Christmas, I am heading back to the golden sands and tropical waters of Fiji.

I love Fiji.  Suva is such a vibrant and real city, which is so refreshing as a tourist.  Often finding "the real" something, requires either finding a tourist destination that re-creates the way life used to be, or ther opposite, a city that is not set up for people to travel to or around in.  Suva has such a great mix of rich and poor, locals and migrants, travelers and workers.  Basically, it is a vibrant real city with a major heart.  It also has all the requirements to make a stay workable, like public toilets and plenty of public transport.

Last time we went, it was the rainy season.  100% humidity, 30 degrees Celsius, soooooo hot!  Then it rained, and it was wonderful.  We wandered the streets looking for remnants of my husbands family in the city.  Finding people who remembered his grandfather was fantastic, and meant we had a real chance to see and meet people who we never would have before.

It is also a land of stark contrasts.  Finding second hand clothing stores and beggars on the street next to a luxury car dealership is all part of it.  However, all the people had such joy in being able to say, "Bula" and welcoming others in.  The fruit market was the best time ever, wandering the stalls with a local woman who was intent on helping us to find the best pawpaws to eat right away, and heading to a local ice cream store where the waiter cut the fruit showing us how to eat it.

I am so excited to return to Fiji, and this time, it will be in her most beautiful part of the year.

Making the Most of Suva, Fiji

The local fruit market

The buses are fast, and "air conditioned"...

There are so many wonderful places to contemplate in Suva

The waterfront

The Port of Suva

I just love the penthouse apartment here

Locals turning on a little show for the tourists

The Cathedral