Bye Nuku Alofa...
We got a clear view down to some beautiful atoll's until a cloud front came over and made for a bit of a bumpy ride back to Fiji...
Then we were back in Fiji and had some time to kill, about 7 hours in total...oh dear. We were told at the airport that our backpacks would be transferred to the Apia flight, so backpack free we thought let's return to Tata's for one last super vegetable Thali, yay! Our lovely Indo-Fijian taxi driver informed us that Nadi had played Suva in the rugby- and won. After our curry we could see the busy street celebrations and truck loads of supporters zooming around like mentalists as we walked through Nadi town to Ed's bar. At Ed's we killed some more time by drinking, (always works), then nipped back to the airport to catch up with the blog...time well spent, hey?
Everything was looking good until we checked in to our flight at 1:45am, ready to sleep away the flight. This was where it started to go wrong, unfortunately. It didn't look good when we had to explain the baggage transfer that we did earlier in the day, back to the staff. The check in crew didn't seem to understand this and went off to check where our bags were...yeah not a good sign! They returned sometime later to tell us that our bags were nowhere to be seen, so 'maybe' they had been loaded onto the flight...Oh how we laughed, through our clenched teeth! We had to leave the check in desk, having been given the impression that they couldn't tell what had happened to the bags....Brilliant!
In Nadi departures lounge we were running out of enamel to grind off, so came up with some interesting new hairstyles for Wiji...We were truly fucked off!
Just as we were boarding a women from check in excitedly informed us that one of the bags was on the flight...oh goooood! Which one, she could not say, lol. So we both mentally went through a check list of what things we would really miss/need from either backpack, whilst on a very hideous 2am flight. I also had a very annoying man sat next to me. I very nearly shut his head in the pull down table after he kept 'accidentally' touching me (freak). On the flight the crew insisted on serving a sandwich meal...Who wants to eat at 2am? That was fucking retarded too!
We crossed the international dateline by the time we arrived at Apia airport, Samoa. This meant that we had actually arrived a good 10 hours before we had left...nice work! It took an age to get to baggage collection and after a while Wiji's bag came out of the conveyor belt of doom...but there was no sight of mine. We consoled ourselves that we still had the tent, and I saw a similar backpack to mine travel the conveyor belt for ages, I was tempted to take it...Lol, not really, but it is amazing seeing how many people just can't recognise their own luggage! And just as we were resigned to the fact that we would have to admit defeat and sign some useless paperwork....out my bag popped! Du' daaaar! We were really grateful, so much so in fact that that was actually the end of it!
Lucky we had crossed the international dateline, because that meant that we were still on Saturday, and everything would be open! It was really beautiful travelling through the sleepy Samoan villages just after sun up.
After booking into the Pasifika Inn, we got some much needed sleep, sorted out a rental car for the next day, chugged some coffee and went
The building is one of eight in the world. All have nine sides and entrances in common, reflecting the view of this faith that all peoples and religions should have unity. A service was in progress so we didn't go in...
We admired the gardens and the popping colours...then spotted what we later learnt was a cardinal honeyeater. It was hanging on the hibiscus flowers...
And poking its beak into them from underneath.
Next we checked out the Papapapai Tai fall's. The view was accessible from the road...What a view!
A 100m fall to the gorge below...
The diversity of plant life and leaf shapes was stunning.
The countryside was super lush.
Lots of banyan trees and vines.
We were on our way to Virgin Cove, but decided to check out Coconut Beach resort and spa... Here we could just about afford a fresh coconut on the beach...
It looked like a great place to be pampered...
Virgin Cove was much more in our price range and while our fale was being made up we spotted this kingfisher in the trees swooping about.
During our stay it returned to the same spot to catch insects.
All the fale's were on the beach and connected by pretty pathways lined with tropical plants and sea views...Later at night all the lamps were lit.
As we wandered through the grounds the ghost crabs scuttled left and right back into their burrows.
'Get off my lava!'
The texture of the lava flow to the beach reminded me of testing when my quince jam was set...lol.
A rainstorm was brewing over the mountains...
But we made the most of the sun, when it really came out.
A more advanced weaving class had taken place on the beach, unhampered by our presence!
After some exploring we decided to get some quality beach time in...What did we all do before hideous white plastic chairs? Wiji chills on the beach in front of our fale...
Quality!
Someone had used one of the 'sea purse-pods' (as Wiji put it) to make a head for this figure.
Check out our table top fale with blinds!
Oh hi!
I think I may fork out for an upper brow lift, no?
DO-YOU-WANT-ANOTHER-BEER? Duuuuur! Mind yourself on those crab burrows love, you could sprain an ankle!
'Island time!'
It was just as well that we got dressed for dinner, it was great food and the male contingent of the family collectively formed a band to play the night away...we even bought their CD...ah, what rose-mantic fools.
Get up for that tropical fruit breakfast!!! They even did a breakfast rice pudding made with coconut...I was in heaven!
Aaah we only stayed one night, but could have totally moved in, it was soooo lovely. But hey, we had more to see...
1 comment:
Just gorgeous! x
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