Fiji 2014 by AmyHirtzel by AmyHirtzel
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Fiji 2014
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Fiji 2014
  • Jul 02, 2014
  • 206 Photos
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  1. AmyHirtzel's Gallery
  2. Fiji 2014Fiji 2014
  3. After over 24 hours in transit, hydration is key!After over 24 hours in transit, hydration is key!

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After over 24 hours in transit, hydration is key!
Good to be back together.
Western Fiji, Nadi hillsides
Who's that stud waiting on a cab?
Nadi bus station, waiting on our ride.
You going my way?
Our bus to Sigatoka is behind us. Fancy coach!
PSA's.
At least we had air-con and Chuck Norris movies on this bus!
What's a trip to Fiji without a stop at the Beach House. Coral Coast, Sigatoka area
Had bed bugs in my bed the first night back. Isn't quite Fiji without some sort of skin disease.
We saw this everyday for a week.
Just lounging on the beach.
Ayan was not altogether impressed with their salt &vinegar chips.
Evening settles in.
Should be a postcard.
Hello.
Ayan is coming out of our cute bungalow house. Outdoor shower included.
Palm tree.
Swing from a coconut tree.
Paradise
Beach walking.
Recycling!! This is still pretty new, so I was pretty excited.
Minibus ride to the sand dunes.
Classic travel clothes.
The start of the dune hike.
It was cloudy but the views were unreal.
Kulukulu lookout.
The trail to the dunes.
Sigatoka-ish.
The countryside.
Selfie.
Watch out!
The hike was straight up to the dunes. We pumped our arms and dug our heels in.
Victory!
Messing around on the dunes.
Dat sand.
The best.
Catch me!
Writing in the sand.
We walked down to the ocean. It was tumultuous.
"I know you want to go stand on that and I'll take your picture."
Ayan getting chased by the waves.
Yoga everywhere.
The walk back from the dunes.
They'll knock you out.
Free kayaking at the Beach House.
The views won't quit.
Juita took us on a jungle trek!
River fording.
Juita told us all about native plants and traditions as we hiked up to his family waterfall.
Bamboo-zled.
Taking a break. Juita drank from the creek. We drank from our nalgenes.
The pool below the waterfall!
Ayan!
Amy!
Ayan and Amy making memories at the waterfall.
Walking back down to the pool.
Swimming around in the crisp, clean water.
Kept this one because Ayan said I look like a drowned rat. Thanks, honey.
Hiking back down.
Ayan drinking his first real coconut! Delicious!
The sign that points you to the Beach House when you're coming from Nadi. Don't miss it!
Ayan still says this is the best burger he's ever had.
P1010177
Riding dirty up in to the Navua River Gorge--white water rafting!
On our way to the river.
Hells yeah!
All our adventures require life jackets or helmets.
Me and Semi, our guide.
The water was low, so there weren't very many rapids. We mostly floated.
The canyon stretched out above us.
Snaking our way through.
Alright!
From left: Our Swiss friends Oliver, Claudia, our guide Semi, Amy, Ayan.
Semi's clan can no longer use this area for hunting, fishing, etc. The river is protected land now.
Ayan was so pumped all day!
Check out that water.
The sun came out.
Ayan jumped in and I told him to look nervous and he said he didn't know how. Ha.
Lazy river.
Stopped for lunch. Yummy sandwiches and then a cool dip in the river.
More waterfalls!
Waterfalls line the gorge all the way down the river.
Take out.
Completely wiped out after our day on the river.
Wait, you have powerade?? We'll have 2.
Some things are just better on an island.
This was once a quarry, until they dug too deep and hit a spring. Now it's an eco-lodge on the lake.
Our home near the lake.
Which way is Seattle?
Acting a fool.
Colo-i-Suva is the closest park to Fiji's capital, Suva.
We decided to go for a hike after a 2-hr bus ride with no air-con or windows.
Sweaty kiss.
Colo-i-Suva.
Can you tell how happy I am to be hiking and not sitting in a cool room after a refreshing shower?
Hitch-hiking like islanders.
The sea wall in Suva.
For my RPCV's: This is JJ's! It's called sea salt now!
Met these nice folks in the park. Saw her the next day and she complimented my sulu jaba!
Sir Ratu Sukuna.
The Gand Pacific Hotel has been restored to its former glory!
Walking through Thurston Gardens to the Fiji Museum.
Don't ever go to town without a list.
Bad Dog Cafe! Home to beer towers and fond, drunken memories.
Ayan's first bowl of grog.
First toss of the new rugby ball.
Spectating. The village church is in the background.
Bubu, Rusila, me.
That's my old house! A new PC volunteer lives there now.
Thumbs up.
After rugby nap. Nice pillow, Ayan.
Rusila is all smiles playing that rugby ball as a drum (lali).
Drinking grog with the men in Luvunavuaka.
The kids have a "school bus" now! So fancy. Now they don't have to walk the .5mi to school.
Enjoying coffee in the morning.
Bu doesn't drink coffee, but she brought us hot water every morning so we could.
Sexy after-brekkie pose.
Oh, Ayan, you've got some reading buddies there.
Artsy pictures of the village kids.
Gracie.
Dalo tied up and ready to take to the festival.
Loving village life.
Preparing for the feast on Good Friday. The women chop vegetables and fry fish.
The girls are scaling the fish.
Here's the delivery boy. He was very cautious with every single fish.
Put the fish right there, kiddo.
Check out the kid in the back with the knife.
The dalo peeled and ready to cook.
This is where meat comes from. Home butchered.
Chopping up the goat.
The goat fur fell off the nail and touched my face! Ew!
Ayan and Amy.
A beach walk back to the village. Low tide.
Sweaty, but happy.
Got back to the village and Bubu was coiling the voivoi--the dried plants used for weaving mats.
A typical breakfast.
Bobakau (bom-ba-cow), a donut type breakfast food. We dip it in sugar and tea. Delicious!
Ayan having some tea and bobakau.
The view from inside our host house.
Hanging out with the kids.
Aka, one of my dearest friends, serves up grog for the ladies.
The nonsense that ensues when the camera comes out in a crowd of children!
Laughing about something at a grog session.
Ayan and Tamai Rusi (a village leader, awesome dad, ex-peacekeeper, and all around badass.
Grog sessions with the men.
Thus begins the mangrove adventure out to the beach!
Walking through the mangroves.
Crossing the tree bridge.
Sludge up to their knees, dirty work is boys work in Fiji.
Riding the bamboo raft to the ocean!
The front of the raft.
Tevita taking the bilibili for a spin!
TIm collecting firewood for the bonfire.
Playing football with the rugby ball. Sacrilege.
Mt Tova, in all her majesty.
Tevita twice in one panorama. We couldn't stop marveling at the science.
Aww.
Bubu Lo caught a tiny fish. Don't worry. We still ate it.
Bonfire!
The boys dig holes to keep warm when the wind starts to blow.
Group shot on the beach.
These guys went out into the ocean with just a flashlight and a spear gun. Seriously hard core.
We filtered all of our water. Ayan is pumping away.
The secondary school compound.
Two of my favorite teachers. Wendy and I would always dream of blueberry cobbler.
Fruit gifts. Thanks for the watermelon!
Preparing a lovo, earthen oven.
Preparing the hot stones to cook the root crops.
Placing the banana leaves on top to seal the heat in.
Final touches.
Successful lovo! Pulling out the root crops!
Bubu. She's the best.
Ayan's farewell. The man on the right was the chief's advisor and now quietly leads the village.
Ayan's last group grog session.
That was a tiny plane up to Taveuni.
Seriously, a tiny plane!
Taveuni from the air.
What's the weather like today?
Snorkeling in Somosomo Straight
Ayan snorkeling!
Swimming like fish.
The coral is fantastic.
Rainbow Reef.
The colors!
Blues and greens.
Yellows.
More snorkeling.
Snorkel selfie.
Beautiful!
Checking email and instagram.
P1010629
Crown of thorns.
More corals near Taveuni.
Angelfish.
This man picked up a crown of thorns with his bare hands!
Brain coral.
Back in the village. Making an incinerator.
Mixing concrete the old-fashioned way.
Building up the walls.
The youth were so proud!
This woman is my favorite.
Tim, our grateful host, and one of my favorite people.
Me and Aka.
My Fijian family the day before I left. Loloma yani.

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