After spending three weeks with our family and friends in MN, along with fitting in last minute planning and packing, we were ready to thaw out in Fiji.
25 hours after leaving Minneapolis we arrived into Nadi, Fiji. The hot, humid air greeted us as we left the airport and provided a welcome change from the three weeks of sub zero temps we endured in the Great White North.
Anxious to begin our adventure, we took a ferry ride to Wayasewa Island, a small island in the Yasawa chain, about 50 miles off the west coast of Nadi. Both feeling restless from the long trek, our first day on the island was spent kayaking, free diving, fishing, and hiking through the jungle to a peak overlooking our resort.
Before everyone freezing back in MN gets too jealous, our 2nd day we awoke to torrential rains and rumors of a fast approaching cyclone. Although the cyclone never materialized, the rain and high winds did. The stormy conditions prevented us from doing anymore kayaking or snorkeling, but did create a surf break over the reef in front of the resort.
The local villagers and I watched as Dustin surfed the waist to chest high waves. This was the first time they had seen anyone surf off the island reef. Having been amused by Dustin's performance, the locals invited us on a tour of their village. Although their living conditions consisted of single room homes with a bamboo mat and no furniture, everyone was extremely happy and friendly.
The "daily" boat bringing people to and from the island was cancelled for the foreseeable future, thus stranding us on our island. We heard rumors of flooding, mudslides, power outages, etc on the main island caused by the "worst storm in 40 years". We received very little other info and had no idea when we were getting off the island.
The torrential rain and high winds continued for the next few days. We passed the time by going for an occasional walk in the rain, playing cards with fellow travellers, and joining the locals for games of touch rugby.
Of the 20+ people staying at the resort there was only 1 other American. The majority were from England or Australia, many of whom were also on around-the-world trips like us. It was a good group of people to be stranded with.
Finally, this morning (11th), a boat showed up to ferry us back to Nadi on the main island. There's extensive damage here in town and we are stuck at a hostel by the airport until we leave on Wednesday. Talk about starting our trip out on the right foot. At least we're safe and having an adventure. We are ready for New Zealand.
We've uploaded our pictures to Picasa so just click on the link on the right to see all our pictures so far.
Cheers,
Dustin & Rachel
25 hours after leaving Minneapolis we arrived into Nadi, Fiji. The hot, humid air greeted us as we left the airport and provided a welcome change from the three weeks of sub zero temps we endured in the Great White North.Anxious to begin our adventure, we took a ferry ride to Wayasewa Island, a small island in the Yasawa chain, about 50 miles off the west coast of Nadi. Both feeling restless from the long trek, our first day on the island was spent kayaking, free diving, fishing, and hiking through the jungle to a peak overlooking our resort.
Before everyone freezing back in MN gets too jealous, our 2nd day we awoke to torrential rains and rumors of a fast approaching cyclone. Although the cyclone never materialized, the rain and high winds did. The stormy conditions prevented us from doing anymore kayaking or snorkeling, but did create a surf break over the reef in front of the resort.The local villagers and I watched as Dustin surfed the waist to chest high waves. This was the first time they had seen anyone surf off the island reef. Having been amused by Dustin's performance, the locals invited us on a tour of their village. Although their living conditions consisted of single room homes with a bamboo mat and no furniture, everyone was extremely happy and friendly.
The "daily" boat bringing people to and from the island was cancelled for the foreseeable future, thus stranding us on our island. We heard rumors of flooding, mudslides, power outages, etc on the main island caused by the "worst storm in 40 years". We received very little other info and had no idea when we were getting off the island.The torrential rain and high winds continued for the next few days. We passed the time by going for an occasional walk in the rain, playing cards with fellow travellers, and joining the locals for games of touch rugby.
Of the 20+ people staying at the resort there was only 1 other American. The majority were from England or Australia, many of whom were also on around-the-world trips like us. It was a good group of people to be stranded with.Finally, this morning (11th), a boat showed up to ferry us back to Nadi on the main island. There's extensive damage here in town and we are stuck at a hostel by the airport until we leave on Wednesday. Talk about starting our trip out on the right foot. At least we're safe and having an adventure. We are ready for New Zealand.
We've uploaded our pictures to Picasa so just click on the link on the right to see all our pictures so far.
Cheers,
Dustin & Rachel
3 comments:
Hey guys! We're glad to hear you're safe. We could say sorry to hear about the bad weather, but it's sounds like it's made for an interesting adventure so far. =)
Hey Guys!
Were so glad you got there safe, but that sounds like a interesting start. Stay safe. We all want to see you when you come back next year! Have an amazing time!
-Anna, Sarah.
Wow, well, after all that, you're probably ready to come home, right? Just kidding. Thanks for updating already. Joshy can find Fiji now on our world map. We look forward to more!
elisa
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