Well, we've been quiet.
We awakened Friday, Sept 8 to leave Fiji, and it was destined to be a very long, tiring 2 days. Fiji to Auckland, NZ for a long layover, then a 12+ hour flight to Shanghai. With the prospect of another long layover there, we tried to catch an earlier flight to Tokyo. Alas, no, as Lufthansa said we needed to allow 24 hours notice for changes. Just can't standby for an earlier flight. We tried with ANA who was our carrier.
So, let's recap our time in Fiji.
Fiji reminded us a lot of a modern day version of our Kona Village, Hawaii vacations.
The Marriott Momi Bay property despite being less than 6 months old, was simply beautiful, even though the landscaping has not fully grown in. Plenty of tropical greenery, trees, bushes, and flowers.
The room we had here was a conventional one overlooking a lagoon near the lobby. Other types were tropical bures facing the sea or the lagoon. Some had a sandy beachfront outside their door. These invoked a tropical island feel but we're equipped with modern conveniences - AC, WiFi, and TV. Very comfortable.
Our Monday evening was spent exploring the property, and checking things out.
Then there's the food. An abundance with 3 restaurant choices. We ate at Goji for breakfast each day or had a light poolside lunch at the Fish Bar service next to the adult infinity pool.
Dinners were fantastic, but one. Goji had two choices: a themed buffet or ala carte choices. While we we there: Tuesday-Asian, Wednesday-Seafood, Thursday-Indian. Alas, Friday was the Fijian themed one, so we missed that. Monday we went to the Fish Bar. The mistake was trying the Lagoon Cafe on Wednesday, where Deb had a terrible pizza: think sweetened tomato sauce that was like ketchup! I had an interesting pasta with pesto sauce; the twist was adding artichokes, green peppers, and artichokes. We had skipped the Wednesday seafood buffet.
(food pics)
Our mornings were walks to explore the areas north and south of the resort. On Tuesday, we went south. A short walk outside our building, we found the sugar train railroad tracks with a rustic bridge across a creek. Deb was afraid to cross the ramshackle bridge which would have taken us across the creek and then down to the beach. So instead, we followed the road that I suspected would take us down to the shoreline eventually. After encountering a few roaming horses on the road, and a sugar cane farmer burning his field, we found the first interesting site, a camper hostel about 1/2 mile down the beach. The bay front had tidal flats that were uncovered during low tide; the water retreated at least a half mile, leaving quite a few boats high and dry. At the hostel, we met a local Fijian lady named Mery. She ran a rustic place for tents, and also offered two small hales; facilities included a basic shared toilet, and a cold-water shower. Catered, home cooked meals, too! She showed us local crafts, and offered an invitation to eat lunch or dinner there with a table set up on the beach. We passed.
Further up the beach another half mile was an abandoned resort that probably was something years ago. Completely empty except for one shack with a SCUBA/snorkeling operation. One lone person there, hoping that someone might stop by. No phone or internet, so simply hoping serendipity might bring in some business. The shop was run by another villager, Mere. We had a nice chat with her, too.
We decided to return along the sugar train tracks that paralleled the shoreline. Heading back we found the road, and walked back to the resort. All told, about 3 miles round trip.
After a quick stop in our room, we headed to the adult pool next to the Fish Bar; this was an infinity pool, with a fantastic view of the sunset each evening. We opted for late lunches pool side, sharing fish and chips each day, with one splurge for a lobster roll. Continuing my experience with lobster rolls, eating one is never as good as contemplating and searching for one.
Since we both ate big breakfasts, lunches were a minor affair with us sharing the bounty.
