We are getting ready to hear and repeat the word "BULA" for the next five days, as we will be visiting cities, towns, and an islands in Fiji. Bula, of course, means welcome. The Zaandam sailed into the port of Suva, Fiji on the island of Vitu Levu around 7am. We were docked starboard side around 8am, but not cleared by the local authorities until 8:30am. There was no special welcome committee like we had in American Samoa, so we headed off to breakfast shortly after 7:30am.
When we checked out the dock area from the promenade deck, the first thing we noticed was that the very old and dilapidated large shed was mostly destroyed. All that was left was a small portion of the original warehouse, and the remainder of the giant concrete piers that supported it. It was always dark and dingy in there, with very little light. And you had to be careful walking over old railroad ties. Grain and rice was scattered about, and there were birds in there eating it. We always saw some stray cats there as well, so you know there had to be rats too. It was time for it to go. The metal roof had a sign saying "Welcome to Suva Fiji", which is reduced to "Welc" now with the smaller version.
First and foremost on the front of the Daily newsletter was a warning to be aware of our surroundings and keep your belongings close while enjoying your visit. We knew that from previous visits to Fiji. The minute we cleared the pier gate, an elderly local man approached us and said watch your wallet and bag (umbrellas) as there was a lot of crime in this area. We thanked him for the advise and continued along our way before he had a chance to offer us a tour or tag along as a protector perhaps.
The tour buses were lined up with Nyron directing the folks to each excursion. Ten different tours were offered today and five of them will be repeated tomorrow, our second full day here. They ranged from a farmers market visit and scenic drive for 3 hours and $60 to the Fiji Museum and Thurston Gardens for 3 hours and $80. Two excursions that included lunch were jewels of Fiji for 6 hours and $180 or a day pass at Pearl of the Pacific Resort for 7 hours and $150. For the more adventurous group, there was a zipline for 2 ½ hours for $150, an eco trek for 3 ½ hours for $90, or a long boat ride up a river for 4 hours and $70. A forest park and a waterfall tour was 4 hours and $70 with a chance to swim on your own. And you would be guaranteed to have a kava ceremony with the best of Suva tour for 4 hours and $90 or a visit to the Sawani Village for 3 ½ hours for $90. We have participated in half of these tours over the years, so we were basically on our own today.
We stayed onboard the ship working online in our room. We find it works better when we prop the door open while sending stuff online. It was pretty much the same last year when we moved to deck six on the Volendam. While we were in the room, our veranda was cleaned. The fellows just open the doors between each veranda and hose everything down. Most times, they do leave deep puddles on the floor, which dries during the day. Sometimes it never dries and we have to mop it up with a towel or else track it in and out of the room.
We left the ship around 10;30am. A funny thing happened on or way out of the dock area. A local man with a wheelbarrow was coming to the ship with it loaded with extra large clear plastic bags of lettuce. Green leaf lettuce it appeared to be. The ship's provisioner must have called ahead and said give us everything you have on hand. Bet it shows up in our salads at dinnertime.
Our walk took us past the Suva Municipal Market, but we decided to stop there tomorrow after checking if we are allowed to bring flowers onboard the ship. We always have on previous stops here, but things can change. Turning right at the corner, we continued past a street full of shops, stores, and restaurants. Jack's of Fiji was located across the street and is a popular store in Fiji where you can buy nice island clothing and souvenirs. It is probably the best place to purchase authentic cannibal forks. Gruesome, but part of their ancient culture. We do own one from here naturally.
We passed by one of the larger fabric stores, where we bought a brightly-flowered piece of material for a blouse, which I happened to wear today. We would pay this place a visit on the way back just to look at what they had. Close by, we saw a McDonald's, a dollar store, and a Burger King as well as a local movie theater. Across the street there was a park that had been closed for several years….fenced off and boarded up. We were happy to see that it had been re-modeled with fountains, re-planted, and complete with a new bandstand for small concerts. We are certain that this park has given the McDonald's a boost in customers.
Passing more businesses, we came upon a Holiday Inn Hotel, which appeared to be built perhaps in the 60's or so. Directly across the highway was Albert Park, a historic green space in the heart of the city. It is a venue for sporting games, local events, festivals, and recreational activities. There are spectator stands at one end for large crowds of people.
A little further up this road is the Grand Pacific Hotel, a relic from the past. Built in the early 1900's, it is the most stately building in all of Fiji. Very proper and decidedly British, it has been re-modeled over the years, especially after damage from a hurricane. It is grander than ever, and we will be coming back here after our walk.
Across the road is another icon of the city which is Thurston Gardens dedicated in 1913. It is famous for their botanical gardens with native Fijian flora and fauna. Some of the old growth trees house a colony or two of fruit bats. These are trees that you may not want to stand under for too long. The Fiji Museum is also on this property. It features displays of ancient artifacts, colonial exhibits, and a peek into the culture and customs of the original settlers. One of the tour buses had stopped here, and the guests were either roaming the property, or relaxing with a glass of mango juice on their covered patio. Of course, there was a small gift shop with really expensive keepsakes.
Right up the road is the Presidential Palace, which is the official home of the president of the Fijian Islands. A single lava-lava clad guard stood at attention at the gate without moving, even with the tourists standing next to him taking one photo after another. Since his spot is in the full sun, we assume they are changed frequently. We seem to recall that the first guard was different from the second one we saw an hour or so later.
Starting here, the walk turned into a seaside promenade where we had a great view of some terns and black egrets diving for small fish. There were numerous schools of these fish, and when something spooked them, they jumped straight up on the air all at once. That's when the birds dove. Two fishermen in flat boats were trolling the shallow waters with nets to catch these fish. Unfortunately, we spotted several outlets of sewer lines dumping into this body of water. And still the fish and birds thrive….go figure. Another negative, was the amount of trash that had collected on this entire wall and surf line. Most all of the debris had to be an assortment of plastic drink bottles. It is quite possible that this garbage washes off of the outer islands and collects here. We saw no attempt at a clean-up either.
This main road has a nice wide walkway that is lined with grass and plenty of benches to relax. Around noontime, many taxi drivers parked here and took their lunch break. About every vehicle had a driver who greeted us with "bula". There was a large food truck serving local specialties for this group of locals. We followed the road passing workers wiring new street lights along the way. Across the road was a Chinese embassy we think. It was gated with a friendly guard outside, who asked where we were from. We said the ship, then he said were we from Europe. Nope, the USA, which brought a smile to his face as he said welcome to his country.
Eventually, we made it back to our favorite destination – the Grand Pacific Hotel. Fiji Gold drafts were number one on our list, as one of us had forgotten the to bring the bottle of water with us this morning. The glasses were on the small side, so it took more than one glass to cool us off. We ordered a BBQ chicken pizza to share. It was every bit as good as we remembered. And so was the view from the patio dining area that faces the ocean and the swimming pool. This is the nicest hotel and SO civilized. We were in no hurry to leave, and they were in no way rushing us. Finally we ordered one pumpkin cheesecake to share before it was time to head back.
Remember we said we were going to stop at the fabric shop? Well, it was only a stop to look at what they had that was new. Well…….one of the workers recognized the material of the blouse I was wearing and said loudly to her co-workers….look at that….it's ours. With that, two more gals came over then a couple more. They giggled and located the bolt that is still there, and signaled the owner who came to talk to us. Now we are talking hundreds of bolts of fabric in this store, and of course, they were showing us more choices we might like. How could we leave here without buying something? A white and green print caught our eye with birds of paradise flowers on it. So for 2 ½ meters, the cost in US dollars was $8. Can't beat that, now I have to take the time to make another blouse when we get home. By the way, they also complimented the workmanship which brought a smile to my face.
We did not stop in the flower section of the marketplace today, but we will tomorrow as we spoke to people who had bought two bouquets to take back to the ship. And the good news was that they were clean of insects.
Back on the ship by 4pm, we relaxed until it was time for dinner. Tonight we did have small salads with the new lettuce. Pulung did mention that they expected more deliveries today. For our mains we had one pineapple-topped chicken breast with rice, and one beef brisket with mashed potatoes. Both were quite good. We had one brownie peanut sundae with macadamia nuts and caramel sauce, and a scoop of pistachio ice cream for dessert. We got the feeling that many of the crew were going off of the ship tonight since we are here until 6pm tomorrow. Hope they stay in groups…..
Bill & Mary Ann
