After narrowly escaping spending a night in a Single Women's Christian Institute in Lautoka, we found ourselves back in Nadi earlier than expected. At first I was a little apprehensive because we hadn't loved Nadi on our previous visit but it felt like an entirely different place on our return.
With Easter just around the corner and the island's high season about to begin, the hostels were buzzing with people and excitement. We checked into a great little place on the beachfront and treated ourselves to a happy hour cocktail. In the beautiful light cast by the sunset over the horizon, Nadi beach looked no less like paradise than any of the tiny islands we'd visited along the way. It was the perfect spot to sit and reflect upon all that we'd done and how far we'd come since we'd last been sat there.
Though only the third largest town in Fiji, Nadi is certainly the most happening and therefore, a great place to use as a base for all our remaining day trips. The first was to Sabeto Mud Pools for a Fijian style 'spa day.' Upon arrival we were given a tour of the various different pools in this peaceful outdoor haven before being introduced to the 'Mud Man' who coated our faces in a thick layer of sludge. The responsibility then lay with us to paint the rest of our bodies which led to some rather interesting designs as we used one another's backs as a blank canvas for our muddy masterpieces.
Whilst wet, the mud felt incredible against our skin; like a soft and expensive moisturiser rather than clay soil scooped from the ground. When the eventual cracking sensation indicated that the work was complete we were taken to the first of three hot springs to wash off. We found the mud slid off easily and our skin left feeling silky smooth beneath.
Having now fully adapted to 'Fiji time' we were in no hurry to leave and so bathed for a while in the hot pools, taking in our tranquil surroundings. The backdrop to this beautiful setting was the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a park which stands before a cluster of hills which Fijians believe to be shaped like a huge man lying on his back. They have wonderful imaginations.
Our second trip out of Nadi was to Navala, a traditional Fijian village up in the mountains. Though it's not far in terms of distance, the drive took almost three hours because there's no road leading up to it. Luckily we had a cute Indian-Fijian man called Kachi as our driver who chatted away to us the entire journey to pass the time. In fact, when fatigue hit us half way through and we fell a little quiet, he stopped off at the side of the road and snapped us off some sugar cane to suck on - the perfect sugar rush to bring us back to life!
The village itself was so beautiful, it was almost ethereal. The bamboo built bures with their weaved walls and thatched roofs looked as though they could've been plucked straight from the pages of a fairy tale. Our tour started at the chief's house who granted us an official welcome into the village. His 'sleeping house' was slightly larger than most and at least had a bed but was otherwise completely bare. It's quite amazing how little they live on.
As we bid him farewell we heard the sound of a bell ring followed by a wave of excitable squeals as the school children fled their classrooms for lunchtime. A flock of tiny Fijians dressed in smart blue uniform stormed towards us but stopped short as they realised we were not their usual village folk. They really are an adorable bunch and we were pleased to find we had a few little shadows following us back into the school grounds. Slowly but surely they plucked up the courage to speak to us, wanting to know our names, where we came from and most importantly if we had any sweets! It's honestly a good job that I didn't have an inch of space left in my backpack or there would definitely be a Fijian child or two squeezed inside.
Of course no traditional day in Fiji could end without kava so we were taken back to the chief's house for the small ceremony. Sat cross legged on the bure floor, we watched as the suspicious looking drink was passed around the circle. When it came to our turn we were told to say 'bula', clap three times and then down the drink in one. It tasted like dirt but with a dozen or so villagers all surrounding us, we had no choice but to chug the lot. It was like being a uni fresher all over again!
Kava's a funny one. It's completely legal but has similar effects to that of marijuana and Fijians absolutely swear by it. After just one cup we were feeling pretty spaced out and it suddenly made perfect sense why everything in Fiji is so incredibly slow.
On our final day in Nadi we woke up to find that the Yasawas Rugby team were staying at our hostel. Over breakfast they told us that they were competing in the National Sevens Tournament and asked if we would come along to support. The cheerleaders within us just couldn't say no so we ditched our initial sunbathing plans to go along and watch. Fijians take rugby very seriously and it was fun to be a part of the action.
After stocking up on a final stash of Indian sweets we went back to pack and get ready for our 'final supper' altogether. Reminiscing on the last three weeks it became quite apparent how much we've all fallen in love with Fiji. Having covered six different islands and travelled the full circuit around the mainland, we truly feel as though we've done Fiji perfectly and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. Though it's now time to leave this beautiful island behind us I'll be carrying 'bula' with me wherever I go.
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