BULA BULA FIJI

Back from The Feej, also known as Fiji.

It was....interesting.

The whole trip started off incredibly bad. Our flight was at midnight, but we had to leave campus at 4 o'clock in the afternoon because the last train to the airport left so early. The minute we got to the bus stop, with all of our luggage, it began to monsoon. I'm not exaggerating. It was the most violent rainstorm I have ever had the misfortune to be stuck in. Cars started almost crashing into each other, we couldn't even see a foot in front of us. Soon, all the buses had been canceled and we had to call a cab. The cab came, and he wouldn't take all five of us. Kicks two of us out. By now, we're completely soaked, along with all of our luggage. We would've canceled had we not spent a grand on the trip, so we soldiered on.

We sat soaking wet on the air conditioned train until we got to the airport in Brisbane, and then we got to change, so everybody got a little happier. And also we got to saran wrap our luggage so druggies couldn't get into them, which was super cool.

I didn't sleep on the flight, and because of the two hour time difference, we landed in Fiji at 6 AM. After we got to the main island and to the city of Nadi, we had to get into an AWFUL bus that had no air conditioning and drove on roads with giant potholes. AND AFTER THAT, we had to get on a boat for five hours. I faded in and out of consciousness on the boat and then had to concentrate on not puking for the last hour.

Finally, we got to the island of Tavewa, part of the Yasawa Islands. Fiji is made up of 300 islands, and we picked the furthest island out of all of them.

We were staying at a place called "Coral View" and all the staff members came out to greet us as we stepped off the boat. They all yelled "BULA!" which is a greeting in Fijian. They hugged each and every one of us. I retract my statement about Australians being the most friendly people in the world, because Fijians definitely win that round.

So, I know I'm spoiled. This comes as no shock to me. I like my bed without bugs, as well as my bathroom and shower. I like to primp and make an attempt to be attractive. However, at Coral View, I was not allowed these small pleasures. We were crammed into a room with 12 dirty beds. They never washed the sheets. There were mosquito nets with odd pink ribbons on them that trapped in all the heat at night so you couldn't breath. Also I found multiple species of bugs in my bed, which was beyond terrifying.

The bathroom and showers were a mess. Not only were bugs always crawling around in there, but they got backed up constantly, and smelled disgusting. Also, they were not sound proof. I was going to bathroom once and the guy in the stall next to me was puking his guts out. Lovely.

This trip proved to me how much I despise being outside and "roughing" it. I am incapable of doing this. I'm not ashamed to admit it. That's just the way I am, and now I know my lesson.

There were some good points about Coral View. We went cave diving, which was fantastic. At one point, we had to propel ourselves through a small underwater hole in order to get from one cave to another and it scared the bejesus out of me. But I did it! I was so proud of myself, and the result was well worth it. The cave was beautifully scary and dark and creepy but who can say they've done that?

There's a 70's movie with Brooke Shields called "The Blue Lagoon" and we went to the actual lagoon where the movie was shot. I went snorkeling for the first time and I saw a sea snake and almost peed my pants. But I'm just really proud of myself for doing all of these things that scare me. Sidenote: The lagoon was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I got horribly sunburn, but that's nothing new.

Things I learned from Coral View:
1.) Canadians are lame.
2.) Hammocks are not.
3.) How to say "Vanaka" and "Ise Lei" (means Thank You and Goodbye)
4.) Having a mirror and soap is KEY
5.) They don't neuter their dogs

We stayed at Coral View for three days and three nights. It was a good experience, but I can't tell you how glad I was to get back on that godforsaken boat. I actually felt homesick for Australia, not Boston.

*One thing I thought was really interesting was how the staff members at Coral View knew only island life. They have never left Fiji in their lives. One of them didn't know how to work Eleanor's camera. They took out of the trash our Australian magazines. It's just crazy to think that their world is so small.

Back on the main island, we went to our new hostel called the Aquarius. I never realized that Fiji is a third world country. There were stray dogs who were eating grass because they were so hungry. People drive around in ancient cars and the school kids run around with no shoes on. It was just a shock to be in a country like that.

THE AQUARIUS WAS AMAZING. Big screen TV, couches, restaurant, pool. My middle-class American heart jumped for joy. Sad, yet true.

We spent the night there on beds that didn't have their own ant colonies and left the next day at 6 o'clock. We got back to Bond at 1:30 AM on Tuesday morning. I immediately washed all my stuff. Can't be too careful.

I wish I could say that the trip was totally worth that kind of money, but I'm not 100 % sure I'd be telling the truth. We all got really sick too. Abby got a skin rash all over her body, causing her to have whitehead looking things all over her body. Ilana and Eleanor got massive bug bites, Ashleys had a stomach ache, and I was just dirty and miserable while we were there. I would tell people to only go if they like the outdoors, which I honestly don't.

Oh well. Something to tell my kids about.

Now we're back in Australia, huzzah! It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, wah wah. We're all going to rebel and have a girls night out tomorrow, I can't wait. I still haven't found a decent man around here, hopefully that will change.

I haven't been too good about the whole "going to class" thing, I have to work on that. Until I have something exciting to write about, ise lei!