Bula! Fiji, Hi! LA and Hola! Mexico

Well I am finally back on blog again having had no proper access to internet on my island in Fiji, now I am sitting watching an incredible sunset on the Pacific coast of Mexico, in Ensenada on the Baha peninsula!  what a view 6 floors up with the waves lapping below, I could be on a cruise ship but it is better.

Fiji was not what I expected, after a delayed departure from Auckland we got in in the early hours of the morning and I was surprised at the poverty of the area I drove through to reach the hotel for a few hours shut eye, maybe the morning would reveal life in a different light.  All my life I thoughy of Fiji as an exotic paradise so therefore after so long I presumed conditions for locals would be good.  On departing the hotel for the marina where I was to catch a boat for a 4and half hour trip north to my island I was shocked at the conditions of transport and housing and environment.  It was reflective of Bangladesh except they have 130,000,000 to Fiji's 800,000!  That was my first shock but then we arrived near the port and had to pass through security gates and drove through this manicured, tree lined, beautiful homes etc and it just did not gel for me.

Now the people are lovely, very helpful and friendly and great fun.  I boarded a large Catamaran on a glorious morning and started my fijian experience.  The journey was glorious warm and exhilirating as we weaved our way north through many islands that rose out of the sea not unlike Arranmore and others that appeared like crowns of green sitting on bands of gold, you can picture the scene.  It was wonderful and augured well for the following 5 days.  On arrival we were greeted by locals singing for us and a refreshing fruit cocktail.  I was escorted to my lodge and thereafter went barefoot as there was sand everywhere even the restaurant floor.  I was in my element and was in the sea in no time and floated happily like a walrus!  It was so warm I was in 7th heaven.  Settled in with books galore, total relaxation.  That was the first and last day of sunshine!  There started for the rest of the week some form of hurricane which kept moving around the islands and except for an odd 5 minutes or so the skies were grey, stormy with lots of torrential rain.  But you know what it was so warm that I continued to swim and sat out in a hammock when it was dry and ran for cover when the rain came, I read, swam, ate and slept so I was well pampered, again.

Most of the people there were young couples and a few single, all very friendly and travelling around the islands so there was a lot of movement everyday.  I met a few young people from Antrim and Armagh and a special hello to AnneMarie and Joe from england and Kim and Mike US/Canada with whiom I shared some fun moments.  Mike was our entertainment during the stormy weather as he Kite surfs and it was so fantastic to watch, I described Donegal Bay to him and he said it would be ideal conditions for it so watch out the 'Eagle' might land one day soon.  It certainly would be a lovely sport to watch.

All good things must come to an end and it was time for my departure.  Until that day I did not know I got sea sick but our exodus from Blue Lagoon was the roughest I have ever had.  Because it was raining we had to go inside but it was terrible and eventually I braved the elements again and arrived into port damp but in one piece.  Bula and Vinaka Fiji

Then it was onto LA for a couple of nights with my nephew Niall, wife Kacia and their beautiful daughter Star, if anyone was named correctly it was her and she is in the right place!  We had a great couple of days and I was given a quick tour and then a couple of drives through Topanga Valley where Niall has lost his heart.  We had some good discussions and I must say that with all the young people I have met on my journey if they were in charge the world might be a better place, they are so passionate, up to date with what is going on, they just need to take the next step because only they can. Thank you LA Carney's for wonderful memories.

Last Monday morning Niall left me at Grand Union Station where I took the Amtrak to San Diego, it was a lovely relaxing train journey along the western seaboard and on arrival at San diego my host was there with camera in hand to record for posterity!  Tom and I crossed the border into Mexico and arrived in Ensenada as the sun was going down and every evening it has been different but beautiful and that is all for now!