Fiji: The First Day

Bula (welcome) to Fiji!

Some of the Fiji group met each other at airports, such as me and Brian, and then a few more of us in Los Angeles. We finally all grouped up at Nadi International and awaited our coordinator to pick us up after we grabbed our bags and went through customs followed by one last round of security. This part was actually effortless and we had a hold of our luggage as soon as we got to the baggage claim.

After a few panicked phone calls, our coordinator, Tulevu, picked us up at the arrival hall and another man carted us and our baggage to the Trans International Hotel in multiple trips. Soon enough, we randomly paired up and were give our rooms. I roomed with a really sweet girl named Nicole, who I had previously spoken to in our group chat and then found in the airport.

We settled into our room, which had a double and a queen bed, and then ate breakfast at our hotel, which consisted of eggs, fruit, toast and cereal. It was nice to know that our breakfast, lunch and dinner were included in our stay at the hotel. I was actually surprised by the satisfactory quality of the food, considering the hotel was not the most amazing place to stay.

Unfortunately, it had been raining in Nadi for days, and it did not choose to terminate upon our arrival. Due to flooding, we were not able to visit the temple we planned to see. So, that left us to our own devices at the hotel to occupy ourselves. We ended up taking taxis to the local supermarket and grabbing some drinks and snacks. I am glad we were able to see the area, which is a typical island community with colorful homes and small shops along the main road.

The rest of the day, the group, which consists of nine students, socialized in the lobby around music and some food. It was not the first experience I had in mind for Fiji, but it was an experience, to say the least. I keep thinking about Rome and how well everyone got along so quickly because I can see the same thing happening here. We will all get separated once we are in Australia, but a few of us definitely want to stay in touch.

I cannot say much about the days to come, as our itinerary is fairly vague and our coordinator takes each part of the day step by step. I know we are supposed to do some hiking tomorrow, so hopefully the rain does not ruin that. Onto the next experience!