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Other entries in Yasawa

The Bay of Plenty

So we went to see Mary and she sorted us right out on a 10 night trip around the islands starting at 6.30 the next morning. She also put us in for a few days in the tropic of capricorn hostel when we gat back. She was alos going to store our bags...nice. We met Mama who owns the place, she said welcome home and seemed to be as much like the godfather was you can get.

1-4 Our first trip of the day after breakfast was to the big yellow boat on the big yellow bus which had awesome down the side of it so that must be a good thing. Soon enough the ship was under way and the small islands were looming into view. It was a five hour trip to our island and it was fine apart from the few retarded young hungover guys that have to be loud and piss everyone off.

Soon enough we were at the island of Matacawalevu, while waiting for our transfer we watched the jelly fish floating by under the boat, and the people getting on from the other islands. Mia and I had a joke about one girl who got on who must have to by her bikinis in a kite shop as she had some of the biggest eyes we had ever seen. Then our location was called over the tannoy and we jumped into our little water taxi, we were about to go off when three other guys jumped in as well. Scotish John and Adam and Andy from the ooK. This was good for us as we didnt know if anyone else would be a t the resort.

As we approached the Bay of Plenty resort we all had a feeling of impending doom. We were met by David the gayest man in the fijian village, who gave us welcome drinks and a talk about the place. It was only a month old and he went on about doing the gardening and wot not. No one was really listening. We were shown to our room which were on top of the biggest hill i have walked up since San Francisco and Mia was really pissed off as she felt as if we had been ripped off again and thet Mary had pulled a fast one. The room was really nice though. I said it would be easy to get out of the place, but it would cost a bit. We had already paid up front for the four nights in the Bay. The boys had already said they would leave the next day.

Later in the day it was getting close to diner and  the boys had already gone down to the floor so we all joined them and found that a few rum and cokes (in a can) were going down really nicely. We joined in their poker game and Mia who has never played before in her life started to rake the rewards in as no one could ever tell if she was bluffing or not.

Now if we were annoyed about the lack of beach, there could be no complaints about the food. We had a mongolian bbq for tea and my word i havent had food that good in ages. it was so nice and all cooked in front of you...crazy. This was followed by me losing more poker chips.

The next day we were taken on a tour of the resort garden. Now i know what your thinking, your thinking "how quaint." but you see whne they say garden, what they really mean is tropical jungle at the back of the place. It was a grand adventure and i was waiting for david attenbourgh to jump out at any moment. We were shown loads of different banana plants some of which you cant eat, given sugar cane, saw how baskets are made from palm leaves, it was all very good. Then as we were talking it turned out that John had been walking just yards infront of us when we were in Aitituki in the cook islands...CRAZY!!!

In the afternoon the boys left and we got a taxi to another island where they filmed the remake of the blue lagoon, and let me tell you something, it aint that blue. There was a lot of good snorkelling and a big drop off in the reef which was a bit scary as the boys had spotted a shark the day before, i left my hat there. We talked ourselves into staying at the bay as well as there were things we wanted to do which we could do from the bay and the people were really nice and the food was good.

When we got back, some more people had arrived, 3 girls and a guy, and were playing cards, they did this till tea and then we all chatted about before having to run to the rooms due to the swarm of mossies....booooooooooo.

The next day we were up early for the usual time of 8am breakfast and we found out that Rachel and John were at the bay for the same time as us which would be cool as we seemd to get on ok. Today the manager Rummi had planned for us to go to the local village, we took a cava root with us as a gift for the chief to ask permission to look at his village. We were inited into his hut and he spoke a pray and offered us the chance to wander around. We all signed his book and told him where we were from. Then we wandered around the place looking at the church and met a few people. We met Rummi's uncle who has a son in the parachute regiment and a sign on his door from kuwait. His uncle used to be a big rugby player in fiji. Then we spent the rest of the day talking to John and Rachel, they are also going to be on the next island with us. After some great fish and chips for lunch, Rummie dropped the four of us on a deserted beach for swimming and snorkelling. It was nice but not as good as the (not so) blue lagoon, and the current was really strong.

When we got back he washed up and came down for tea, an irish guy called simon had arrived and we all ended up playing a card game called blow which is a bit like spoons. you get for cards and then pass one around until you have a set and then you have to puff out your cheeks the one to do it last gets a letter and you keep on going until some one has the four letters. I'll tell thee i haven't laughed so much in ages, it was such a good feeling to to be in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Up early the next day for a visit to the local school, at breakfast i was bitten on the head by a mossie and had a big lump on my temple. John and Rachel had already been to a school and said it was great so we were quiet looking forward to it. So at 10 am a group of us went to the school on the hill to see the children. On the way up we noticed that there was a porter loo for each year in the school, and all the kids were let out at the same time to go to the toilet. First we went to see master James who Mia and I had met on the first night. He was busy teaching the children maths. I looked at the algibra on the wall and had absolutely no idea what any of it meant. He was teaching the 13/14 year old kids that were about to sit the government exam to see if they could get into high school. I thought it was funny as i wouldnt have put any of the kids in his calss as above 10 in age.

Then it was up to the catholic church which had a big shammrock on the outside. it was built by Irish monks and nuns during the 40's and was dedicated to St. Patrick. It was really nice inside all wooden and clean like you would expect at home, which was a change from the otehr churches which i had seen which were mostly bare inside or had peeling paint on the walls.

Then we went off and sat in the libary and waited for the deputy head master to come and speak to us about his school and answer any questions we may have had. He was also really interested in where we had come from. We were also able to point out to Rummie where Guernsey was in the big wide world. The dept head made me laugh as he asked who we had on our money then told me to burn it when i said that we had the face of the queen. I think he has had enough of the royal family in Fiji.

When we got back the the Bay we sat with Rummie and he went through local myths and legends and asked us if we had any stories from back home. I really liked the way he was always trying to learn something from you as he shared his thoughts or history. One of the stories he told us was about the rev backer who was killed by one of the inland tribes. He said that as soon as they did it there was a curse put onto the tribe and people kept getting sick and would die. It was only three years ago that the tribe invited the rev great great grandchildren to fiji and with a ceremony with the church and the eldars they cleansed the village.

After the stories we went upstairs (after seeing Rummie husk a coconut (again)) and I had a nap. I was starting to get strange dreams and feel really light headed. Then i started to get cold, and in 30 degree heat if you start to get cold you know you must be ill. I tried to eat tea that night but i couldn't. I was in a bad way and my temperature was up to about 98. Mia was nice and looked after me making sure i was alright and made me take some of the many layers i had on off as i would be passing out from to much heat. The guys running the palce were really good and they went to find me some medicine and kept coming to see if i was alright. The only problem was that i couldnt keep my medicine in my stomach...awesome.

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