lesleyjl21

i just did a road trip here for a job interview from l.a. great weather, beautiful desert city. i liked what i saw. pretty place, friendly people.

About 3/4 of the way up, I had to ask for the horse to take me the rest of the way. They have guides that follow you up with horses (in anticipation of it being too difficult for you I imagine) and every time you stop to catch your breath, that’s grounds to ask you for 50 quetzales to ride the horse because the horse is easier. I didn’t have any quetzales on me, but I had four U.S. dollars I hadn’t yet converted and they took it. What a relief for me, otherwise I don’t know that I would have made it. I didn’t think it would be as difficult as it really was. Boy, was I wrong… Talk about an intense workout.

If you go in the evening, make sure you have a flashlight because it was pitch black coming back down. I was lucky, I had a very sweet guy – tourist like myself – who went in front of me (a true gentleman!) to make sure I didn’t fall or slip (though he did plenty for both of us!).

I also singed my shoes… I would say be careful on the hardened lava.

I overheard an Aussie family say the aquarium in Sydney is much larger than this place and they were a bit disappointed, but it was what it was. I haven’t been there so I can’t concur. It’s certainly not Sea World, but it’s nice to walk through and see the different species of fish. It’s amusing, if quick to get through. Lots of kids naturally.

I only wish the moving floor was working through the tunnel where glass is all around you and the fish are swimming everywhere, that was a bit of a disappointment. Good for an hour or so.

Seriously recommended to go on the Sigatoka River Safari. It’s totally unbelievable and never will you see the more realistic and un-touristy Fiji at its best. We were taken on a jet boat waaay down the river and welcomed to a hidden Fijian village by amazingly friendly villagers. They treated us like their own family. We were also able to partake in a kava ceremony in the chief’s house. We were served lunch of native items and played music for. They love photos and appreciate if when you develop them you send a copy of your photos back. Dancing was a lot of fun. Everyone agreed it was completely unlike anything we ever thought we would experience.

sigatokariver.com

LOL, I won $112 and didn’t walk away…

I checked into my hotel the Rydges Auckland and lo and behold I was given a complimentary room upgrade to the top floor (14) and my view was of the sky tower! I could see jumpers from the observation deck sail down and I was right in the heart of downtown. I thought I would get lost, but it’s pretty easy to get used to. I didn’t mind the winter weather at all and I think it only rained a little bit while I was there.

If you are short on time (I was there only 4 days), I recommend the Auckland explorer bus which got me around to seeing everything very quickly. It’s guided but it lets you hop on and hop off at your leisure throughout the day. I did Kelly Tarlton’s underwater world, Auckland museum, and the contemporary art gallery on Wellesley and Lorne Sts – which an employee was super great and took me around the exhibits. We had a lovely chat. It was an easy walk to the ferry building and I got a guided tour pass on Rangitoto Island and a return pass to visit Devonport. I really liked this restaurant there called “Manuka”. I also climbed the Auckland Harbour bridge and did some gambling (winning/losing) at SkyCity casino. There’s also this little chinese place you can get six different items on the hot bar for NZ$6.00. I couldn’t finish it all!

If I could get used to the traffic flowing on the opposite side of the roads (I’m American what can I say), I would definitely move there because it’s a fantastic and laid back city. It reminded me much of San Francisco. The Kiwis are great. Next time I will visit more of the island. Auckland is a great start.

There’s so much to do and even when it rains, it’s still absolutely lovely. There’s virtually no traffic lights and one main road through town. Great for exploring. Fun to shop and sit down to eat. I bought some fijian music and had to get a second suitcase to put all my souvenirs in. The beaches are top notch and the water is warm and not too wild or choppy. Good for swimming and you can go out pretty far without worry if you’re a good swimmer.

The taxi drivers are very chatty and love to tell you about everything you are passing and answer questions. Not too expensive to get a ride, either.

Only thing, there can be a lot of children (think: the under 8 crowd) if you time your visit to Australian/New Zealand school holidays as I did. I was by myself and I found that a little bothersome as far as my resort was concerned.

If you are a workaholic like me or if your life is generally pretty busy, there’s this thing called “fiji time” which is – I guarantee you – unlike what you’ve been used to. It’s an emphasis on leisure. Things just kind of slow down and move at the pace you want to move on vacation. I truly felt like time was extended for me. I would check the clock and it would be hours earlier than I thought it was.

People are soo friendly. Everyone is very welcoming and they love that you have taken the time to visit their country. You can’t beat the views and if in Nadi, I recommend searching out this restaurant called “Tatas” because they have the best curry in town. I also recommend visiting the Wyndham on Denarau Island (she also has a place at the Nadi airport) to see my new friend Beatrice who runs a motorbike company. Nothing like seeing the countryside on motorbike! She’s also very reasonable to rent for the day or week.

I stayed at the Westin Denaurau Island Resort and Spa. It is recently remodeled. The staff is amazing, as is the spa. There is not a bad view from any room and the Adrenalin company has jet ski rentals, that are a bit pricey but worth it. Next time I might stay at the new Radisson. That had just opened a week before I got there.

there’s no more famous sight in london. plus you have people going about their business as normal and tourists standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring upwards with cameras. well i too was one of those tourists so i didn’t feel quite so bad.

nice contrast of two worlds when you think about it: those on vacation and those who would rather be on vacation.

because if it’s dark, it’s only a matter of minutes before it’s windy and pouring which is what happened to me. i randomly met some french tourists when they were suddenly standing under my umbrella with me. (“well, um, hello…?” it was funny and nice to meet them.) they cancelled the changing that thursday and told us to come again on saturday, so we did. only thing, i wonder if people sleep there overnight because there’s positively no just showing up an hour ahead of time and getting a photo of anything but a million or so people trying to do the same thing you are.