2/4- 2/6: Falling coconuts like tourists

Greetings all!

Passing through the Minneapolis/St. Paul gate and leaving Mom, Dad, and Matt on the other side was difficult! Luckily only 3 1/2 months until he comes to visit me in Perth. As we boarded the plane, Sara (my roommate) and I were stuck behind a hacking woman with her 10 kleenex & runny nose-- good thing we have Airbourne! Well, as things turned out, we had the privilege of sitting right next to this woman.

Fiji greeted us with humidity- something I had forgotten about! No lost luggage, another plus. On our way to Mango Bay Resort, our guide Zach taught us a little bit about Fiji, the culture, and the government, or lack there of. "Bula" is a friendly term used to mean: hi, welcome, and what's up. Zach also brought to our attention Fijian time- which basically means "when we feel like it" People move very slowly, and that may seem annoying, but really it was kind of nice to slow down the pace a bit. The economy in Fiji is dependent on tourism and sugarcane. Other than that, the country is full of poverty. Zach also told us about cava, a Fijian drink similar to alcohol and he recommended we try it.

Upon arrival, we were brought to our huts and told nothing is charged up front. Eat, drink, and be merry, until departure when your bill is given to you- that could mean trouble! We can snorkel, go scuba diving, take a boat tour, sand volleyball, hiking to waterfalls, and much more! It is truly paradise here.

While playing sand volleyball with the natives a coconut fell from the tree and landed directly next to Ryan Rosenberg. One worker said, "watch out for falling coconuts, they like tourists."

Peace and love always~
Molly