Fishing
Snorkeling
A relaxing meal poolside
River Rafting on the Navua River
Tour the new spa at the Shangri La
So today was all about packing in as much activity as I could in the few short hours we had left.
First, in Fijian tradition, I had to enjoy the hotel’s lovely breakfast buffet. Lata had told me the ocean-side seats fill up quickly, so I made it a point to get there early. I left my room, just after pausing to catch this gorgeous shot of the sunrise from my balcony.Call Me Ishmael
Then, I signed myself up for an early morning fishing trip. I got to the activities center a little early, so even managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of “relaxing” time, lying on a deck chair by the lagoon.
The fishing trip was about as wonderful as I hoped it would be.
Other than the captain, I was the first to pull in a fish. When I asked Captain Nate what kind of fish I caught, he told me “it is a goldfish that escaped from his bowl.” What was sad was little Nemo Junior died before we could throw him back in the ocean, so we had to cut him up for bait.
That was also the last fish I caught that day. (Pretty much as expected.)
One gentleman on the boat did okay, pulling in about four fish, although he wouldn’t be winning any prizes for size. His friend (who asked to be left nameless due to the shame) didn’t manage to catch anything.
Romantic Wedding Chapel
Later Barbara and I caught up with Lata for an insider tour of the new “Chi” spa that is scheduled to be opened in July. These are deluxe little mini-villas that will serve as both massage bungalows and private accommodations. They are still in the early building stages, but the place is already looking pretty impressive.We also stopped at the Shangri-La’s oceanfront Chapel, and if I ever accidentally get married, this would be the place I want to do it. A small patio out back
At Last, Snorkeling
I enjoyed a lovely lunch with Lata before I finally went off to engage in some snorkeling. The activities directors recommended I stay inside the roped off swim area. At first I was disappointed because the coral was beyond the rope. Not having much time, and not knowing exactly how much time I would need, I elected not to swim to the coral, which I kind of wish I would have. However, once I started paying attention, and stopped my self pity party I was amazed by the volume of sea life hanging out in the busy swim area.
I can feel my sister the marine biologist shaking her head at me as she reads this, because of course I have no idea what the names of most of the fish were, but I do know that I was being chased by some tuna (small by tuna standards, but still about two feet long, which is big enough for me.)
I also did see a sea snake, which I thought might be something else, but later ran into Captain Nate who confirmed the black and white and yellow thing that looked like a snack was indeed . . . a snake. I saw a rock fish, countless Sweet Lips, and numerous other fish that I have NO idea what the heck they were but made up my own cute little names for. Here’s the part where my sister wonders how such a hopeless science retard made it into her family.
The End
Time was pulling to a close, and since I stayed in the water thirty minutes longer than what I'd intended, I was rushing a bit to get my act together before leaving.
After check out, Barbara, Lata and I enjoyed a final farewell drink at the beachside Bilo Bar. You can see my nose is a bit rosy from this morning’s fishing excursion. Behind is you can just barely make out the very end of a most fabulous sunset. During happy hour, the resort hosts a nightly singing contest among the staff members. This is hugely popular with resort guests who all come down to root for their favorites.
As we were leaving the resort, Lata gave us a bag of press kit information and inside we found our very own collection of fabulous Pure Fiji products. How lovely of her to help me with my substance collection problem. The bag will sit somewhere at home in a place of honor. Until I decide to actually have my mini spa day.
What a perfect way to close out our magical Fiji adventure.
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