Bula Fiji!

"Bula" means hello in Fijian.  Recently, we rekindled friendships with other SCUBA divers from Minnesota at a resort on Beqa (pronounced "Benga") Island in Fiji.   Since we've only just gotten settled in Hong Kong, we felt a little bit sheepish going off on vacation so soon, but we committed to this trip early last year and wanted to stick with the plan.

Fiji is truly an island nation, and Beqa is but one of Fiji’s 330 islands that are spread across both sides of the international date line.  Indeed, the country likes to boast that Fiji is "where the world begins each day."  Fijians are remarkably warm and hospitable people and the country is noted for its rugged and volcanic terrain, lush greenery, spectacular SCUBA diving and the occasional and relatively peaceful coup. 
 

Leaf Scorpion Fish

Testament to the vastness of the Pacific: Nadi (Fiji’s international airport) is 10 hours by air from Hong Kong, almost as long as the flight from LAX. Upon arrival we took a jitney 150 kilometers, followed by a 40-minute boat ride to our resort, where we stayed in a ‘bure’ (a glorified hut) for ten nights. The dining was as terrific as the diving, with menu options emphasizing fresh fruit and other south Pacific fare, supplemented by meat and dairy products from Australia and New Zealand.  Each day we marveled at the logistics required just to keep people fed.

SCUBA diving is the main activity at the resort, and I packed in 16 dives during our stay.  Because of its beautiful colors, soft coral is a real draw for SCUBA divers and it is more commonly found in the Pacific, along with a variety of critters unique to this region.  As usual, I shot a lot of photos. For anyone interested in seeing more of them, here is a video: (full disclosure: the video is 4-1/2 minutes long).

Blue Ribbon Eel

            

Jeff prefers amateur radio to diving. He obtained a Fijian license (3D2FJ) and made 1,028 2-way contacts on Morse Code with other amateurs in 62 countries and far-flung locations as remote as a Russian scientific base in the Antarctic, all on battery power. 

Jeff in his "Ham Shack"

On the remote islands, Fijians live in villages, and life there seems to revolve around the local schools.  During our stay on Beqa, we visited a primary school and a secondary school and were serenaded there (and on several other occasions) with songs sung in both English and Fijian.  Music is an integral part of Fijian life, and children are taught to sing from the time they start school, if not before.  Almost half of the students at the high school level are boarders due to the distances between villages and even other islands. We took a variety of school supplies that were gratefully accepted as donations.

The Beqa Secondary School serenades us

Our trip was a restful break from our busy lives here in Hong Kong and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with our friends from back home.  Vinaka (Fijian for "thank you") to Evie, Bill, Sue, Gary, Glenda, Tom, Bev and Denny for making our vacation so special!