|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Dec 30, 2006 07:00 PM Happy New Year from the meridian 180 deg!
It is not easy to find inexpensive accomodation on the Garden Island - how they call Taveuni. But here is the secret: in the Garden Island Resort they have just two 4 -beds dormitories located close to the ferry and the grocery. 40 FJD - per bed -jst for the backpacker, who want to meet the New Year in the paradise. The view of Somosomo Strait from my window is just stunning!
The celebrations will start soon...
Happy New Year from the 180- meridian to all my Friends all over the world! Thenks for the wishes in mu guestbook! Thank you so much also for all Christmas wishes you sent to me and sorry - I had no possibility to response to everybody. All the best in the Year 2007!
|
Dec 29, 2006 07:00 PM From Savusavu to Somosomo - Fiji
To get from Vanua Levu to the island of Taveuni you can take take big car ferry. There are 3 sailings per week. But it cost 35 FJD one way. I found other solution: bus to Buca Bay and then junk ferry to Somosomo (what a names!) They said that bus is departing from Savusavu plaza daily at 8am. OK. I was there quarter in advance... No bus till 8.30. We organized with other people a pickup. 70 FJD divided by 10 people travelling packed like sardines on gravel, bumpy road. Road through the lush jungle - it is not civilized Viti Levu!
We were on time on the lonely jungle jetty in
Buca Bay. It was not a ferry waiting there for us to board... Old, junk, timber-made boat...
They charged just 7 FJD only for the 1,5 hour passage from the only European on board. The local people are great - everybody wants to help you! Smiles, talks and great views of Somosomo Strait. Now I am on the Taveuni Island. The 180 deg. meridian is crossing the island just one km west of my hotel. It is - at least in theory the data line. So I can celebrate the arrival of the New Year twice: each time on the other side of the data line...
|
Dec 28, 2006 07:00 PM Savusavu - back to the remote Fiji
I visited Fiji already 3 times but I never been on the eastern part of the archipelago. So it is a time to see Vanua Levu... It is beautiful! Savusavu is a little township with the atmosphere from the copra plantations days. With the main street along the picturesque bay filled by old, color houses and the crowd of friendly local people. Bula! I cannot see any problems connected with the recent military coup of - no reason to cancel the reservations for the vacations in this friendly country. It is inexpensive: big papaya on the market costs just 50 local cents, 14 bananas - also 50, kilo of bread: 2 dollars.
There is "Hidden Paradise Guest House" just in the waterfront - they charge 26 FJD for the room with fan. Internet cost 7.5 FJD an hour. I have great views and a great time!
|
Dec 26, 2006 07:00 PM Sailing to Cook Island...
Do you know that there is another Christmas Island on the Indian Ocean?
I have been there before - see my private web page for the pictures...
The Christmas Island on the Pacific where I am at the moment was discovered and named by famous cpt James Cook in the Christmas Eve of 1777... He landed on the little islet at the entrance to the lagoon. Now there is the reserve of the sea birds... If you want to go there pay first 10 AUD (this is the currency of Kiribati) at the wildlife office in London. Then rent a motorboat (70 AUD after bargaining) and sail to the Cook Island where cpt Cook landed.
It is worth! There are terns and frigate birds - thousands of them! They are so courious by your presence that they are coming almost to your hands...
|
Dec 25, 2006 07:00 PM Dancing in the heat...
36 deg. Celsius -Second day of my Christmas on Christmas Island...
Dancing competition in the maneapa - the orgy of the colors, rythms, dynamic singing. Not for the tourists - I am the only tourist or the traveller -if you wish - in the maneapa... Last time I saw such event in Papua New Guinea - but it was not such spontaneous and full of natural joy like here. It took here 4.5 hours non-stop. London in the white and red colors won the competition. Bravo!
For lunch - boiled breadfruit with seme beef from the can... I always prefere the fish but it seems that they do not fish during the Christmas celebrations. Another great day under the palm trees!
|
Dec 24, 2006 07:00 PM Choirs of the South Pacific...
This was the day of the singing competition between four settlements located on the Christmas Island: London, Tabakea, Banana and Poland...
Yes, there is settlement named Poland on the far end of the atoll. It was probably named by the chief engineer from the copra boat visiting Christmas Island at the beninning of XX century... I visited Poland before Chrismas - the people there know almost nothing about Poland in Europe...
But at the competition they were singing very nice... During Christmas meeting every village wear different colors: Poland wear withie and blue, Banana white and green, London: white and red - the colors of the Polish flag - I found this very, very nice...
|
Dec 23, 2006 07:00 PM Christmas Eve on Christmas Island
It was wonderful evening! Very, very hot!
Everybody in Tabakea was waiting for the mignight mass.
It took place in the huge, traditional maneapa - meeting place
without the walls.
There were a lot of folklore during the celebration - the bible, bread and the wine were coming in the procession of the locals in traditional costumes made of flowers and palm leaves. What a choir singing! And when at midnight I heared magnificent "Gloria" performed by this modest, barefoot people on the remote Pacific island I said to myself: I'll never forget this Chrismas Day on the Christmas Island...
|
Dec 21, 2006 07:00 PM Merry Christmas from Christmas Island!
It will be my first Chistmas Day away from home...
But what a place, and what a lovely people around!
They are preparing for Christmas special song and dances, there will be competition between the four settlements
located on the atoll. I expect to have wonderful time.
Sorry - no christmas tree... It is very hot and humid here - not like in Europe...
Anyway - Merry and Joyful Christmas to all my Friends from Christmas Island on the Pacific!
Wojtek
|
Dec 20, 2006 07:00 PM Poland in the middle of the Pacific!
Believe or not - one of the four settlements on the Christmas Island is named: POLAND. So this was my priority to see the place and to meet the people living there. The problem is that Poland lies far away from London, where I stay...
-It is on the other side of the lagoon - more then then 2,5 hours driving from London to Poland.
Yes, my friendly host - the priest took me there. I saw the tiny houses under the palms, the school and the St Stanislaus church, the copra sheed. I meet friendly people from Poland in the Pacific - the live from the copra. There is a lot of coconut palms around...
I took a lot of pictures - the people are not shy, but it is not easy to comunicate with them - only few people speak English.
I will see them again at Christmas Day...
|
Dec 19, 2006 07:00 PM My dream came true
There are no lights on the runway of Christmas Island airport - daylight landings only! It was 6 am whem I saw for the first time this inusual place - remote island of Kiritimati - how the local call Chistmas Island. Palms, palms and the ocean around... One plane per week only...
We landed soon. There were only 8 passengers leaving 737, including locals.
On the tiny barrack of the terminal I saw "Welcome to Christmas Is" - yes, my dream come true! Here I am!
Formalities took me 4 minutes. Officers are smiling...
If front of the "terminal" just few barefoot people. -Mauri!
Do you have reservation? No I do not want to pay for the
room in the only expensive hotel "Capitan Cook".
One of the friendly guys took me by his junk car 17 km - to the main settlement of London - I found there inexpensive room without a/c or fan at the catholic parish. But it is airy and what a view of the lagoon!
|
Page:
267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277
|
|
|
