After our adventure we boarded another bus , this time to Suva with a change of buses and onward to a stop on the side of the road just past a bridge it was here that we would meet a boat to take us down river and out into the ocean to the small island resort of Caqalai.
Caqalai is a small island of the Lomaiviti group of the eastern coast of Vitu Levu. Run by the Methodist church this resort is basic and rustic with bungalows scattered beneath the coconut palms and separate cold water showers and toilets. It is a place full of warm welcomes, smiles and music. Meals are included and communal and there is a daily volleyball match, people even come from other islands by boat to take part. Every evening during dinner there is live music from the resident band, Fijian traditional songs interspersed with other more familiar tunes played on several guitars and sung in chorus. The diving and snorkeling here are spectacular and the dive shop is run by an extremely helpful husband and wife team. This is a piece of Pacific Island paradise, a place to walk barefoot in the sand, swim among the fish and be serenaded by guitars.
Only a one hour boat ride from Caqalai is Lavuka a small town on the island of Ovalau. Here the colonial era buildings are nestled along a strip on waterfront with a backdrop of lush green hills. The buildings however are not what one would expect, they look more American West than English or Pacific Island. Clap board stores, cafes, pool halls and library are all made from American Pine timber that was used as ballast for vessels coming to Fiji. The people of Lavuka are mixed indo Fijians, Fijians and Chinese but they all seem to coexist peacefully. It is a town of church fairs and friendly smiles and everyone seems ready to say Bula.
The rerun trip to Vitu Levu was a wet and bumpy one but on the bus to our next destination we quickly dried out. VoliVoli is a beach near the town of RakiRaki and we stayed two nights at the dorms of this flashpacker. It is ideal for hanging on the beach or taking out a Kayak, just check the tides first. VoliVoli is also a place to go diving and if our budget had allowed we would have. After VoliVoli we returned to Fi and Api’s house and had a chance to look around their village a bit more. The children were very friendly and curious and accompanied us on all of our wanderings. After breakfast the next morning we headed to the airport for the next leg of our journey, Japan.

- Fiji Caqalai Island-