Maysie's Travels

Everyday I wake up and feel a greater connection and love for this island and everyone and everything on it.

Sitting with Pupu making jewellery together as he talked to me about the shell he was using, how his wife had found it and how it had been in his house for the last 20 years. Now he’s using it to make me a necklace – what an amazing gift.

Chilling with the boys on the grog mat each evening, listening to the beautiful singing of Nemani and Tale and joking with Jone Robinson that he’s my long lost brother. Hearing Tonya’s words of wisdom as I’m wondering if another 2am session is wise; ‘don’t think about yesterday, don’t think about tomorrow, only experience today’.

Relaxing in a hammock, reading my book for a few minutes until Poi and Poasa come running to start swinging it until I nearly capsize and then jumping in giggling.
Sharing moments with Jenny BeBe (ne Wavu)in the dark ‘watering’ the beach and counting our blessings.

Laughing with Wati and Kini in the kitchen, sharing naughty jokes and looking after Kini’s little boy Leavi, as the delicious pawpaw curry is simmering on the stove.

Listening to the school children on Mali singing songs, harmonizing beautifully, so much so that I become chocked up and feel my heart expand some more.

There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s Vorovoro.

I'm a little behind myself on the blogging front - I've been having such a lovely time that I tend not to want to leave the island and come to Labasa to use the internet, so you'll have to forgive me :-)

Here is a quick summery to get back on track and I'll have to fill in the details later:

August 22nd - arrived on Vorovoro

Fell in love with the island and people - extended

Stayed till the 2nd September when everyone had to leave as the island was having a holiday for a week before the next 5 year lease came into effect.

Spent a week on Viti Levu Island in Nadi and Suva chilling

9th September return to Vorovoro for another 2 weeks

10th September - decide I need longer and want to run for Chief

14th September - voting opens and my fingers are crossed

If I become chief I will be on Vorovoro until November!! This is what I came travelling for, not to tick the coutries off my list as I saw them, but to immerse myself in culture, to make great connections and live on a tropical island paradise!

If you want to know where I'll be check out this link: http://www.tribewanted.com/ and then come visit me :-)

22nd August
I've landed in Nadi! I took a double decker plane from LAX - it was huge.
I slept pretty well on the flight and chatted to my neighbour, an attorney from Davis, CA!
I experienced Fiji time quite quickly - the giant plane was disembarked through a single security scanning belt - it took about 2 hours!

I was planning on taking the bus to Suva to catch my flight to Labasa, but was advised by the coach company that there wasn't enough time. I therefore booked on a separate flight from Nadi to Suva so I could make my connection to Labasa.

I went from the largest plane I'd ever been on to the smallest! It was about as wide as a train carriage and I could see the propellers. Once in Suva I had to wait 5 hours for my next flight which was on a similar sized plane.

In Labasa I couldn't see anyone from Tribewanted there to pick my up as they were supposed to. Everyone was leaving the airport - its very small, a solitary building and airstrip, and an Indian family asked if I wanted to share a taxi with them into town. I accepted this offer as I knew I had to get to the Grand Eastern Hotel to meet Tribewanted and take a boat to the island. Luckily I arrived just as they were about to leave... there had needless to say a mix up with my arrival time.

Fiji is very different to any where I've been before, the buses belch out black smoke, palm trees and banana trees are everywhere and people line the streets in Labasa which is dirty and crowded, but everyone seems really friendly.

After 3 flights and a boat ride I was finally at my destination, Vorovoro - www.tribewanted.com/

Amazing!

August 18th
Flew to LA - what a concrete jungle it looked from the sky - really bleak after San Fran. I landed and then took the subway to Hollywood and Vine and walked 5 blocks to the hostel which was really nice - but I did have to bring out my ear plugs. I went to the open mic night on my first night and there were some really good singers/guitar players.

August 19th
Warner Brothers Studio Tour!! Amazing.
I made my way to the bus stop and saw two other girls waiting there, so I asked if there were from the hostel and they said 'yes' and I asked if they were going to the WB tour and they said 'yes' so it was great as I could spend the day with them, getting to and from the studio and seeing all the stuff together.

MORE TO COME!!!

Extracts from my journal August 12th;

Day 2: Farmers market & free open air concert at Stern Grove

Day 3: Hayt Street, met up with Lucie from the Ranch and Kelsey & Davis and we went to a wicked Hookah bar and then all went back to Kelseys house and her hot tub.

Day 4: Hike up Mt. Tam in the day and then we all went to Acme, Kelsey and Davis' local bar where they treated us to the dance from Footloose - awesome!

Day 5: Chill back at Alastair's.

August 13th
I went to MOMA (museum of modern art) and thought I had pneumonia today! I happened to take a deep breathe ad heard and felt a gurgling sound! After that the museum was a bit of a blur, but I liked the Richard Avedon & Gorgia O'Keefe exhibits - I ended up walking 6 miles around San Fran after becoming impatient waiting for a street car...so ruled out any imminent health issues!!

August 14th
Today I walked 4 miles, had a Greek salad for lunch made with iceberg lettuce(!!) and visited the exploratorium, although in the end I only had a half hour there before it closed and I could have spent 2 hours at least, plus its more the kind of place where 2 people are better than one.

August 15th
I decided to ignore the cold I had come down with the night before and went to visit the Academy of Sciences and looked at the Aquarium which was really interesting (although I have now snorkeled in Fiji on a reel life coral reef so it's not quite so vivid...) Had a great time sitting in the Golden Gate Park afterwards listening to a live band and reading, bliss.

August 16th
I went to see Alcatraz on this day and it was quite amazing - so much history on the island. I listened to a really interesting talk on Al Capone, about what he was really like and how his voice was actually quite high! It was windy, cold, eerie and unfortunately crowded! I sat in an solitary confinement cell by myself which was quite something and heard the cell doors being opened and closed with large bangs!

August 17th
Last full day in San Fran, met up with Lucie, wrapped some presents and packed.