The water was sort of blue, but not the deep, clear blue of past anchorages. There were beaches, but they were rocky and often jutted up to major cities. It was these cities that perplexed us most. They were bustling hotspots of markets, eateries, and shops selling everything you can imagine, often managed by Indians. Were we in the South Pacific Islands, or India?
Here, the population is an even mix between the Indian descendents of laborers brought in generations ago to work the sugarcane fields, and the indigenous Fijian people. We heartily enjoyed restaurants that served curry dishes, browsed through shops selling everything from guitars to bed sheets to rice cookers, and some of us even tried on the typical Indian tunic (called a "kurta"). The streets were packed with people, Indian and Fijian alike, and when school let out we saw the joyful crowds of students from many backgrounds rushing toward buses to go home.
Each city that we visited offered a different vibe. Suvasuva is quiet and well-kept, with marinas and shops catering to cruisers and tourists. Labasa is only a few blocks long but explodes with Indian culture and life. Lautoka is a sprawling, vibrant city, with restaurants and shops hidden in every nook, and friendly people that greeted us with a cheerful "Bula bula!" as we passed. Fiji wasn't what we expected - it was better.
SWC
