Bula! (hello, how are you? and much more). Our time in Fiji has ended. Vinaka (thank you) to everyone who made this trip wonderful. We have had a great time and met some wonderful people.

Hannah from Sydney, Australia

Matthew from Fiji

Shayal from Fiji

Now to learn some fun facts. The jungle myna is very common in Fiji. We saw them a lot at the resort. A very useful tree of Fiji is the coconut tree. Another fact is that Fiji time is very slow. If someone is late, they just say “Fiji Time.” Fiji is in the Standard Time Zone (19 hours ahead of California). When you travel here you cross the international date line, so we are one day ahead.    The climate is very tropical and humid. Did you know that two Fijian dollars equals one American dollar? Use the information in this post to answer the quiz questions at the bottom of the page. Well, now we are on the next leg of our journey. Fiji was very relaxing and fun. We all had a wonderful time. I hope we can go there again someday. Quiz questions: 1. If I bought a souvenir for 34 Fijian dollars, how much would that be in American dollars? 2. If it was 2:00pm on a Wednesday in Fiji, what time and day would it be in California? 3. What symbol is on Fiji’s flag that is also on England’s flag? Special treat from around the world to my classmates who answer these questions correctly! Bula! Bula! And Vinake, Fiji! Next stop is New Zealand, starting in Auckland.

Keep calm and travel around the world

This is the boat that brought us to Savala.

We just returned from a real Fiji adventure! Oolala Savala! Savala is the name of the island we visited. It took one hour and fifteen minutes to get there by boat . Savala is a small, uninhabited island off the coast of mainland Fiji.

On the way, we jumped off the boat into the crystal clear, turquoise water to snorkel. We saw the beautiful colors of the coral reef and the exotic creatures within it, including tropical fish, starfish and sea urchins. We even saw Nemo, the clown fish. After that, we got to feed a school of fish that surrounded the boat. It tickled when all the fish swarmed around my hand eating every morsel of bread while taking curious nibbles at my fingers.

You can catch a glimpse of the fish we fed. There were literally thousands of them swimming around us.

Once we got back on the boat, a boy named Coby from Australia and I got to steer the vessel while a band played for us.

Once we reached the white sandy island, we were served a delicious lunch with bbq chicken, salad and tropical fruit.

One of our guides taught us all about the uses of a coconut tree, Fiji’s national tree. You may think the trees are just palm trees, but these trees produce coconuts. Nothing from the trees goes unused. Coconut roots are used in medicine to get the poison out if someone steps on a stone fish. Coconut trunks are used to make furniture, coconuts are used for food and coconut leaves are used to weave baskets, hats and fishing nets. They even use the spine of the leaf to make brooms.

After the demonstration we fed baby sharks. Their mother abandoned them, so the guides of our tour feed them. They are called black tip sharks. The guide let me feed the baby sharks some chicken.

Then, I got to go stand-up paddle boarding. It was my first time, but I only fell off once. We decided to snorkel a bit more, though we didn’t see much because our boat left soon.

On the way back, the captain stopped the boat and we got to dive off the boat. They served us tea and fresh baked banana bread and we sang songs with the band. What a nice adventure in Fiji!

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Keep calm and travel around the world!

We’re here in Fiji now with our host family: Sachin, Malti, and Shayal. Our host family is originally from India. They invited us to the birthday celebration of one of their gods, Ram. The celebration lasts eight to nine days, in which no meat is eaten. We got to see all the native outfits and experience all the culture. During the ceremony there was singing, dancing, and praying in the Hindi language.

host family

Hindi God Rama Celebration

At our hosts’ house I noticed that Fijians eat mostly with their hands. They mix food up into a ball with their hands, combining different foods from their plate. During breakfast, Malti taught us some of the history of Fiji. The Indians were tricked by the British into thinking they could go to Fiji, get a job, make some money and go back home. But Malti said once they arrived, the Europeans forced them into being slaves and never let them go home. Meanwhile there were the natives of the island, The first Fijians came from Africa. English is required in school and our friend Mathew (not you, Matthew L, or any other Matthew we know in America), told us that if you spoke Fijian at school, you would get punished.

Traditional Meal at celebration

There are no shoes in the house and no napkins are used. Fiji is multicultural (Fijians, Indians, Chinese, Europeans). Malti said that mostly the Chinese, Europeans, and Indians are the busniess owners.

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Keep Calm and Travel Around the World!

Peace Around the World

Our trip around the world has begun! First stop, Fiji. What better way to start then sharing about our lovely plane rides. The first plane we took went to Los Angeles (we didn’t stay there, just got on a different plane). This plane was very small. Then, we switched to a plane that was much larger for our trip across the Pacific. There were mini televisions on the backs of seats and two full meals. On the way, we crossed the Equator and the international date line (when you cross the date line, it’s as if you are going into the future, or one day ahead). When we looked out the window, we were amazed to see the Big Dipper, but what made it different is that is was in the vertical position. I’ve never seen it like that, have you?

Arrived!

I have many hopes and dreams for our trip. I can’t wait to see all the wildlife, the cultures, art, recreation, and mountains while trekking. You don’t know what to expect while traveling the globe. Amazing things are hidden around every corner. I can’t wait!

We will be seeing animals everywhere. There are many species that are found nowhere else! I’m looking forward to siting dingoes, my favorite animal, in Australia. Our safari in South Africa will reveal many creatures. There will be many interesting birds in Europe. We might even see a whale when we go to a beach!

There will be many different cultures and foods around the globe. I hope there are some fun acting activities in the Sydney Opera House. Maybe we can try weird types of sea creatures in Japan. There might be interesting cultures in Nepal. I want to ride in the canals of Venice on a boat.

When we go trekking, we will see some AWSOME rock formations. I bet there are rocks that are thousands of years old! There will also be weird plants. We will meet many new friends. Who knows, there might be hidden treasures out there.

On a trip around the world, who wouldn’t want to go for a little swim? The only thing to worry about is getting bitten by a shark or stung by a jellyfish. We will be swimming in many oceans and pools. In Fiji, we will be staying in a resort right next to the beach. The resort has a magnificent pool. We might go snorkeling in a reef. There is also some amusement parks to visit.

Well, there you have it! My hopes and dreams for the trip. You can comment on this or ask for more from your Jr. WorldTrek Reporter. We leave soon. I can’t wait!