Planes, Trains, Automobiles... and Boats.

Monday, February 1, 2010

News Alert: If you happen to live on the East Coast you should know that Fiji is really, really, really, really , really, really, really, really far away. As in FAR AWAY! In total it took us 36 hours + to get to our island paradise. What does 36 hours of travel look like you ask? (Well, even if you didn't I'm going to tell you anyway.)

It looks something like this.

Thursday 5:00 am EST
Taxi ride to airport.*


Thursday 7:05 am EST
Direct flight to LAX.*

Thursday 1:35 pm EST
Arrive in LAX for a 10 hour layover. 10 hours! The kicker was that the check in window for our flight didn't open until 3 hours before departure so one of us (ahem my husband) had to stay with the bags and surfboards until dinner time. Me (being the smart one) arranged for my sister to spring me from my airport jail and in return I treated us to lunch at The Ivy and mani/ pedis on Robertson Blvd. Hands down BEST LAYOVER EVER.

Thursday 8:30 pm EST
Checked in for flight, and discovered husband halfway alive in makeshift "camp." We then peeled him off the floor and got him some much needed nourishment from my favorite restaurant in Venice Beach despite the hurricane like storm that was engulfing the West Coast.

Friday 1:35 am EST.
Finally boarded 2nd plane.
We had commented that the plane felt like it had a hard time leaving the ground during takeoff. After we exited we realized why. My first official double decker plane ride had just been taken unbeknownst to either of us.


Friday 11:35 pm EST
Arrive in Nadi, Fiji.
80+ degrees at 5:30 am = pure elation.


Friday 1:30 pm EST.
Our luggage took off in one van while we boarded another.



Friday 2:00 pm EST
3 hour layover in a hotel in Nadi. 3 glorious hours spent eating, and lounging by the pool after which we were picked up in another van and taken to our final mode of transport... a boat.


Friday 5:30 pm EST.
We spotted our chariot approaching. Very James Bond don't you think?

We soon got a closer look of what would be our "ride" for the rest of our stay on the island.

Within minutes we were met by our luggage and excitedly we were off for our final destination.



Heaven, or Tavarua as it's referred to by the natives.

Friday 6pm EST, Saturday 12 pm Fijian time we were FINALLY there.
Home Sweet Fiji.

Was it worth all of the travel? For a view like this from your bedroom window.... Hell Yes!!!!!


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

It's good to be back home, but it was a lot better to be there. I'll be posting quite a bit this week about our fantastic trip and I thank you all for your well wishes. The one thing I can say was this was one of those things that turned out to be just as amazing (if not 1000 times better) than we hoped it would be.

Bula!, Bula! everyone. (That's Fijian speak for Hello Goodbye, Cheers, Welcome, etc..)


* Yes, I was WAY to tired to remember to take a "real" picture.


10 comments :

Julie Q said...

WOW! What a frickin' view! That's good that you said its worth all the travel because i'm still getting freaked out about the travels to Greece. Am about to just hop on a plane to the Caribbean instead.. but hopefully it'll work out.

Welcome back!

Anonymous said...

What a stunning view, I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures. You certainly didn't miss any nice weather here - grey skies and more grey skies and the odd glimpse of sunlight. Welcome Home.

Cdn Mom

Mama J said...

welcome home! such gorgeous photos! can't wait to see more.

my little family is boston bound!
http://sweetmamajane.blogspot.com/2010/01/love-that-dirty-water.html

will have to pick your brain re: all things raising a charming LM in beantown :)

Me said...

I can;t wait to read about it!!!!

Polly said...

Glad you enjoyed your trip, we are hopefully Fiji bound in October. Thnkfully its not so far for us.

lunarossa said...

OMG, I think I'd be dead after such a long and complicated journey! But then I'd arrived in heaven. More photos please! How was LM's reaction when you got back? Ciao. A.

TheOnlineStylist said...

Great to have you back YM! and may I just say... wow! what a view! So worth all the travel. And your journey reminded me of our travels to the Maldives for our honeymoon... sigh! Look fwd to more Tales From Fiji xx

Jodi said...

Did you get to talk to the LM on the phone or did that upset him more make him miss you?

Robin M Anderson said...

Lunarossa- the LM was VERY excited to have us back, but he has definitely been letting us pay for being gone so long. I think it's a lot of emotion for his little brain to handle. It was still well worth it... plus he got some great one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa! Needless to say he is very happy to have a back!

Jodi- I called every day but didn't talk to him, just got an update. I think if I would have spoken to him he would have quickly circled the drain! Out of sight out of mind!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

I have been reading your blog since you were featured on boston.com last year. I **LOVE** the pictures of Fiji....it's one of my dream-destinations...hoping to get there within the next 10 years!!