week four

Hello!! I am once again posting this very late. This is the post for February 17-23.

Week four was especially amazing. Friday morning after our Fijian 101 test Maria, Talia, Callum and I went on an adventure to Nadi. Nadi is the other main city in Fiji thats on the northwest side of the island.

We took a bus up to Nadi Friday morning and checked into the Bamboo Travelers Resort. The four of us shared a room, it had two bunk beds and air conditioning. We just hung out the whole day and got drinks on the beach.

Being on the west side of the island for sunset was so amazing. It was way better than sunsets in Suva (where I live) on the southeast side of the island.

Saturday morning, we left on a boat to go to Beachcomber Island for the day!!! Its a 30ish minute boat ride from the main island.

This is about where we snorkeled off the shore

We snorkeled off the coast of the tiny island when we arrived. The sand is all white and the water is crystal clear. The reefs were amazing, I saw giant bright blue starfish and psychedelic colored fish darting around. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Each reef was like its own little town, busy with cute fish swimming around doing different things. I loved it so much.

At one point, I swam into a school of fish while they were feeding. I was surrounded by hundreds fish, all small and zebra striped. I couldn’t move an inch without touching them. A few of them would come up close to me, and stare into my soul. They also pecked me on the nose of my snorkel. I’m pretty sure they were giving me kisses. I listened to a podcast about a year ago where the host talked about a similar experience he had. I kind of thought he was crazy, but now I get it. I really did feel one with the fish. They accepted me into their school.

Per Camille Respess’s request, I wrote a poem about this experience:

I am one with the fish

Eat them

I shall not

I can’t move

But I can breathe

Thank you,

Snorkel

After we snorkeled off the shore, the workers on the island offered to take us out further into the ocean to see more reefs. These reefs were even cooler, and way bigger. Once again, I felt like I was in the movie Finding Nemo. I swam through a giant trench in between two reefs, it was terrifying how deep it went. If you may recall, in Finding Nemo the school of fish Dory talks to said to swim through the trench, so that is what I did. I was able to see lots of clownfish in their sea anemones. They were so cute I wanted to touch them so badly (but I didn’t, don’t fret).

At the end of our reef tour, the tour guide gave me some bread to feed the fish. When he handed it to me, hundreds of fish swarmed my body. They nibbled at my hands, and all over my body. It was so cool, but I got very scared and screamed. Couldn’t handle the heat.