For Fiji, Ever Fiji

(I’m actually already home now, but I never wrote about my last few days in Fiji, so here’s the update!)

Monday was my last day at school. Thankfully, I was able to hold it together this time and not cry while saying goodbye to the class. I got lots of really great hugs, and everyone was on their best behavior for the most part. It was so nice.

During Monday’s assembly, a few of the girls were being really cute and whispering to each other. I probably should have told them to stop talking, but instead I took a picture:

I left a copy of this picture with my class, hoping they don’t forget me! That’s Sister Vika on the right. She and I put sooo much effort into getting the kids to line up nicely for this shot, and still you can’t see all the faces…!

Before I left, we had to have another round of picture taking. Here I am with Crystal, Pio, Timaima, Raena, and Viliame:

On my last Sunday, I went to Natadola Beach, which is ranked as the 7^th Most Beautiful Beach in the World (according to whom, I don’t know, but it was really nice!). If you ever go to Fiji and want to stay somewhere on the big island (Viti Levu), you should stay at the new resort in Natadola, called Intercontinental. I just walked through it, but I would love to spend some actual time there- someday, someday! They had lots of gorgeous frangipani flowers:

The locals in the area sell horse rides to tourists. I didn’t go on a ride, but I did enjoy watching the wild horses on the beach. There was a really cute baby horse frolicking around the shore:

The waves were very, very strong at this beach. We went swimming for a little while, but after getting tossed around by one too many waves, it seemed like a smart idea to stick to the sand.

On Monday afternoon, I treated myself to a very relaxing massage. There’s a small spa tent set up by the pool at the Sky Lodge Hotel, which is right across the street from my host family’s neighborhood. Since the pool is so close, I spent many afternoons swimming and sunbathing here!

On Monday evening, I baked a chocolate cake for my host family as a small thank-you offering. They really helped to make my Fiji experience extra special. Here’s my host mom, Shabreen, with the cake:

Shabreen decorated my palms with henna; she is quite the talented artist!

I spent Tuesday morning packing up all of my stuff, so I had some time to kill in the afternoon before having to go to the airport. I decided to hang out at the Hilton Resort swimming pool in Denarau. I went to that pool a few times during my two months, and it is absolutely gorgeous. The beach is right there, and the mountains are right there, and the pool is actually several pools all connected together. Here’s a picture of one small corner: