Fiji

Why Fiji some people said to us - well it was on the way to Canada, sort of, and we had never been there, and Jean's mum used to speak of it from her London Missionary Society days - and it seemed good to stop for a few days after travelling and spending time with friends.

And on first impressions we are delighted that we have done so. The reefs surrounding the island were visible from the air as we flew in, and we were met by a local taxi driver who gave us all the local info - stopped off at his friend's shop so we could stock up with water and other beverages at prices which were less than that at the hotel (and popped back in for his commission afterwards!).

Fiji itself is going through a difficult period politically. After tensions between native Fijians and the incoming ethnic Indians there was a military takeover a few years ago and they were expelled from the Commonwealth last September because of the lack of democracy but the people are lovely.

When we arrived there was some local singing and dancing - the video captures the former if not the latter!

Today we had a chance just to wander along the beach, to snorkel (with my head somewhat red as a result, and to read and potter which was great. The taxi driver had spoken about there not being any land snakes but just sea snakes and we watched one swimming along and then hiding in a hole for its prey with just its head sticking out.

Jean loves hermit crabs and there were plenty of those and also some reef herons eating up the fish caught in the receding tide.