14th February, Holiday is over…

Had a great time here. Just been basically chilling by the pool, topping up the tan and having a few cocktails. Food is amazing here, espscially having been backpacking for the last few months. Just your classic holiday all inclusive…

What a shot! He saw me talking a photo ran up to the wall and tried to climb over! (it’s a tapir if you don’t know – I didin’t!)

Just finished packing and just enjoying the luxury of having a hotel room with air con, tv, en suite etc before heading back a hostel in miami on the morrow.

9th February, Hola!

I’ve packed in being a backpacker for a short holiday at an all inclusive here in cancun trying to get my moneys worth and no doubt going to put on a few pounds in the process. Met up again with Lisa and staying with her and her folks at this really nice resort. Bit strange though as I hadn’t even thought I’d be going to cancun on an all inclusive when you plan you travels but hey, I made it and I’m loving it.

Swam with dolphins yesterday which was nice, and got an awesome shot of me and the dolphin doing a ‘jay pose’. He loved it. Also been to Coco-Bongo’s a huge club with live shows going on all over the place  – over your head etc with impersonations ranging from MJ to Elvis. Ummmm… Again its not really travelling but I can’t complain – its kind of one long holiday anyway when you look at it!!
So on that note here is another selection of photo’s…

Check the pirate ships ahoy!

May as well get the cocktails in…

Bit of swimming with some seals. He’s loving it!

Me’n snake man…

 

Various pics from Coco bongos – best club ever!

Land ahoy!

Some Japanese dudes we met on the pirate ship…

El capitan!…

Not over for another month and Miami, Florida and NY and back to LA still awaits… On a pirate boat tonight looks like a riot. Just done a huge shot of tequila and I am going right off it – I suppose its because its free…

5th February, Another Interlude

Well I made it through fine, surprisingly. I’ve heard so many problems. SPent about half an hour on the phone with American airlines to confirm my ticket to cancun in the morning. Its all automated and didn’t recognise me saying ‘cancun’ as my arrival even when I said it in as american accent. Then when I was put through to an operator it was pretty much the same…

Anywho, I decided to check into a hostel instead of roughing it at the LAX. Great homely place near venice beach home of muscle beach and all the classic cliches, its all true through, People jogging in there 100’s, Girls rollerblading in bikinis and the token crazy looking people.

So at the mo just in the lounge watching TV. I don’t plan on doing anything else. Just getting used to americans is going to take some time. Its been the longest monday in my history i’ve arrived 9hrs before I left…

5th Feburary, Bula ‘o’ clock

Here are just some photos of my time here. Lots of relaxing on the beach and chatting to new people.

A great sunset. I feel I am spoiling it a bit so with me in there! It doesn’t even look real!

Group by the beach.

Getting invlolved with the local drink – Cava. Its non alcaholic and is made from a plant root. They drink it by the bucket full.

There was a load of us who went down to this nearby local hut.

 

 

Fire show madness. Bit too far foward methinks!

Met this welsh guy who had been travelling with his guitar and getting people to sign it. Great stuff! Good guitar/singer too!

Some fellow brits by the pool!

I’m rather proud of my ‘national geographic’ insect shots!

A group of us went to visit the local village.

Been a good chilling few days. More cava drinking with locals and losing track of the days and the time, hence ‘bula’ o’clock. Its been a great time here and bumpin into other travellers from wellington and auckland was cool also seen some amazing sunsets. I would definately go back. Great people nice weather and met a lot of diverse people – in fact more aussies than when I was in oz.

So right now sat at Nadi airport and stressing out over the over complex security in LA. Had no address to stay in LA and had a pavlova out of Now I am freaking out over the fact I don’t even know if my flights through american airlines are confirmed.

But relax…. Fiji time….

1st Febuary, More ‘Bula!

Made the it to the boats fine for the island first island trip to Kuata for a 30 mins cruise down which was absoloutly stunning – real postcard island stuff. Amazing sunshine tiny tiny islands with clear blue waters and all that. It was amazingly hot and I got proper sunburn on my shoulders and I did use sunscreen.

Check out the postcard shots! Taken on the cruise down.

Day was spent chilling by the sea again (you’ll start to see a pattern emerging here!). Got quite a few Mos bites so there back damnit! No real stories really just a lot of chit chat with fellow travlellers and everyone including me nearing the end of their travels. Strange though, I’ve met more aussies here than i did in australia.

Us travellers getting ‘jiggy’ with the locals.

31st January, Bula Bula!

After a hard night of trying to sleep early (after a few ‘goodbye’ beers with A couple of canadians) it never really happnned and only really got 1 hours sleep, I  finally made it to Nadi, Fiji. No probs at immigration and welcomed by local fujians singing songs as you pass immigration which was great – made it feel like even more of a holiday…

Got to the hostel fine, and there was no sign odf any military coup’s going on. I loved it from the word go as its sooo good to get back to palm trees, dirt track roads and glorious sunshine. Hostel was good, swimming pool etc. Got chatting to a lonely German girl and we decided to brave it into the main town where it was a little like the khaosan road (bangkok) and all the selling etc. We got dragged into a ‘village shop’ by this camp fujian guy. Maria the German girl thought it would be funny to pretend to be on our honeymoon so when we got the shop we had this whole ceromony drinking what’s called Cava and clapping alot. Makes your mouth go numb and really mellows you out. They then tried to sell us various sculptures and have our names engraved on them and also various trinkets for our ‘house’…  Yep I know I’m a fast mover…! It was an experience I can tell you.

Me and the ‘Wife’, Marie.

The day was spent by the pool and made a big group of friends for a meal and a few drinks in the evening. It was an absoloute shambles. We all went to Nando’s and as most were young brits (about 15 of us) all had a few trying to make food orders and drinks was a nightmare. We had the whole restaUrant to ourselves and the manager had to come down….

I was told it would be better to bring your own booze to the islands  but it was already too late for me so I made negotiaitions with a guy from London to buy his a 1/2 litre of Vodka for fJ$20 thinking it would last 3 days.

Sealing the deal…Bargain.