Around The World In 80 Waves

I am itching to go and surf some of the world class waves breaking on the outlying islands that are close by, but my efforts to sort out a surf trip are falling foul of the Sonaisali staff adopting ‘Fiji Time’.

There has been an equivalent phrase for the apathetic approach to anything in almost every country I have visited in the tropics. It must be something to do with being far too hot to be rushing anything.

I MUST get out to the waves though and am not really in the mood for it today. I spend about four hours chasing my tail being denied at every turn only to end up back with the first person I spoke to who said they do in fact arrange surf trips for guests, even though that is the exact opposite of what they told me at the start of my quest. #$%&!!!!

All of which means a whole day was wasted getting hot under the collar when I should have been enjoying myself on the beach or at the pool bar.

I eventually roll up at the pool bar more than a tad wound up. Tiana serving me there, says she has just the drink for me to take the edge off. A Long Island Iced Tea mixes equal measures of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec with one and a half measures of sour mix and a splash of cola. The drink has the same amber hue as iced tea, and my first one disappears before I have realised it.

“Of course I will have another” is my answer for far too long at the bar whilst I am getting to know all the other families and couples staying here. I had a fantastic evening but only realise I have had too many when I nearly fall off my stool at the bar on my way to the toilet. I also appear to have lost to ability to speak without slurring badly. Later investigation of my hotel bill show I had imbibed at least six of these bad boys, which explains a lot!

Apart from learning that my name would be Roverte in Fijian it is no surprise that I didn’t manage to get much done during this evening.