Day 71: The Coral Coast, Fiji

I arrived at my hotel, just outside the town of Sigatoka, on the southern coast of Fiji's main island about half past 9 and was greeted with a bellowing "Buuulllaaaa" and a huge hug. Slightly taken aback I was even less ready for the band that had stayed up late after the restaurant was closed to seranade me on arrival! I tried desperate do to hide my English awkwardness and just appreciate how nice these people are (even packing me off to my room (with three beds?!) with some bread, cheese, tomato and some juice as the restaurant was closed!). Adorable

After a much needed 10 hour sleep I rolled out of bed and straight onto the beach. Thirty degrees, a nice breeze, clear turquoise water, yellow sand, palm trees. Everything I'd dreamt up in my head about these last few days of my holiday were finally a reality. I think the Brit in me was sceptical that the sun would actually come out but it has and ahhhh very happy.

I took a cab into the local town of Sigatoka in the afternoon. I was keen to drop in on the huge market in the middle of the town to get me some fruit. So ridiculously cheap! A whole bowl of paw paws or oranges for 1 Fijian dollar, which is about 30p.

In the evening The hotel were offering a special 'love' option. Lovo is essentially the Fijian version of Maori hangi, where they cook meat and veg in a brick oven under the ground to give it a really smokey taste.

4 courses included a delicious green soup from some local plant I can't spell or pronounce, some curried mussels with lime, the main Lovo dish of meat, potato, carrots etc with gravy, all finished off with a chunky custard cake. Also got the chance to try the Fijian bitter, which was just as good as they said it would be. Yum. The evening was made even nicer as a couple with a young child who I had met briefly this afternoon invited me to eat with them to stop me from sitting in silence through all 4 courses.