Orchids Find a Home in Fiji
Day 65, Grand Asia 2017
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017 – Lautoka, Fiji
The actor Raymond Burr has left Fiji with a beautiful heritage, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. My tour started here and it was the highlight of our visit to the port of Lautoka on the west side of Viti Levu. This is the largest and most populous of Fiji’s 332 islands.
The garden pathway is lined with orchids as well as other native Fijian flowering plants. It ends with a lily pond (we saw lots of frogs sunning themselves) amid a tropical jungle. A few “tree-huggers” bring a humorous touch. Our tour ended with tropical drinks, which were most welcome in the humid heat.
The sleeping giant is a rock and mountain formation that from some angles resembles a giant sleeping on his back, with his belly reaching into the air. We had a better view from our second stop, the nearby mud baths. Some entrepreneurs have taken advantage of thermal pools by adding huts for showers and massages and buckets of mud. The process involves covering yourself with mud, letting it dry, and then immersing yourself in a series of pools to wash it off.
Only two of our group of 40 partook of the baths, giving the rest of us opportunities for photos, and perhaps leaving themselves with soothed skin.
Nadi is the largest city and hub of tourism on the west side of the island. We stopped at a beach resort there, but as our guide told us, it wasn’t known for its beach. The pristine Fiji white-sand beaches popular with honeymooners and tourists tend to be at high-end resorts too far away or on other islands. We did enjoy a few buckets of beer and excellent fish and chips.
The ship offered a shuttle bus out of the industrial port to the center of Lautoka for those who wished to shop. I knew a number of passengers who signed up for a tour that included zip lining and heard positive reports afterward.
A few of us who ventured into the Lido pool in the late afternoon found it to be less refreshing and more soothing, with a water temperature I would estimate at around 90 degrees. I took a quick dip in the hot tub, but when I got back to my cabin, I discovered the shower temperature dial was stuck on hot water only – scalding. A call to maintenance resolved the issue.
Rock violinist Katei gave his final performance tonight in a variety show that also included comedian Carl Strong, who offered more song and dance than jokes. Earlier the Oceanian Cultural group gave a repeat performance. Tonight we sail to the other side of Viti Levu, heading for the capital and our last Fijian port Suva.
