Bula, my last hours in Fjii...

Bula Fam and Friends,

After settling into our sketchy backpackers hostel in downtown Nadi we explored the town a bit and did a little souviner shopping before setting in for an early evening. My ear became evidently more painful since I had left Beachcomber and I told myself I would go see a doctor after the ear drops I bought from the chemist hadn't done much to seize the pain. After dead bolting our door and tossing and turning because of the loud music from a night club just outside I managed to almost fall asleep until our Thailand song came on "Beautiful Girl." I couldn't help but doze off fairly quickly to where we'd left off in Thailand having such an incredible time. The next thing I remember is waking up with an insane throbbing feeling of an ear infection in my ear and so the next morning at the crack of down I went to the doctor and got properly treated. I am feeling a lot better but still pretty timid to get on a plane when my ear is already popping like crazy and I haven't even reached altitude yet, might need a cocktail or two on this flight!

The day after I saw the doctor Jay and I strolled around town for a bit more and bought our gifts and did some price haggling like in any third world country and than got a taxi new town, where most the backpackers went. The first day like the previous days it continued to rain here and there so we made friends sitting around doing nothing with an Australian guy and a couple of Spanish girls. I definitely took a liking to one of the Spanish girls right away and flirted with her most the day off and on which kept my entertained. We decided since it was Saturday and all to finish off the Whiskey we'd been lugging around since we bought it at duty free in the airport a week prior. It does sound like we drink a lot but it's just that we don't drink that much, it's just where all the funny stories come from! Anyway, we played some cards and than the six of us by this time grabbed a cab and went to a popular local bar up the road called "Eds." Jay and I ran the pool table for a bit playing some Fijians and dancing a little in between. Jay had met a Canadian girl who was actually from this island but had moved away when she was young. She was insanely gorgeous but a little snobby so Jay and I kind of brushed her off, sorta. I was pretty keen on the Spanish girl so I continued my pursuit which paid off and I ended up having a great night with her, even if it did end up on a beach and getting caught by a creepy local with a flashlight! Yesterday we caught a little sun so we lounged around and read our books. I took a afternoon siesta and got woke up by Jay at around 4pm saying we were going fishing so just like that off we went! A guy named Ali, an Indian guy, picked us up and took us to grab some beers and than drove on to the beach. We were greeted by his son Z and the captain on their twenty foot or so length fishing boat. We ventured off to their secret spot while trolling along the way (trolling is letting your line drift alongside the boat while moving) and about five minutes into our trip my pull started to bend. Reeling the sucker in it was a Traveli about a foot long. We started the engine back up and our captain prepared the Traveli raw with some soy sauce and hot sauce and it was incredible good, literally fresh right off the boat! About a half hour later we got to the spot and dropped a different line deep to the bottom with bait on it, not a lure like when trolling. The owner's boy began catching multiple little strippers and black spots while the fish just kept nibbling and snatching our bait without getting caught on our hooks. As soon as dusk approached, Jay and I were feeling the six beers having a great time while we watched the sunset over the outter islands. Beer in hand and fishing pull near on a boat fishing in Fiji I thought what an incredible experience we've had. Jay and I both cheers to that and minutes later our lines started to rip forward. First Jay caught a litte stripper, than I caught a baby Tiger Shark and than a Macrow right after! Shortly after that the owner's boy caught a pretty big sized Traveli and about ten minutes after that I caught a massive Traveli! Casting down into the depts while it rained on us and sitting their in board shorts was the greatest feeling in the world. Shortly after we called it a day and walked back to our hostel after getting dropped off on the beach. Our cook at our hostel cooked us up our big catch and we feasted like starving cave man did back some tens of thousands of years ago. Fresh fish caught just hours ago, I can't explain how delicious it was but it was insanely delicious if that's any constitute! After our bellies were stuffed I waited for my Spanish girl to get back but than I gave up and just went to bed early.

I met up with her today and spent most the day hanging around water with her, her friend, Jay and some of the other kids around our hostel. It started to rain again a couple hours ago and we're going to catch a movie here and than probably pack our finally pack job before getting on the next plane out of here to LA.

I am anxious to get home but I know the feeling as it happends every time I've traveled. The first week is a reverse culture shock and a readjustment period. It'll be so good to see friends and family and catch up on everything. I mean, I really have no idea what's happened back home as I've never been around any form of news or TV in the last four and a half months! And then, after that week has passed I am going to go through a pretty depressive state where I just want to pack up my backpack and grab the next flight to Cairo, explore Egypt and than hop over to Jordan! I am ready though to dive into Real Estate and try and fill the incredibly large shoes my Mom has provided me with. I am excited for the challenges ahead but I am definately sad to leave the tracks I've paved behind. I'll write one more entry when I am in LA or back home and than I'm back into the mix, an ordinary boring person with the same stories as everyone, no 9-5 thank God but a similar monster will be awaiting my arrival back in Portland. Well, time to pack my bags, best be off. I do ask one thing, if you've been reading my entries their's a link to post a comment and I'd love to know who's been following along my amazing journey, at least so I felt I had some purpose writing them. See you all soon...

Love,
Grant