October 20, Suva Fiji

October 20, Suva Fiji

Suva is the capital and largest city of the Fiji Islands. It is the chief seaport with excellent harbor facilities, making it the primary stop for transpacific shipping traffic. Duty-free shipping, tropical scenery, and unusual hotels attract thousands of travelers each year.

We were quite surprised to see as we arrived the local Police Band was on the dock and welcomed the ship with about a 20 minute “concert”, moving up and down the dock while performing several formations. It was a delight to hear and well received by all on board.

We did not book a tour here, and opted to walk around on our own. We docked at the container facilities, which are just a block away from downtown. The immediate area surrounding the docks are typical and not in the best of repairs. Leaving the dock area we walked along the sea wall a couple of blocks to the post office where we discovered that they do not accept US dollars. Most shops do however so we were able to purchase a couple of postcards to mail back once we return to the ship.

We then walked up to the central avenue and headed out to the Thurston Gardens and Fiji National Museum. Walking at a slow pace it was about a 20 minute walk to the park. A small park but kept up quite well, with several different plants in bloom we really enjoyed walking around it.

The National Museum is in the park, and as we went up to it we saw several folks from the ship that we on a ship’s tour. After talking with them we decided not to visit the museum, headed back towards the dock area and the ship.

The local people seem quite friendly and most would say Bula (Fiji’s traditional greeting) as you passed by. It was interesting to see the style of dress that was worn as about 45% of the population is actually Indians. So while English is the main language spoken, you also will hear Fijian and Hindustani.

Tomorrow is another sea day as we make our way to Port Vila, Vanuatu.