It’s Friday already (time flies when you’re having fun!) and I wished you’ll find your favourite island to escape to this weekend!

Another beautiful island in Fiji.

Sorry but I’m still Fiji dreaming and hence these Fiji photos (I have tons more but I’ll spare you the boredom!). Have a great weekend ahead. Oh and please don’t ask me who the lady below is and please don’t speculate as well!

Another beautiful passenger basking under the beautiful Fijian sun …

Wuching is as his usual mocking self, mucking around with other people’s mug shots in his website and I had the dubious honor to grace the front cover of “GQ” magazine. *gasp* But actually I’d a good laugh - thanks Wuching!

If he’d let me known earlier I could have sent him this photo from the photo shoot this morning for our corporate publication purposes. Nah!

I actually feel much more comfortable in kayaking clothes.

Magical moment - Fijian sunset from a boat, 19th February 2008.

It’s nearly a week since I left Fiji but I don’t think I can ever shake off the images and feelings that linger on in my mind. With over 300 islands set in crystal clear waters with palm fringed white sandy beaches, lagoons and coral reefs, it fits my description of a south sea paradise. I kept imagining kayaking between the islands and sleeping on the beaches at night staring into the starry skies with a cool gentle breeze blowing …

Fiji is an extremely beautiful country with amazing natural geographical beauty and warm, friendly people; but all is not that well in paradise as the lovely photos that I had posted so far may seem to imply it is.

With an interim military government, tension between the native Fijians and the Indo-Fijians, high cost of living, poor roads, increasing traffic and the need for better housing; these are a few of the issues that need to be addressed but which the well heeled tourists visiting the 4 or 5 stars resort would be oblivious too.

Here are a few ‘alternative’ pictures of Fiji that the casual tourists would likely not see or care about.

But the government and the people of Fiji do and I’m confident that things will turn out well in this South Pacific Paradise.

Although my feet is now firmly planted in Malaysia but I’m now smitten with the beautiful clear waters of Fiji and I’m daydreaming here about the kayaks that I’m going to use if I am living in Fiji!

I have only kayaked along the beaches but I know that the next time I visit Fiji I would definitely want to run the rivers there -especially the famed Upper Navua and Luva Rivers. River running and creek whitewater kayaks would be ideal to run these Class 3 plus rivers.

My kayak of choice would likely be Jackson Kayaks as they specialize on Whitewater Rivers kayaks be they for creek, river running or even freestyle. Jackson Kayaks was founded in 2003 on the principle of creating the best kayak possible for paddlers. It is a kayak company that is simple, streamlined, small, and dedicated to bringing you the best kayaks that it can. The designs for Jackson kayaks are always evolving and improving, showing the company’s dedication to both the sport and their customers. I like that. Although they are located at Rock Island, Tennessee in the US, I suppose I can always order it online as this type of river kayaks are usually no longer than 8ft and not too heavy being around 40lbs.

But for me it would be river running and I would be looking for a kayak that is well constructed durable and retains its shape well in the hot tropical sun. It should have a planing hull for great initial stability and a predictable ride and ample footroom as I’m quite tall. Jackson Kayaks also comes with a shock absorbing bulkhead system which is very reassuring and gives a more solid feel and to absorb more shock than the bulkhead by itself.

I should be able to find the model I like as Jackson Kayaks have a wide range of selection to choose from including their new 2008 models - Jackson Hero for medium size adults and Jackson Super Hero for larger adults up to 300lbs! I like the Jackson Hero as it’s designed to handle the largest diversity of water possible.

Now back to the grind … *sigh*

While I’m working in the office the entire Sunday today; I’ll nonetheless be Fiji dreaming of the kayaking I did on Botaira Beach which forms The Yasawas islands the day before we left Fiji.

About 3 1/2 hours by catamaran from Port Denarau, Nadi, it is by no means the furthest island away from civilization but it is far enough to be fair undisturbed with beautiful corals and coral fishes swimming just feet from the beach shoreline and perfectly visible from the kayak with the amazingly clear waters.

I could live on this island. *sigh*

Valentine Day Suva Sunset, Fiji

Despite my best efforts to quickly get back to and settle into my normal routine - somehow there’s still this little nagging feeling of tiredness and lethargy from the trip that I’m unable to shake off. I am not unwell or anything and I even went cycling for about an hour yesterday evening after I came back from work. I’m working over the weekend and I hope that by next week I would have ‘recovered’ fully from Fiji and back to Kuching instead of “Fiji time”.

Nadi’s Main Street from the air.

I’m now back in Kuching after an entire day of traveling yesterday. To avert any problem of my luggage inadvertently being diverted somewhere else I decided to check out my luggage at Sydney airport and re-check it in again for the flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. Reaching Kuala Lumpur at night, I was on transit at KLIA and landed in Kuching around midnight on a near empty flight.

Aerial view of the main road that links Nadi, Sigatoka, Pacific Harbour and Suva

It’s good to be back home but not so good to have to be back at work with tons of working that had piled up in your absence and in addition I need to prepare a report on the findings of the trip. And it looks like I would be working over the weekend. *sigh*

Departing Fiji and Sydney bound on Air Pacific

And no, I’m not complaining the slightest bit as it was a wonderful opportunity and Fiji is truly a beautiful country and I leave with fond memories of the warm sunshine, sandy beaches and friendly, hospitable people.

I’ll be waking up before sunrise to catch the flight from Nadi Aiport to Sydney and then a connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur and then finally the evening flight back to Kuching reaching there around midnight. So it’s gonna be another long day of flying.

More about Fiji when I get back and I leave with pleasant memories of the most amazing waters that I have ever had the good fortune to see and paddle on! Meanwhile I’d better catch some shut eye before the alarm rings …

The sun rises early in Fiji; around 5 a.m. How do I know? Well when you have to wake up at that time in order to drive down from Nadi to Suva to make it for a 9 a.m. meeting - then you’ll know!

After the 9 a.m. meeting we have a lunch meeting and after which we have to drive back to Nadi for a 4.30 p.m. meeting!

And in time for me to catch a rainy sunset when we got back to the hotel to shower before going for dinner. But I was ‘ambushed’ by a friendly native, before I could get back to my hotel room, for a short session of “kava” drinking! More about this later - eventually!