Our short stay at Nadi... (Fiji)

Once more we are in Nadi.... well this time we hope to e more than half an hour in the city :-)



The idea was to stay in Nadi for a couple of days and visit some village nearby that we could learn a bit more about the Fijian culture .. but now not anymore in the islands.



Sugar cane



We wanted to go to Navala .. but you can only access to this village by 4 wheel car and it was quite expensive! Going by bus involved to stay overnight and we didn't have time so..... we didn't make it there but we will explain you something in case you want to go.



Navale is one of the only villages that keeps the traditional Fijian life style. They live in bures (traditional houses) and they work keeping all the traditions from its ancestors... quite nice and pintuesque!









So instead of Nadi we visited Viseisei... closer to NAdi.





First we stopped in the colourful Indian temple in Nadi... Namaste!!!







We also passed by the market and walked through the city centre...







After we arrived to Viseisei... this villages is located in the "First landing" area. This area was the first one discovered by the Europeans!

The visit to the village was guided by Mila, a middle age Fijian woman who explained lots of interesting things. Big part of the Fijians follow the Methodist religion. And we were wondering... which one is this one??



"Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide.[1] The Methodist movement traces its origin to the evangelical awakening in 18th century Great Britain. Methodism followed from the work of John Wesley, who was an Anglican clergyman. Although "Methodism" in Great Britain today is commonly taken as "Wesleyan Methodism", there were various Methodist denominations, until the final Deed of Union which, on 20th September 1932, brought together the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church, to form the denomination formally known in today as the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Wesley sought to keep Methodism as a revival movement within the Church of England, and a significant number of Anglican clergy were known as Methodists.
The term "Methodism" was a pejorative term given to a small society of students at Oxford who met together for the purpose of mutual improvement. They were accustomed to receiving communion every week, fasting regularly, and abstaining from most forms of amusement and luxury. They also frequently visited the sick and the poor, as well as prisoners.



So...................... one more to add to our list! Fiji can be small but there are lots of religions... Hinduism, Muslism, Budhist, Cristiand and Methodist! Even in the villages with less than 100 people there are 3 or 4 religions! and each of them has its temple or church.



It is amazing... in less than 100 people all this variety... but they are living together, they are neighbours and working colleagues... the religion do not affect to their relationships .. religion do not mean war here... quite impressive!

As the Dalai Lama said once... religion must be to grow human qualities as the tolerance, kindness and love.

Every religion, with its own philosophy and traditions, must reduce the suffering of the humban being. The main thing is not to judge and compare religions but identify which one is suitable for you. But with the same aim... the evolution of the Human Being.

We made this comment as we have been travelling now for 6 months and we have been seeing different types of religions and how different people live and understand them. We have been thinking and talking about it with other travellers and between us and religion is a big thing that it is important in some people's life.

.. we don't want to judge anyone... we have jewish, cristian, muslim, etc friends ...but today we consider ourselves agnostics to any kind of religion... we are open to learn about them and their philosophies but we don't keep any God to ourselves. But we have a path full of learning, development, full of happinees and sadness ... all for sharing and listening... with family and friends.




Coming back now to our stay in Nadi.... Mila came with us to show us the village and its traditions. After it we enjoyed a quick chat with some Fijian women of the same village... Came on.. Fiji time!!!!!!!!!!

Then we continued our tour around Nadi....

What's that??? A monkey??? Nooooooooooo







Superman??? Nooooooooooooo




A weird animal!!!




Nooooooooooooooooooooooo it is a Rapitenca around the world with mud everywhere!! hahaha




Yeah.. we went to visit some mud pools.... the water was so warm!!!! We hope after all this mud we won't see our wrinkles!! :-)



Now we say goodbye to Fiji... Nadi... Mana...Waya... such a nice time!!!

We are very sad to say goodbye to Fiji time!! such a life style!!



See you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vane and Eva

Waya island (Fiji)

After Mana and the brilliant time there we left to Waya.

The thing is that to reach Waya with the Bula pass that we got we had to stop in Beachcomber first. The boat didn't leave until the next morning so we had to stay there for a night.

Just to put you in the picture... Beachcomber is a very small island! but very very small!!!!!!!!! You can walk around in 5 min!!! not a joke! Have a look at the pictures....





It is knwon as the party island, there is just one resort in the island.




The resort has some bungalows for couples and a dorm with 150 beds!!! yeah... long live the bunks!!



Every evening there are Fijian shows and then some music on a sand dance floor...like a night club. It seems that every evening is the same so lots of young people decide to come here to have some fun.... well.. it is not cheap to stay in this resort.. and also the drinks are quite expensive.. and the music.... Oh my God!!! Brian Adams, comercial rap and comercial stuff.... so bad!!! The thing is that there was not many people there so it was more a relaxing night out than a party... and we went to bed very early!

Next morning... and very rested from the previous "party" we went to Waya.

Waya is part od the Yasawa group of islands... they are located up to the Mamamuca group. There are 4 small villages where the staff from the resorts in the island live. These resorts are located in different parts of the island and you can just go from one to the other by boat so no matter where you stay you feel as you were the only ones in the whole island!



We decided to stay at the Sunset Resort, just at the very beginning of the island. Right in front of it there was a small island... Waya lalai...you can cross there walking when the tide is low...



As soon as we checked in we went for a walk. As the tide was low we decided to cross to Waya lalai. Behind the little hill at the front of the island there was a school!! ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee that was a nice surprise!!! The thing is that the kids were off due to an Indian holiday (Diwali) so we could just play with a group of children who were staying there... they showed us the school and some popular songs and games.




After this nice time we went for lunch.... the funny thing about this resort is that there are no clocks... so everything is going through "Fiji time"... for lunch and dinner time the staff blow a horn!! Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii all for lunch!!! hahahaha

We were just 6 people in the whole resort so the peace was assured!! Hammock time... some reading... and some swims when we were too hot.... tough life :-)




To be honest the place is sooooooooooooooo peaceful..... and the sea soooooooooo blue.... very nice!!!

After dinner we tried the popular kava!!!! Lots of people kept saying to us.. if you go to Fiji you need to try the typical drink there...kava!!!

Kava is a drink that you get from mixing water with the root of the plant (kava plant). They mix everything in a bowl and then they leave it for a few minutes... the final result is brown colour.. yeah.. as if you were drinking mud!! hahahaha





But when in Rome do what the Romans do.. so let's try the famous kava!!! came on!!! at once!!!



Drinking kava is a ritual.... you sit all together in a circle... then we prepare the mix... then a round of kava.... one glass each... (the traditional glass is obtained by cutting half a coconut)... and then we all sing to the music of the guitar.. you rest for a bit and then... start again!! another round!!! and like this until the kava is gone!!

To be honest the taste is not very pleasant.... it is like if you are drinking water with earth.... but it is the whole moment... Fiji.. the music.. the beach...


The effect of the kava is relaxing... you can't feel it that much.. or maybe you have to drink more than we did... but the experience is worth it!!! Just for the fact of being there .... in fiji.. in the beach... under the stars.. with the music.... cool!

Fijians have been using kava since hundreds of years ago as a relaxation medicine.... this plant is used to calm the anxiety and for the nerve problems. It is also used as a treatment against migrane. They prepare kava in ceremonies and festivals and also to welcome new visitors. So, everytime there's a good ocasion... they drink kava!!! Maybe to fight the stress in Fiji!! hahaha



After a few rounds of kava and songs we went to bed very relaxed!! It was a very clear night where you could see all the stars so we decided to go to sleep on the beach... everything was perfect until started to rain!!! and it didn't stop!!! so.. we had to come back to the dorm.

Next day it was cloudy and it was raining for a long time so we spent lots of our time in the resort making jewelery, giving Spanish lessons to the staff, playing games.... always listening to Sami's music in the background...




In the evening the weather improved so we could enjoy a volleyball game on the beach with the staff! Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fijian women are soooooooooooo strong!!!! We couldn't beat them!!





On our last day in the island we decided to rent a kayak and go to visit the village where the staff from our resort lived. Paddling through a very clear and blue water, plenty of coral and coloured fish we arrived to the village.

The vast majority of the Fijian villages are communal. This means that they do not have any private property but everything belongs to the village. All the citizens need to follow a set of rules and laws for living. All what they earn and work is for the village.

When you go to visit one of the villages as a tourist you are not allowed to visit it or walk around on your own. There is always a person who goes with you and guides you. You can't either enter wearing shorts or non sleeve top.

So when we got there we met a young guy that kindly showed us the village and introduced us to the citizens.



A very nice woman invited us to her house and lent us a sarong and a flowery shirt to cover ourselves.... You had to see us!!! It is a shame that we have no pictures of that moment to show you.. you would have laughed!!! so... all "well dressed" we went to church! yeah.. it was Sunday and they all wanted us to go to church with them.... and what could we say?? There we were!!! We couldn't understand a word as the were talking in Fijian but we got a mention in English!! hahahaha



Now we are going to Viti Levu.... we will be a couple of days in Nadi and then we will fly to New Zealand. We will keep you posted!!



And remember.... do not stress yourselves... take everything at Fiji time!!

From Nandi airport to Mana... Fiji Time!!!

Our visit to Viti Levu, main island in Fiji was very quick! The plane landed in Nadi, main strategic point to go to the several holiday islands located on the west side of the country. As soon as we landed we bought the "Bula pass", a 7 day boat ticket that allows you to get the ferry to go from island to island, and we got the next ferry to Mana island.

Buuuuuuuuuulaaaaaa Mana!!!! ( Hi Mana!!)



Mana is a small island in the Mamamuca group. As soon as you arrive to the island you can feel the hospitality of its people... they are the best when welcoming tourists !! they sing and play very noisily everytime that a ferry arrives... They run happily to the harbour with their guitars.... plenty of energy!!!



Bulaaaaaaaaaaa Bula!! Thank you for choosing our island!! These are the words that they consistantly use!



To the sound of the guitar we arrived to the Ratakuni backpackers resort... nothing really luxurious or special about the place but with the best local atmosphere ever! We liked it from the very best moment!

The day was sunny... was nearly sunset time....very nice evening after a very long trip from Sydney...nice change.. from cold Sydney to warm Fiji!!

A new experience... a new country with a new lifestyle... behind are the skyscrapers, fast food or the crowdy backpackers hostels... now is time for Fiji.. now is Fiji time!! This funny saying (Fiji time) refers to the peace and calm of the Fijian lifestyle.... they are so casual about time and things...they love not being stressed about anything... they are like this.. .they are Fijians! hahaha



They are very peculiar!!!



The next day after a good rest from the long trip and with improved weather and new scenery we decided to explore the island. We started walking a bit along the near beaches and we ended up going around all the island!!! But it was definitely worth it!






So there we were... we started walking. At the beginning we walked along a dirty and unkept area... and we were wondering... will all the island be the same?



but we didn't believe so... so we continued walking and walking...



Nobody was around.... mystic silence around the island... we looked like the main actresses from a film of cast aways!!!



And we continued walking... and walking for hours... and then we ended up going for a whole loop around the island... and at the end we found the surprise... Sunset beach!!



... do you know those moments in your life when work and stress take over you... and that you close your eyes and for a few seconds you wish you could disappear and find yourself in a deserted island....

... so there we were....if we have to decribe with a word we would choose SERENITY!!



It seemed as if human beings weren't there... or at least they were thousand and thousands of kilometers away....



A moment for ourselves... a moment where you think about you and your interior and you make that place yours... you own it for a few minutes.



Freeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahhahahaa

Just complete silence to listen to yourself!!

We don't want you to be jealous but encourage you to think about those moments in your life when the routine gets over you.. the sadness, the anxiety, headaches... in one of those moments close your eyes and smile.... and we don't mean that you need to fly to the other side of the world to feel better but you just need to stop that life rythmn that gives you the worst headaches: deadlines, mortgages, money, work problems...remember that you are the most important person in your life!!! You need time for yourself and time to dream!!!



And after a few hours in this beach we came back to the resort...

In the evening we met a couple of guys who have been travelling on a boat for a couple of years now... they own a sailing boat and that night they anchored near the hostel that we were staying. So, we had a few beers together and after it... talking for hours...




... and later on.. karaeoke night!!! oh my god!!! the story returns... after Vietnam...no... i don't want to sing!! but "My Way" played and we had to do it!! :-)



And to close the Karaeoke night... Redemption song...

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say its just a part of it:
Weve got to fulfil de book.


Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

...With Bob Marley and more than two Bitter Fiji (Fijian Beer) we went to bed...



Next day was cloudy.. we had a look at the activities board and we had jewlery making at 11am...so why not??



Later on we decided to visit the local school.... we just poped in at the break time...



But the break lasted just 15min...ohhhhhhhhhhhhh we would have loved to spend more time with the kids...




... so we continued with our jewelery making.. coconut, thread, seeds... we had everything to become rich once back at home!!! hahahaha Have a look at the local festivals.. you might see us selling some jewelery !!!

We really wanted to enjoy more time with the local kids so after school we went to look for them... and then we found them on the beach!!! there they were.. lots of them!! and we spent all the evening playing there ...




So funny!! they are very wild!! they jump from everywhere!! great craic!



A very nice evening with the kids... since Asia we didn't have these kinds of moments.... nice memories!



That night the staff at the resort organised a local dance to show all of us the different dances on the Pacific island...






Last day in the island.. the staff showed us how to prepare lovo. Lovo is a tradicional meal in Fiji with chicken and fish and vegetables... they bury the food with hot stones to cook it... ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and with a very nice soya sauce....



In the afternoon we went to look for crabs for the competition at night time....and just on our way back we met Moses... such a character!!! He is a Fijian fisherman very popular in the village. We went fishing with him and we visited some of the closest islands.



So... after the fishing we came back to the resort. Just in time for the crab race!!!




...2Rapitenques had crab number 6....we didn't win any of the prizes but it was great fun!! Crab races hahahaha who invented that?

And last day in Mana arrived... such a pity.. seriously!! we would have stayed a few days more!! but the Bula pass had an expiration date so we needed to change island now...
Mana has delighted us with the kindness of its people, its local kids, its music, its traditions... everything that we missed when we were in Australia....

Bula Mana!!!!!!!!!!

FIJI

Next stop..... Fiji !!!!!Ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Some of you might say.... Where is Fiji? Well... at least this is what we were asking to ourselves when we were planning this trip.... the name rings a bell.. but in a map... where is it???

Fiji islands are located in the South of the Pacific Ocean... in a map it would be between Hawai and New Zealand.

It is comprised by 322 islands in an ocean with plenty of coral reefs and crystal waters. Diving in this place is one of the major attractions.

100 out of the 322 islands are still uninhabited. The 2 main islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where around 80% of the Fijian population lives.



Fiji islands were discovered in 1643 by Able Tasman, a dutch explorer. Captain Cook anchored here a bit later too but it wasn't until Captain William Bligh arrived that made them popular.

In 1874 it became a British colony and they didn't reach independence until 1970. Almost 100 years of British control!!! That is why it is not surprising that the Queen's face is still on all the Fijian notes and coins! Up until a few years ago they were even still using the English national anthem!



Fiji is a mix of cultures. It has influences from the Melanesia, Polinesia, Micronesia, India, China and Europe. The vast majority of the population nowadays are native Fijians with antecedents from Melanesia, Polinesia or India.

The British brought the Indians here in the 19th century to work on the sugar cane plantation and lots of them stayed.... nowadays the Indio- Fijians represent around 40% of the total population.

Fiji is a country quite dependable on tourism.... this is the main source of income. These exotic islands are one of the most popular holiday destinies for the Aussies and the Kiwis.
Apart from the tourism, the sugar cane plantations and the textil industries play an important role in the economy of the country.

Another thing that makes this country worldwide known is its rugby team!!! Rugby is the national sport in Fiji and its team has been in the world cup on several ocasions! Considering the population of the country this is a huge merit!



We are going to Fijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii




We'll keep you posted from there!!

BULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (greeting in Fiji).

Sydney

To finish our trip along the East coast of Australia we went to Sydney, one of the most popular cities around the world and that was base for the Olympic Games in 2000.






Regardless of not being the capital of Australia, Sydney is the biggest and most modern city of Australia. With a population of about 4 millions people, Sydney is the capital of the New South Wales.

The majority of the population is British or Irish but there's also Asian communities ..... Asian communities are everywhere!!! At least to every place that we visited!

Bontay Bay was the place were the first European ships arrived here in 1788. This British colony initially took into Sydney all the criminals coming from Great Britain. Leaving behind its penitentiary history, Sydney started to quickly spread thanks to the commercial relationships with other countries that helped to its social and economical development.

Located among montains and sea, Sydney offers a beautiful landscape.

Our first impression of Sydney was a very multicultural city where people from all parts of the world walk along its streets creating a cool multicultural society. Thinking about it a little bit we came to the conclusion that Australia is a country that, because of its historical circumstancies, lacks a deep culture nowadays. Aboriginal people, antecesstors of this "terra nulis" (land of nobody), are a minority and it is very difficult to see them unless it is something related with tourists and souvenirs.



Australia , a cultural tetris that has been built generation after generation shaping a very modern multicultural society but, from our point of view, lacks of idiosincracy.

Our arrival to Sydney was very cold!!!!!!!!!!!!! and rainy!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Once we looked for a hostel in the city centre we went for a walk around town...

We ended up having dinner in an Asiatic restaurant.. cheap and nice ... where we met a group of very funny Cubans who were living in the city... Soy cubano mamaaaaaaaaaa!!! y amigo de la Mala Rodriguez mamaaaaaaaa!! hahahahaha

They recommend us to go for a drink to "La Cita", a latin place with live latin music...



We had to celebrate our arrival to the city so to cope with the cold that they we went to look for warm latin music hahaha and we found it!! and we danced lots!! hahahaha

Lots of latin americans dancing... Argentinians, Uruguayans, Brasilians, Spanish, Mexicans... great fun! Live music all the way!!




Still singing some of the songs that the band was playing the previous night we woke up with a beautiful sun that gave us all the energy needed to walk the city from north to south!!!





We walked for hours... enjoying the sunny day and the walk around the harbour... a beautiful area full of restaurants, museums, pubs, nightclubs, cafes...



And then we arrived to a little hill where you can have views of Sydney.... you could say that you can have Sydney on your feet!! hahahaha



After a great rest we walked along the streets in the city centre... big avenues and skyscrappers... and we went up the Sydney Tower... there you have an amazing 360 degrees view of the city!! Awesome!!








After that we decided to go to Circular Quay and visit the top attractions in Sidney...the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.






When you look at the Opera House from a distance it's amazing... you can see the architecture and the amazing roof... but when you see it close enough it is even more spectacular!!! And it is huge!!!!!!!!!!!! You look like an ant beside it!!





It is an extravagant building with lots of character!



The history of this huge building is full of contradictions, nationalism and mistery. It took more than 14 years to be built and now is the national symbol!!! It is doing its competence to the kangaroos and koalas of the country! hahahaha



At nightime the views of the Opera House are amazing too as it shines from all of its perspectives.



We also walked along The Rocks.. the old town where Captain Cook landed for the first time in Aussie land.



To finish our walk around the city we ended up in a central park where there was a Food festival going on that day.....







And lucky enough... that day it was about noodles and Asian food!! hahahahah Asia is following us!!!!!



After finishing our Pad Thai and the bottle of wine.... of course...Do you think we could have left Australia without trying one of the best things that the country produce??? We decided to go for a few drinks and see the night life.

We don't know how but we ended up drinking champagne with some Australian guys in a pub along the harbour... and then...




we went to a nightclub... yeah.... it was a club with electronic music where gangs have met to dance a certain kind of dance... a dance created in Brisbane and that now has been spread all over the counry....

Oh my God!! you try to dance like them for a couple of minutes and you can't breath!!! so tiring!! and difficult!! hahaha





It was a funny experience... as also at some stage some local policemen came with dogs to check all the place... yeah!!! Not sure if here it is usual but not back at home!!!!!! Shocking!!! this dance competition and police!! We better go to bed now :-)

Next day ... sunny again!! ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee




We decided to go to visit other parts of the city ... there was market running on Saturdays in a local area... so there we went and then we head towards Bondi Beach...



It's amazing how the city changes when you leave the city centre... no more skyscrappers and then little houses and beaches.... quite nice!



...and the beach full of little black spots... we mean.. surfers!! hahahaha there's plenty of people here enjoying the sunny days... lots of surfers and friends having barbaqeues...







We spent all day there .. and after dinner and a couple of beers... we decided to go to bed...



And here we are... the last day in Sydney.. the last day in Australia...




A Sunday at the end of October we said goodbye to the country going to a festival in Sydney...Danks Festival!!!





Sun, music, art... joy in the street...







Live music, shops, food stalls, art.... even paellas!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha Great way to say bye to Australia!!



Australia, a country where we had a bit of everything.... things that we have loved but also other things that left us with a feeling of emptyness.

We also say bye to Coles... supermarket where we have been every single day!!!!!! Uff!!! Too much thinking!!!




We have decided to do a "RESET" ... in a long trip you can have everything.. you can have some difficult days... some breakdown... but now we have uploaded our energies again and we go to Fijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii






Bye Sydney...bye Australia

Next stop... Byron Bay

After the great cruise around Whitsundays we continued our route towards the south .... next stop.... Byron Bay.

It took us a couple of days to get there... the thing is that the car that we rented started to make a strange noise... and yeah... we checked everything but we didn't have a clue what was wrong with it!! ....as we didn't see any smoke or liquid coming out everything seemed to be grand for us...hahahhaa
Eventually, we had to stop in Brisbane and then change the car for another one. I don't think even the guys there knew what was wrong with it but they just gave us another car and we were happy with it.

Brisbane is a business city. The city centre (Centre of Business District) is full of skyscrapers where all the offices are. When the office daily work finishes there's none around!! It looks like a phantom city! Completely different to day time!



Brisbane river cross the city and.. beside it.. of course, there is a fake beach!! This Aussies love artificial beaches! yeah... in this ones they don't have to worry about crocodiles, sharks or jellyfishes!! hahahaha



Brisbane has also lots of parks and pathwalks. One thing to stress about the Aussies is their concern about sport. Everywhere where we have been ( beaches, countryside or city) you can find lots of people doing some exercise! Running, cycling, skating, surfing... and all kind of people :old people, young, childs...

We went for a walk around the city and visit the parks around and the riverside...

The next morning, as soon as we woke up, we decided to go to Byron Bay. From Brisbane to Byron Bay there are about 3 hours driving. On the road you pass by the famous "Surfers Paradise". We decided to stop there to walk around and have something to eat. Ok... there are some waves to surf... but there are also thousands of skyscrapers apartments on the seashore... and restaurants, and shops, and pubs... It is like the Benidorm but in Australia!! Awful!!!


Aqui te pots trobar al Mitch Buchannon de Los Vigilantes de la playa!!!


After we headed off to Byron Bay. Some travellers recommended us the Arts Factory; a hostel with a special character where you can also camp. They run lots of daily activities such as yoga, reiki, cinema, live music, etc... so we decided to camp there. Unfortunately they were doing some refurbishment on the place so they didn't have that much going on....



First of all... picth the tend. Yeah,... now a new issue... one of the sticks is broken from last time! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



But some of our little friends helped us and we finally put it up... yeah little strange animals who come to say hello all the time!!



We stayed a week here.... so we had time to visit the town and its beaches. To be honest, we found that it was a quiet town... the beaches are very long and wide and the waves seem to be good for surfing. We found lots of people who stays here for months.. even for years!! They come here... they look for a job and learn to surf and they save money to keep travelling.



It's a town with a hippy atmosphere full of organic restaurants and markets. During the evenings there is also some live music going on and everyone meets there for a few drinks. Most of the people are young backpackers but you can also see some Aussie families who come to spend their holidays here.




For those who want to do some exercise (as the slope is sooooo steep) or just have some wonderful views of the ocean , they can go to the Cape Byron Lighthouse. This one is located on the top of a 100 m cliff and it is also the Eastest point in Australia.





It's an stunning place where you can breath peacefulness.



So.... we are in Australia... in the Surfers Maca... do you thing that we shouldn't try to learn surfing????? Came on!!! Let's go!!!!

We decided to join a Surfing school for a couple of days... it was great! It is great fun!!! Everytime that we standed up it was a record!!! Well, when the teacher push you is ok, but when you have to look for the wave yourself then the problems come!

But look, after two days look at us!!! Such a style!




Hhahahahaha yeah... of course they are not our pictues! We wish they were!!! If we were those we wouldn't be here!!! We have photos but they are in a protected CD and we can't download them... to be honest... not sure if we wanna show you!!! Such a disgrace!!!

The days that you are learning with the school is fine because they teach you to surf with a very wide board and you are able to stand up... but the third day we decided to rent a board and try.... yeah right!!! the board was half size the previous one!!! We couldn't even keep the balance when we were lying down!!!!! So, how do you stand up now?? Padle padle padle!!!! But honestly...even though it is good fun ... and dangerous too if the board falls on your head!! hahahhaa

And do you know what? We saw whales!!!!!! Yeah!! they were there... less than 100 m from us!!! They were splashing down with their tail as if they wanted to wave us! Amazing!!

As everything could not be about surfing , one of the days we decided to go for a day trip to Nimbin. Nimbin is a small hippy town located at 70 km from Byron. This place is famous because its Mardi Grass festival where every year attracts lots of musicians and artists. But do you wanna know the secret? The reason why people come here is to buy weed. Yeah!! they sell you weed everywhere and the cookies and chocolate with it!

It seems to be illegal here but they have high tolerance for it.




Nimbin is tiny!! just a couple of streets!! but it is located in the middle of valley and mountain and the landscape around it is very nice.




Now, after 7 days here and become professional surfer is time to change destiny... now we are going to Sydney!!!!!

We'll keep you posted from there !


If you wanna check more photos about our trip around Australia enter here :


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29210326@N07/

Arlie Beach and Whitsundays

Our adventure continues towards Arlie Beach. This small village on the East coast of Australia has a beach but again... you can't swim in it!!! This Aussies have beautiful beaches but they also love artificial ones!! hahahha There was a great swimming pool beside the beach! Yeah... lots of beaches but you can't swim in half of them!!

Arlie beach is the point to stop if you wanna visit Whitsundays ... one of the most beautiful beaches in the world...



The best way to visit this beach and the islands around is on a cruise... also is the only way to reach the islands and the coral reef.



So... there we go... we checked a few agencies in order to compare prices.. we have to say that they were quite expensive! But if you are lucky there's always some last minute offers which are very good. We got one of those and we arrange a cruise for 2days and 2nights on a sailing ship.



We were lucky and the calmed waters and the sunny weather came with us so there was nothing to complain!

There was around 15 people on the boat... from all over the world: English, Thais, Germans, Australians... and of course... Irish!! They are everywhere :-)



Sailing with Pegasus (name of the boat) was great... sunsets and nice breeze...nice people... great atmosphere... what else do u need?



During two full days the deck was our home.... our space... there we ate, rested, sunbathing, drinking... we even slept there.... under the stars!



What we enjoyed the most was the feeling of freedom that you have on the boat, the beach of Whitehaven, the coral reef and the turtles!!!! Earth and sky, human being and nature... then boat and ocean....




The first night we anchored the sailing ship in a quiet bay... there we stayed and rest during the night. Next morning we went to Whitehaven beach... ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god!!! The sand and the sea shine differently there... they seem to shine more!!! It is an awsome place to visit!!



We couldn't go on a cruise without rising our flag... of course!!! hahahaha Ausralia and La Rapita!!



We went for a long walk along the beach... it is so beautiful!! we had never seen some beach like this one before!!! ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee




No words can explain it!!



... just resting on the white sand and enjoying the amazing ocean.


After a while we came back to the sailing ship and we went to a small beach to do some diving and snorkeling.
It was great!!! We even saw turtles!!!!!!!! This was a thing that we have been saying during our trip... yeah.. we have been diving and snorkeling in different parts of the world but we have never seen a turtles!!!!.... but there they were!! In Australia!! and we were swimming with them... in the deep blue sea! It was magic! They are so slow and sweet!

Seeing the turtles in their habitat was a surprise! It was a present for us! And as you can see... they are like humans... they are born, they grow up and they reproduce themselves! hahaha



The trip was coming to its end.... it was very nice... pure and wild nature on the sea.... whoever goes there is astonished for its beauty!!

We would also like to thank all the people whom we shared this cruise.... it was great fun!!! and also thanks to the tripulation!!!



So...the Spanish pirates send you a huge hug!!!!

Take care!!!