Good-bye Fiji, Good-bye

We've made arrangements to fly standby tomorrow morning to Auckland. This is good-bye Fiji. John's condition has not improved and we have decided to have it checked out. The Indian doctor that we saw yesterday diagnosed Strep throat. But that was after a mere one second glance down his throat with a flashlight while still sitting at his desk. We are both on prescribed antibiotics but we would feel better with a second opinion in New Zealand.

We are going to catch the 3:30pm express couch bus to Nadi today. The Air New Zealand agent recommended the bus as it is air conditioned and as he put it, "A real bus." For $2 more than the bus we came on, this is too good to say no to.

Seana and Shane, whom we met when we first arrived, showed up last night at our hotel and we spent the evening with them, comparing notes on our stay and airing our 'disgruntles' about the Indian touters that are everywhere. This morning we accompanied them into town to purchase tapa cloths and ended up buying several ourselves.

Tapa cloth is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree. The bark is soaked, scraped and pounded with a rolling pin-like beater on a wooden anvil. When it has been formed into a pliable cloth, it is patterned with black and brown muds. Some of the tapa cloths are extremely intricate and beautiful.

When I next write, we will be in New Zealand and, hopefully, I will be able to say that John feels tip-top again.

Ni sa moce. (Good-bye)