I'm actually struggling to write about Fiji. I'm literally not sure what to say. What I can muster at this moment in time is that we are having an amazing time. I'm back on the mainland now, at Nadi, having spent 7 nights over on the Yasawa islands on the Island Hopping package.

I went first to Safe Landing, on Nacula island, about 5 hours by boat, and the furtherst away. Our logic for this was that we could see all the islands as we passed, and decide on the way which ones we waned to visit, having seen them from sea at each stop. Upon arrivng at Safe landing, there are several things you realise instantly. One is how far you essentially are from the western world. Even Australia is over 3 hours away by plane. This lack of Western culture is totally refreshing, and you realise the drastic extent of what we take for granted every day. Most of the population of the Yasawa Islands spend their time doing day to day chores based around issues that we are so accustomed to that we barely notice. Such an exampe may be filling the electricity generator with petrol, as otherwise there would be none. There's no power station, and solar panels are way out of budget.

Safe Landings, our first stop, only had 4 guests including myself and Stuart. We were quite surprised by the lack of people, but relished the escapism and serenity. We had a relaxed time there, snorkelling and kayaking the aftenoon away. Falling asleep with the sound of waves beating gently at the shore and a calm sea breeze pushing through the mosquito gauze is a feeling I won't forget in a hurry.

The other 2 guests at Safe Landings were English girls, one from Essex the other from Liverpool, who had met on a Kiwi Adventure tour bus, and decided to meet up in Fiji. They were at the end of their Yasawa tour and so we asked their advice on where to go next. For more people, a bar that was actually open, and an atmosphere, they recomended the place just across the bay from where we were, which was called Coral View. This next stop turned out to be just that, with a heart warming welcome sung from the shore, and hugs from the staff to greet us off the boat.

Every Fijian we have met has been warm, loud, polite and welcoming. Everywhere you go you are greeted with a heart warming "Bula", which means hello and life in Fijian. "Fiji time" is a relaxing phrase we have now grown accustomed to. Put simply, it is that time and promptness in Fiji mean far less than they do in our busy civilisation, packed full of necessary and unnecessary deadlines and arrangements. Lunch is at one, for example, but it might well be at 1.30, or 2, it depends. Just go with the flow. Time doesn't matter. To Fijians, it is just day and night.

One of the best things about travelling and backpacking the world is the rich diversity of the people you meet. Largely, backpackers are from the US, Canada, and Western Europe, but we've also met Mexicans and the occasional Israeli. You become familiar with customs and cultures like never before; it's amazing what you can learn from someone new in just ten or fifteen minutes. Also, it has really proved to me that English is a global language, and lingua franca of almost any international conversation in any country. Amazing, considering a few centuries ago we were just a small island tucked away in Northern Europe.