The lights & music have both been turned on

Wednesday, October 19 (Day 48)
Nadi Bay, Fiji

I haven’t got a clue what time it is. I get up to investigate and leaving the darkened dorm I’m greeted by the sight of bright sunlight and the sound of countless different kinds of birds participating in a beautiful morning chorus. It is like, after months of winter and early spring in South America and New Zealand, somebody has finally decided to turn the lights on and put the music on. There’s a touch of paradise about proceedings. Best of all, it’s only 7am.

I take as long as possible to enjoy my cooked breakfast, knock back a half pint of fresh juice and a jug of coffee and have a quick stroll on the beach. How lucky am I to be here? And joy! Back to bed to indulge an air conditioned snooze at 8am.

I get my very smelly clothes washed, dried and ironed for 4 quid, catch up with my blogs, read some more Eat Pray Love and splash on the factor 40 for a two-hour sunbathe. How can this be topped off? A full-body massage on a bed next to the beach shortly before sunset.

No sign of the two Aussie birds, dressed in colourful Tesco supermarket bags, there’s a gorgeous Italian girl sat all alone at Smugglers. I wait thirty minutes to see if anybody joins her and then ask if I can sit with her.

“No, sorry”. What a shocking knock back. There’s nowhere for me to hide. And just when I think the embarrassment can’t get worse, oh great, her fiancé has just turned up.

I best get myself home then. Half a pint of Fiji Gold goes down my neck in two seconds flat.