Christmas in Figi

After traveling through time we arrived at 6 am Christmas day. We arrived at our hotel just half passed 7 and were lucky to get into our room early. Napping till 11 we discovered nothing would be open as it is Christmas day and the natives are proud Christians.
With nothing to do, Lonnie and I were forced to spend the day lazily sipping drinks poolside and visiting with backpackers from around the world. We made fast friends with Mike, a 22 yr old Jewish accountant form Jersey. We also visited with Brian from Winnipeg and two girls living in New Zealand ,one a native Swed. With mango and coconut trees above our heads we took multiple dives into the sizable pool to keep ourselves cool. Though the forecast called for rain, it never came. Thunder threatened in the background, but never materialized. It was a beautiful day. We had lunch with Mike poolside. It consisted of a vegetable curry and a native dish called Kokoda. It was a fish soup made of coconut milk, lime juice, parsley, and fruit. Along with our dishes we sampled many local beers and spirits. Lonnie's favorite was a amber ale referred to as "Fiji baby".
Finished with lunch we dragged ourselves back to the pool. As ripe mangos fell from the tree they were quickly gathered up for snacks as we repaired for "Christmas dinner". Lonnie peaked outside the room to witness the natives adorably setting up and decorating for our special dinner. Six pm and we bellied up to the bar for happy hour. As we ordered local rum (160 proof) and cokes as group of natives began to gather in front of us. Choir books materialized in the hands of about 20- 25 individuals. With panting dogs at our feet and perspiration gathering on our brows we witnessed something beautiful. These natives had spent their special day gathering before a tiny Hodge podge group of backpackers to sing recognizable Christmas songs in their native tongue. And they sounded fantastic. Fanning themselves through the heat, the men and women harmonized perfectly. It was touching, it was beautiful, it was a lovely tribute to the day.
Though our time in Fiji will be short lived, one can't help but feel blessed to have witnessed such an atypical holiday here. The people here are kind. They are helpful. They seem prone to happiness. Fiji we hardly knew ye and yet we hope to return one day.
Tonight we board a plane bound for Melbourne. We are incredibly excited to reunite with Amber and BJ in their new hometown.