Royal Levuka Hotel, Levuka,
Don’t let the name of this hotel fool you. It is more a backpacker hostel then a royal residence. True, it is the oldest hotel in
We got here from
When we got into town we were welcomed by a fishy smell that has accompanied us ever since. There is a tuna cannery here, packing frozen tuna from
The main part of town is a strip of Beach strip with old buildings, built 100 years ago that serve as storefronts for the town. Everything has an old dilapidated look to it, but at the same breath some sort of unexplainable charm. The locals all smile and come to look at the kids when we pass by the street. Every once in a while somebody leans to Shir or Orr and gives them a little hug or kiss. Some even pick them up to give them a hug.
We ate mostly in one restaurant in the center called “Whale’s Tale†that had decent food and a very nice lady running it.
Unfortunately for us, the weather here has not been favorable. It has been cloudy and rainy ever since we got here, and although it is not cold at all, we really could not go anywhere or do anything other than lounge on our balcony or hang around the main street whose buildings provided some shelter from the rain.
In front of our patio is a grassy yard that gets covered with frogs when it rains. What joy to spot and chase the little critters. Ask Ron or Shir. The hotel also has a parrot that we visited several times a day, just to hear him say “Helloâ€.
As you can understand, we did not have the ultimate experience here, but the tranquility and “realness†of the place and people was something that I appreciated. We met a
Today we dropped in on a church service to hear the local kids singing in the choir. Amazing voices. Everywhere we went we were met with kindness and a happiness that you seldom see so openly on the street. I guess it’s true that the Fijians are one of the nicest people on this planet.
Tomorrow we hope to end the wet streak of this vacation by returning to the west coast and Nadi. We have a 7:30am flight and the bus picks us up at 6:30.
Good night,
-Hemi