Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Fiji

I decided to head to Fiji for the holidaze to visit my friend Soko. It took me 9.5 days to sail from Fiji to Auckland, NZ in October.  The return trip took 3 hours by airplane. Yesterday we returned to Suva after spending several days in her home village of Nayavu. Highlights of the visit include hiking in the bush and picking wild yams, edible ferns, chili peppers, and oranges; swimming in the rivers and streams; drinking kava and a homebrew made from fermented coconut juice and sugar; waking up in the wee hours to the all-night kava drinkers breaking into beautiful harmonies; delicious food; and the very welcoming hospitality. I'll be flying back to Auckland and Twister on New Year's Eve.