DAY 39-LAUTOKA, FIJI

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

 We docked here at 1:45 pm today.  The Oceania Insignia ship is docked right behind us.  They are on a world cruise also.  I was up on top deck taking some photos during our arrival.  It is VERY HOT.  I know I am going to roast out there when on my tour.

       We were here back in 2010 on that world cruise.  It lies in the heart of Fiji’s sugar cane growing region and is known as the “Sugar City”.  The most recent census showed over 52,000 living here.  Besides the sugar industry, there is also the timber milling, garment manufacturing, distillery, brewery, steelworks, fishing, hatchery, paints, and construction.  For you PGA golf fans, this is where Vijay Singh was born.

Dinner last night in Compass Rose with David & Melody Hermann, Susanne Peters, and Brandi Chapman.  Our veal parmesan was excellent.

WHAT WE DID TODAY:

    Rain shower over Fiji as  we circled around to the west side where Lautoka is located.

       It seems everyone on the ship has a cold.  Lots of sneezing and coughing which makes it hazardous to get on a tour bus with them!!  Rebecca had only one coughing spell during the night and says she is breathing better.  My neck pain seems to be getting worse though.

                               The Insignia is already at the pier.

The big metal buildings are for sugar storage prior to being exported.

                        Our Captain during docking.

           This is a conveyor takes the sugar from the buildings to the cargo ship.

       I was suppose to go on a 3 hour tour this afternoon but I re-read the tour description and it said it was mandatory to wear long pants and remove your hat when in a Fijian village.  The tour was spending over an hour in one of these villages.  It was entirely too hot to comply with this edict so I did not go.
       Instead I took the free shuttle bus into Lautoka.  Downtown is only about a mile and a half from the port but Regent had a shuttle bus for us.

                 I wanted to check out the local market downtown.  It was huge.

 There were many vendors selling mostly vegetables and fruits but you could also buy bags of chicken feed.

                                  This is the bags of chicken feed.

                                             All kinds of peppers

                            Some very nice looking pineapples.

                           Behind the market was the bus station.

   I was only in town for an hour and that was enough for me.  Of course there was a souvenir stand right on the pier.

                          They were selling some body creams and oils.

                This is the shuttle bus.  Looks nice on outside but NO air conditioning.

       Rebecca got her hair cut at noon today.  She liked the cut she got from a young man from Sao Paulo, Brazil.  I tried to make an appointment too but he was booked for a week.  I'm getting kind of shaggy so need a cut bad.

       We said good bye this afternoon to our friend Brandi Chapman as she will be flying back to Florida tonight.  Going to be a long trip for her.  Our friend also, Bobby Arvon, who has been performing on the Insignia will also be on her flight to LA.

       So tonight we will be celebrating Valentines Day in Compass Rose.  The ceiling lighting will be red in there tonight.  The head waiters will also be giving all the ladies a long stem rose as they enter the dining room.  

       We will be sailing at 10:00 pm for our next port, Suva.  It is on the opposite side of this island.  Just a short trip tonight as arriving there at 8:00 am tomorrow morning.  Guess we will be in for another hot day tomorrow.