Smuggler's Cove

Let me start this post by saying that we are now happily tucked away in a lovely hostel on the south side of the island. It has palm trees, a beautiful beach and six person dorms that are perfect for relaxing under fans in the jungle air. Ok, now let me go back to last night's accomodations.

Yesterday, Laura and I arrived at Smugglers Cove in Nadi. We had been warned by a few people at our previous spot that Smugglers was a bit of a struggle. Actually, I believe the words used to decribe it were "if you want to go to Coney Island and actually go in the ocean there, then Smugglers is fine." And that was by some Canadian guy who can best be described as a total douchebag who probably thinks beaches in Jersey on the best thing since the Carribean.

Anyway, Laura and I arrive, checked in, recieved our neon orange jail-like towels, and then walked into what can only be decribed as a prison like setting. The "Pirates Dormitory" had at least 40 beds and smelled, as Everett later described it, like boiled beets. But worse. Laura quickly began to look like she was going to cry. In order to avoid that I tried to be positive and said we'd leave as soon as we could. However, there was no way we could avoid spending at least one night because Everett was due to arrive this morning and our planned meeting place was Smugglers. So, I agreed to wake up VERY early in order to make sure he did not check in so that we could leave today.

Laura and I passed our time with dinner, some internet time and generally trying to ignore the seemingly millions of high schooler Europeans congregating around us. As it was rainy yesterday, the pool (approximately the size of my bathtub) and the ocean (which looked like a black colored pool with dirt sand) were pretty much abandoned. Finally, around 11 p.m. I crawled into my bottom bunk, located about 6 and a half inches from another bottom bunk containing a very skinny man with odd lip piercings, and tried to fall asleep.

The one plus was that there was air conditioning (there had to be some venilation in the room- which had NO windows!) so sleep was nice. However, I awoke around 5 a.m., nervous that Everett would arrive before I could stop him from checking in. So, after some long morning ours in the lobby, he arrived. The three of us quickly decided that we would go to the place where we are now (The Beachhouse Resort) because we'd seen a flier for it in the lobby. However, that still gave us about 4 hours to burn at Smugglers in Nadi.

So, we decided to go for a walk on the beach. This was pretty much the equivalent of deciding to go for a walk in a dump where it has just rained, and the ground is black, and there is lots of glass. We wore shoes. Along the way, we met a rugby team who after an early morning game drove their white van onto the beach to take a swim in the ocean. (Later, as we walked back, their van was actually stuck in the ocean) As we continued to walk, we noticed a variety of lovely "sea life" washed up onto the beach including, but not limited to, a tank top, beer bottles and a pair of red panties.

At the end of the beach, a fairly sketchy man had pulled his car next to the sand and asked us if we wanted to go for a ride. We declined. By the time we made it back to the hotel, which, incidentally , turned out to be so close the airport you could actually see the people's faces in their windows as the planes flew behind it,it seemed like ages had passed.

As it was, we still had two hours to burn so we headed into Nadi, a town I can only describe as the third world south pacific's answer to Shelby. After popping in and out of a few shops, checking out a Hindu temple and repeatedly turning down offers for deals on sarongs, we caught a ride back to Smugglers.

Finally, after a quick lunch and a final stop in the stinky dorm, we were off. And frankly, I think the rest of my life will be much better for not having suffered any more time there.

Ok, internet time is up - and I've left Laura with Everett so it's best that I check to make sure he hasn't scared her to death yet!