Day 17: Final hurrah in Paradise:

We woke up to another gorgeous sunrise. You know you are in one of the most incredible places on earth when Amy is just as willing to hop out of bed for a sunrise viewing as Georgeann. I (Amy) didn't even moan and grown to watch the same spectacular view from the bed which was practically floating on water in the actual sunset. We were just so happy it was nice again, up we got, hit brew on my coffee and watched the sunrise over our own private section of coral reef. Right as the sunrise was almost over we jumped in for an early private snorkel right off the ladder of our deck in the overwater bure. It was rush hour on the reef as it was high tide. There were tons of beautiful fish. We saw three clams, a bunch of colorful fish, and a nudibranch-or three. The water feels like bath water in the morning. It was a perfect way to wake up, and no wet suit required- less gear than our dive trip! Dunkin' is going to have to work hard to match my new morning routines ;) To rinse off, we took advantage of the giant tub. We opened the full panel sliding windows and Amy drank more coffee while we looked at the fish swimming on the reef from the tub. Really? What the Fiji...is this really our life? We headed for breakfast, saying bula to Suliasi and our blue spotted sting ray friends. It was delicious, but we would expect nothing less. Amy enjoyed eggs Benedict on the greatest small biscuits in the land and homemade and scrumptious whole grain bread with honey ham and cheese- it blew Spain's tapas out of the water! Georgeann enjoyed citrus french toast with fresh fruit and maple hot cakes. We also tried a variety of delicious pastries and fresh granola, fruit, and jams. To digest, we walked back to our overwater humble abode and did a power snorkel off our deck to burn off some breakfast. We took advantage of every second of complimentary late checkout thanks to Timoci; having until 2 pm sure beats only 11am, allowing for this extra snorkel trip! We went past all the overwater bures and down the reef. We saw a sea snake, octopus (which are so cool when they slowly slither across the coral, our chartreuse finned male parrot fish (thought of you-Judy), gorgeous tripod fish (no idea what they really are), puffer fish, wrasse, clownfish, schools of trumpet fish, a baby panda clownfish, and a myriad of others that we don't yet know by name. When it was time, and we had no extra stolen moments, we showered and packed up, taking some goodbye shots on our deck and saying goodbye to a life we will probably never encounter again. We don't regret a moment. We worked our tails off and saved hard for the last two years, we deserved to reward ourselves with a spectacular graduation gift! Anytime you can enjoy something on your bucket list, don't over think it, life is too short. We hopped in the golf cart (it was so Fantasy Island but without Tatoo) and headed down to lunch, our final five star meal. We couldn't imagine eating like this unless Judy and Jim take us out to dinner. We would never order this stuff, not sure what half the items in the dish even are, but it was all fantastic, like a little party in your mouth. The highlight of lunch was the chocolate tart with raspberry sauce and sorbet. Yum! We should have then hit the gym, but we hit the infinity pool instead, after all, there are plenty of gyms at home. The pool was gorgeous. In most places the only way you could tell where the pool ended and ocean began was when you began to see the light green coral reefs! After our swim, we sadly headed to the dock and had a good bye passion fruit ice tea- amazing :) We took a few final pictures as the clouds were rolling in. Not that anyone would ever want to leave Likiliku, but if you have to go, at least we enjoyed the best two days we've seen on our whole trip, and it was a little less painful to leave as you knew a front was moving through. We could still hear the staff singing the goodbye song as we waited in the little boat for our ferry back to reality. We are currently sitting on the ferry watching the storm roll in as we prepare for a crazy long trip home. First we fly to Sydney (almost five hours in the wrong direction) to fly back past Fiji, over the international date line to Los Angeles. It will shake out to be about 20 hours plus a layover to get back to the states. Those are the flights you get when you are at the whim of your miles and not a cash paying customer. Good times, but really, right now we feel like we can never complain about anything for a long time. We are so grateful for what we have and to choose to live our lives the way we do. In L.A. we will spend about 4 days with our sister, brother-in-law, and awesome niece and two amazing nephews. Can't wait to see Riley, as we missed him on the way out. We then fly back to JFK, get picked up by Mom and Dad Bossers (thanks in advance for that) and spend some time with the G'Ville side of the fam, get our boy Diablo who's been living it up at doggie summer camp (thanks again Gabby, Diane, and parents) and drive back to Boston. All in all, it will be a long, really long, trip home. The scenic route was on sale!

Day 16: If this is heaven, we are going "all in"

We woke up to the most beautiful sunrise we have seen in Fiji. Empowered by the sun's rays we were ready for a tiny dip in the water. We checked out the temp and just took a quick look around and decided to get our mask and fins. The snorkeling was wonderful once again and such a dream as all we had to do was pop off our deck. After the snorkel we headed to our lounge chairs to dry off and enjoy what we started to call Reef TV. This of course got our appetites going and we made our way to our first breakfast. Amy fell in love with The Eggs Benedict and I opted for my usual carb based French toast and pancakes. Of course there was more to choose from at the buffet where you could choose from all sorts of fruits to be squeezed into the freshest juice one could ever have. Then it was back to the hut for more snorkeling and sea life viewing. We relaxed and enjoyed the welcomed Fiji sun on our deck, flipping from our backs to front, not sure which of our views to settle on, switching our gaze from the over water bures to the green vibrant reef below. This place is just pure paradise. Every time we got warm, we just climbed down the ladder and went for a quick dip on our personal section of reef, saying bula to our fishy friends. This moment helped us create the title for this post. If this is heaven (and really, nothing is better than this) forget Vegas, we are going "all in"...today! This pattern of the relaxing yet always changing and invigorating sunbathing kept us captivated until lunchtime where we once again had our three course meal. Being that this was our first lunch, we didn't know what to get so we sampled each thing offered. Amazing yet again. Fruit coolers, salmon, shrimp, etc. We invited our new island friends, Mike and Susie, to come to our hut to watch the sunset. The afternoon there was more nature tv to watch both above and below the water's surface. We just didn't want this day to end. Snorkeling, eating, relaxing, enjoying the sights and one another made for a memorable afternoon. We were waiting for our guests to arrive and hoping for another shark sighting when Amy spotted not only a spotted ray of our deck but also our local octopus. Mike and Susie came by just in time to see our eight-tentacled friend and revel in the reds and oranges of the sunset over Likiliku Bay. Once the sun went down we headed off to a cocktail party where you could meet other guests and the management. We were greeted with cocktails as we came over the wooded footbridge and a round of bulas from the staff and other guests. Conversations were had with the young chef from New Zealand and his Fijian sous chef. These two truly deserved a round of applause that we were all soon to give to them and the other staff. The night then continued with a Meke performance by the local villagers. It is truly amazing how singing and dancing are nurtured within the Fijian culture. Traditions and stories are still passed down the way that they have always been through learning songs, clapping, singing, dancing, and connecting as a group. Amy was still intrigued with how the women performed at different times than the men and they were also often on the outside of the circle. One could see the hierarchy still existed in today's society. Of course the night wouldn't be complete if some of us weren't asked up to dance with them. Timoce brought both of us up and we were laughing, dancing, and truly feeling a part of it all. The Vinaka and goodbye song really moved us as we knew tomorrow we would be leaving and our visit would be at an end. We thanked the performers and our hosts and headed to our last meal. We had reserved a table earlier on the deck and were very pleasantly srprised to find out that they had paraded us to one of two beachfront tables. For those of you the watch the Bachelor you may have an idea what we are talking about. The sound of water lapping right next to your lantern lit table as you revel in the world class cuisine We were in our own private slice of heaven and everyone else was wondering how did those two ladies swing that table? We giggled our way to the buffet where everyone was in awe of how beautiful the food looked, how much there was, and how great it would taste. Deserts, salads, fresh sushi, grilled vegetables, curries, and all the grilling choices one could possibly imagine. There were prawns, mahi mahi, snapper, chicken, ribs, filets, and lamb. Dinner truly was an event right down to the first class service and Fijian guitar duo that serenaded us at each meal. It was like packing all the romantic elements into one unforgettable night. We said our vinakas and were walking back towards our room when we were offered a ride to our door. Amy and I just kept smiling and saying to one another is this really happening? Are we really here? We truly had made it to paradise and we enjoyed our last night views through the glass windows in our over the water hut. This would be a day that we would be talking about for the rest of our lives.

Day 15: Bula Paradise at Likiliku

We woke early, threw on our packs, and headed to the corner to catch our ride to Port Denaru where we would board our South Sea Cruises ferry to Malolo island. We were totally expecting a local cab driver in some unmarked car to pick us up or to get thrown in the back of a pickup like Amy's dream the night before. We were shocked when a giant coach bus showed up to get us. We stopped at several hostels to pick people up and the bus was full before we knew it. We rode, in style, to the port and got dropped off at the boat terminal. The terminal was easy to navigate with signs everywhere and friendly people ready to guide you and help out. They took our luggage, exchanged our printed out form for a real ticket, and we were even left with a little time to grab a coffee and check out the Denaru shopping plaza. We boarded early to ensure good viewing seats hoping for sun upon arrival as it was pretty cloudy when we left and we kept saying all we want is sun when we boat up to paradise! We departed exactly at 9- sharp. Sharp like Switzerland sharp, no Fiji time on South Sea Cruises. We cruised for the two hour ride, past all the other Mamunca islands, stopping periodically, only for a few minutes to unload and load passengers and bags. Everything was efficient, even efficient for Amy's standards. (Jenna, you would have been impressed!) The weather continued to torture us as we worked our way closer to our home for the next two days. However, upon arriving, the clouds parted as if to welcome us. We climbed into the little dingy with two Italian honeymooners and we could see paradise emerging as we heard the traditional Fijian welcome song. This was truly music to our ears and eyes, warming our skin and our souls with the much missed rays of sunshine! We were greeted by the gregarious and outgoing staff with welcome beverages and necklaces. After a guided tour of the most gorgeous grounds we have ever seen, we went for a walk and photo shoot of the grounds as we waited for our room to be ready for check in. We relaxed at the infinity pool and enjoyed a piña colada. We met Susie and Mike, a great Canadian couple who were celebrating their honeymoon. They ranted and raved about the resort and the food, none of which failed to impress with flying colors! As we were chatting with our new friends, overlooking the white sand and coral reefs someone came to get us and take us in the golf cart to our first and probably our only over water bure. We drove to the end of the property past all the luscious garden and ocean front bures before heading down the private dock to the 10 luxury over water bures. We couldn't believe our eyes. We had only dreamt about staying at a place like this. We were escorted to bure number 9, our private paradise for the next two days. with every step, it got more and more incredible. If you went left as you opened the door you were in a giant bathroom with a stone tile shower stall and a double sink which had a glass window in the counter so you could see the reef as you brushed your teeth. As you looked right the whole wall was a bifold opening window with a two person tub. As you bathed you could open the wall and basically be on the deck with a pristine view of the reef. If you turned right, the bure opened up to a bedroom and living room. It was huge! A gorgeous king size bed said "Bula :) welcome home) in cut banana leaves. A perfect welcoming touch. There were full size armoires on either side of the bed and a full desk on the side. A couch and lounge chair separated the bedroom from the living room. A full bar, fridge, and coffee set up was in the corner and as you sat on the couch you had a perfect view of your private section of reef through the glass bottom windows in the floor. We were greeted by a blue spotted sting ray in the window, never having seen one before we were even more excited, if that was even plausible. The entire wall facing the ocean wasn't even a wall at all, but two fully slide glass panel doors so with them open or closed you could look out and see the reef, other islands, and gorgeous bay. We stepped out onto our deck and continued to giggle with disbelief. Our wrap around deck had two levels. The main level as you opened the sides was large and had two sitting chairs ands two full lounge chairs with wheels and cushions for extra comfort. There were then five stairs leading down to a smaller deck with an outside shower and ladder which led directly down into the ocean. Perfect for snorkeling whenever you got warm! We were in heaven. Other than meals, there was no reason at all to leave our private paradise! We enjoyed the afternoon bouncing between a few snorkels and some lounging on our deck. After enjoying the reef life we swam under the main dock, departing the reef and heading into the sandy bottom shallow water. We were on a search for more blue spotted stingrays. It was getting closer to low tide, so they were hard to come by. Right as we were about to give up, we found one. They are magical, so calm with such great contrast between their pale sandy colored body and bright blue spots, especially when they swim and expose the whitish color of their underside as they flap their wings. We watched him swim around and burry himself in the sand. We made our way back out to the reef seeing a colorful array of fish before climbing up our leader and into our outside shower to rise off the salt. We enjoyed a cocktail and afternoon snack brought to is by the staff while we watched a dynamic sunset. As we were overlooking the reef, Georgeann spotted a white tip reef shark. He was swimming directly below us. It was awesome! We also saw our first full on octopus. He was out and about. When he was lit up he glowed bright blue and you could see all of this eight legs as he slowly meandered from coral head to coral head. We've seen octopus before, but only their eyes as they were hiding in a hole or tucked beneath a rock or coral patch. This was totally different and incredible. We soon started to get bitten so we moved inside to watch the underwater world from our glass bottom floor. The marine life was attracted to the light shining beneath our bure. We had front row seats to the change of the seas as the day fish found a place to spend the night and the nocturnal creatures emerged. We took the pillows off the couch and laid on the floor, eyes glued to each new life form that came into view. We couldn't believe it, another octopus. This one was bright red. You could see its head clearly, it looked like a jelly fish. The legs were kept title together as it swam in and out of our spotlight. We got a pretty good video clip. We saw several other schools of fish including the mystery tripod fish we had never seen before. It was as if they were taking turns on the private stage below our bure and we were lucky enough to have front from seats. It was a perfect snorkel, you didn't have to get wet or require a shower:) Later that evening we headed out, walking the beautiful garden path, meeting staff along the way as we migrated to the restaurant. Susie and Mike were not even exaggerating, the food was nothing we would have ever thought to order, but was magnificent. We began with an amuse bouche of seared yellowfin tuna and wasabi sauce. It was divine, we had to order another two. Then our main course was a duck that was to die for, who knew we even liked duck?!? We also enjoyed a lobster ravioli. The entree was braised ribs and pork loin, garnished with sauces and vegetables we had never even heard of. Luckily, thanks to Pretty Woman, we think we used the proper utensils for each course. After desert we strolled back to our bure and relaxed in paradise again. We hit the sack as dinner was a relaxing 2 hours and we planned to get up early and enjoy every moment of daylight while we were hear.

Day 14: Hello Nadi and Hostelville

Today we woke up without a destination or set time. We had breakfast at the hostel which consisted of bananas, pineapple, and toast. Then it was off on the town bus in front of the Aquarius Hotel. We paid $1 FD each to ride the local to New Town. Nadi was bigger than Savu Savu and had more touristy shops blended in. We found a couple trinkets and got some basic supplies and took a taxi back to Hostelville. The sun had been out in town but as soon as we got back and applied the unnecessary sunblock it was gone once again. We of course laughed and said, "really?" we headed out to the beach again and gave it a whirl. The sun came in and out. We hostel hopped and had some beers and apps at each location. The samosas at Aquarius (which is a total hit if you go to that area- cute pool and outside area) were amazing. We had an app then headed down the beach for a nap. We read in the sun, but really shade, until sunset where Amy got a massage on the beach. We then headed to Smugglers Cove for a a traditional dance show which ended with a fire dance. It was great! We ended the evening back at Aquarius to share a round of samosas and a chicken curry which was amazing. The Indian food in Fiji is both prominent and delicious. Our final stop was our hostel where we got some shut eye for the big kahuna which will begin tomorrow. We did a sun-dance as a nightcap and hoped for the best.

Day 13: So long Savu Savu- Bula Nadi

We had to check out of paradise today. We enjoyed Sarita's homemade breakfast. It felt like we were back on the boat as it was cloudy and cool again. Sharon dropped us off at the "airport" to catch our jumper plane back to the mainland. We flew back to Nadi and headed off to our hostel, the Blue Water Lodge. We tried to book a shark dive in Beqa and a trip to the Yasawa islands, but unfortunately they were both fully booked. Here's hoping something off the beaten path comes our way for the last few days! Our return flight was no great shakes, super cloudy and not much to see. We were very grateful that our flight in was crystal clear so we got to see Fiji in all it's sunny glory! Everything is prettier when it is sunny. We arrived at our hostel, it's nice, just like our Daku "resort" in Savusavu. Not luxury or anything but it works. We've had a funny trip like that. We've gone from swanky to cheap, keep our hard saved money lasting. We just returned from having apps and a beer at sunset at a neighboring lodge. Pretty cool little hostel cove we are in here. We are going to relax for a while and then go meet some more cool travelers.

Day 12: Disembark Tui Tai- Savu Savu Take 2

We had to leave the boat early and were taken back to Naveria Heights Lodge heaven. (Savu Savu) This place is just awesome. A must stay. Only 3 rooms, when fully booked, you basically have your own private paradise. Luckily our room was ready as we were dropped off at 8:30. We hung with Kasper for an hour or so, we like him, and then headed to the sun. Yes, you read it right. We finish our cruise and are greeted with sun! It's so welcomed, I'm even typing in the heat and not harassing Georgeann to re-apply the sun block. Even though the diving was awesome, it's a welcomed break. We really had minimal down-time on the cruise. It was packed full of adventure activities. We enjoyed the sun out by the pool for a few hours and then walked to town with Kasper. We shared lunch with him and met up with Chris and Dave at the Copra Shed to share stories of our cruise and say goodbye. We hiked back up the huge hill and enjoyed Sarita's spectacular curry with Sharon and the boys. Another, simple, but great day all around! Relaxing and calm.

Day 11: Tui Tai Day 7- Great White Wall

Today was a great day. We even had some spots of sun for the famous White Wall, our first dive of the day on the glorious Rainbow Reef. There were a few too many people as everyone wanted to experience one of the best dive sites of Fiji! The supper nanny must have been caring for the kids, like they did the whole trip, as all the adults were diving. Due to the crowded dive, we hung at the back of the pack to have more freedom and pureness. You descended into a flowering rainbow of corals. The colors are spectacular and truly impossible to get sick of. Even I (Amy) couldn't get bored here! :) Swimming through coral gardens and fish galore, right at about 23 meters, we spotted it. The Great White Wall. It was crazy incredible. There is this giant wall that extends to about 40 meters. It is full of giant bright white coral. It looks like a snow covered peak under water! I couldn't help but go deeper than I was supposed to, for longer the I should have, it was just to once in a lifetime to worry about safety. Sadly, we had to move on as my computer started beeping at me. Those things are amazing. We have never used our own before and it is like diving with a parent or your own personal dive master. It knows more than we ever will for sure! Regardless, the rest of the dive was still wonderful as it ended in a magical purple garden or coral, my personal fave. We returned to the boat for our hot breakfast and finished just in time to put back on our wet gear and head back out for our second dive of the day. This time it was Joel and Robin (a great couple from California) and the two of us, with Owen of course. We headed to Rainbow's End. It was great, but now our standards have risen. We saw numerous schools of fish and Joel was like a kid in a candy store. We were glad that they enjoyed their lady dive on the Tui Tai. For our last and final dive of the whole trip and on this famous reef, it was just us. We couldn't resist. We asked to dive the Great White Wall again. It was like going to a restaurant, you find the perfect meal, it's your last chance, do you go with something you know will rock your world, or do you try something new, with a big chance of being disappointed. We wanted to play it safe and go out with a bang. After all, the currents had changed and we did the dive in the reverse. It was another amazing dive. Again, we couldn't stay there for ever as we did have to take care of our bodies, which we're accumulating quite a bit of nitrogen from the 16 dives we had just done. It really does take a toll on your body, especially if you are not used to it! Anyhow, enough science for summer. We pushed it, but listened to our computers. We were so happy with the decision. It was just as incredible the second time. Truth be told, if we could do it again right now, there wouldn't be a moment of hesitation. Despite the crummy last night windstorm and cold weather, all in all, it was a spectacular day! Despite the way too many and not so polite kids (which was truly unacceptable for a trip like that- especially as it advertises on the website 14 and over), it was an amazing trip. It was an incredible blend of exceptional diving, culture, and adventure. The crew of the Tui-Tai is unmatchable. They were awesome! If there are no kids, or no more than an American few (meaning 3- not the Fijian 9- 8 being boys- all under 11 years old), we would say it is a must do! However, be sure to ask, with that many kids, if you don't have them, it may not be worth the money on your holiday escape. Interestingly enough, the website has changed since we booked and it's now being marketed more as a family trip- just be sure to check. When we saw the website had changed it confirmed our suspicions that we were a little duped, but gratefully so. If we had known going in abut the 9 young kids, we would have saved the money, but then we both agreed we would have missed out on a once in a lifetime experiencer