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.