Fiji

Fiji is comprised of more than three hundred islands and is another tropical paradise for vacationers.  However, we docked in Lautoka, a working class town dominated by the sugar cane precessing industry.  The scene above is from their public market.  Forty-three percent of Fijians are of Indian descent due to the indentured servitude of Indians at the turn of the 20th century.  We could smell the Indian spices as we approached town on our walk from the port.  The market offered a variety of peppers along with much produce which was unfamiliar to us.

                                This is a row of food cases from which prepared food was sold.

One of the main streets in town near the market.  Since rugby is the most popular sport in Fiji, many stores offered rugby team sportswear.

New York Pizza attracted us for lunch because of their Indian toppings such as Chicken Tikka Masala 

And a super spicy Bollywood pizza which our daughter-in-law, Kavita, and her family would have enjoyed.                                 

However, they were too spicy for us even after we asked for mild spice.  The chicken masala was spicy but so good we kept eating it.  OMG, the Bollywood was way more spicy that we should have stopped at one slice but you know how food can be too spicy but so good at the same time that you don't stop even though you know you should?  That is what happened to us.  The experience helped me fully understand why spicy food is so popular in many hot and humid locales.  It was sweltering as we walked through town but after lunch, we were so hot on our insides that the air felt much cooler outside.

Small and compact cars dominated the city streets.  On our walk back to the ship, we passed a very modern looking McDonalds with a parking lot full of vans and SUVs- just like home.

Travel and eat like the locals