June 14, 2016 · Nadi, Fiji
When I go Postal, I do it differently
In America it takes a village to raise a child; in Fiji it takes a village to help a tourist send a package. My time in Fiji was to be lighten the load and relax time. I had booked a hotel next to the Nadi Post Office, so I could package up and send un-needed items, gifts and external hard-drives with the 60,000 pictures I have taken the last 4 months to be sorted by others.
I figured this would take a few hours on my first days and then I could go for RnR. Getting to the Post Office I found they did not have or sell boxes and other items needed for sending a package. They did have tape dispensers, but no tape. Pens but no wrapping paper. Dictionaries, blank class books, rulers and other stationary but not postal boxes.
This meant I would have to defer and take care of the posting after spending time at my place for RnR, Bounty Resort. I bought an open ended ferry ticket, so if I found a way to send the package I could stay longer and if not I could come back to the main island earlier.
On the island, there were no supplies that would work either. That meant an early return coming back on Saturday to stay at the Tokatoka Hotel Resort next to the airport, where I hoped they would be better stocked, but if not I could find a shop or something with the needed supplies.
Having shared my challenge with Titilia Rawaqa who works at the resort, she arranged for a friend of her’s, Mily Vuluma, to meet me at the port at 2pm where my 12:30 ferry departure would arrive. This would give us time to go to the post office and organize my things. But it was not to be, the 12:30 forgot to pick me up and I caught the 5pm ferry not arriving to the hotel until 8pm. Too late to organize my packaging. Mily met me none the less and with her cousin Ranadi Tui
, they took me to a Fiji outdoor fast food barbeque stand/restaurant. The flavors were wonderful and then to a Bollywood movie which was delightful. With no posting that could be done on Sunday, Mily invited me to her church for this day.
It is an Assembly of God church, with English and Fiji services starting at 8 am and concluding at 1pm. I really enjoyed the opportunity to be with people in their own environment. This is the part of travel I enjoy most.
Mily then took me to her village (in the back of a truck aka taxi) where we met her cousin Nikki Louise Since Mily is a teacher she would now not be able to help me with the post office on Monday, but Nikki who works at the port has a more flexible schedule could. And also could bring boxes from her office that could be used for the packing. From the village we went to the port and had a nice dinner by the sea, as we discussed the days sermon Faith v Fear, and how to manage the postal problem. The plan Mily would come at noon Monday with boxes she would size based on pictures of the goods I need to pack.
Simple plan, unless you are on Fiji time. It turns out the boats to the port were delayed and Nikki Louise was not able to come until after 5pm and was delayed when she and Mily decided to come together to help.
During this time, I went to the hotel shop where I got some boxes, that sort of would work. And bought some dresses to use as stuffing since I thought the ladies receiving these packages would prefer dresses to bubble wrap. I also included a Sulu skirt and shirt I about for myself, traditional Fiji men’s attire like a Kilt, but worn with shorts not commando. I also stopped at the post office to get supplies only to find it was stocked like the other, except they had packing tape. And I got the needed shipping forms.
Mily and Nikki arrived at 7:30 just in time, for a bit more clothes packing shopping, dinner and then finally, getting my items into the boxes for posting. We used some of mine and some of Nikki’s. Since I would be leaving the next day and did not need any more Fijian money, I bought my two helper’s some Fijian summer dresses with the remainder.
With all packed, but not sealed, since the boxes needed to be inspected prior to closure and sending. I walked the half a mile (too short for a taxi, and a nice day, so why not) with the boxes, tape and wrapping paper in hand.
There I made it to the post office, got everything weighed and ready to send, I pulled out my credit card to make payment. Oops credit cards not accepted. Hmmmm should have held onto the cash from the night before, fair enough I walked across to the airport, made use of the ATM., the packages and I are now good to go. They are now in the hands of Postal Worker Rohan Lal, with my hopes they will be delivered in a much faster postal time and not the slower Fiji time.
Yes I probably could have hired a taxi and done this in a day, but it sure is more fun when going to the post office is an adventure, meeting new friends, getting a sermon, visiting a village and having another fond memory of life with others on earth personally.
Oh also, I was supposed to get a refund for the boat that forgot me. And it finally came a few minutes ago too late for me to use towards the postal cost. So I will leave it for one of the young ladies, who dreams to travel, to get herself a passport so she can.
One never knows where an adventure will lead, that’s what makes it an adventure.