Saturday 18th August 2007-My first thought is that I want to phone someone at home this morning just to say "I'll speak to you again yesterday" and as I have 5 minutes calling credit left on a phone card I give mum a quick ring before breakfast. Peterina comes and sits with us until we leave at 10.I'm impressed she made it to say goodbye as she tells us she was out partying until 5am with some guests from the hotel.

We wave our goodbyes and get in a taxi for the airport. We sit reading and before long board our flight to The Cook Islands. The flight time is just over 3 hours and the time when we arrive is around 5pm. (Friday 17th August 2007) - Weird!!

We have booked a hostel within walking distance of the airport but I'm a bit upset when we look out of the plane window to see heavy rain. Anyway by the time we have been through immigration it's stopped but it isn't that warm and I'm definitely going to need to change into warmer clothes.

The hostel looks ok, right on the beach, we have a big room to share and the view out of the window is great. The fella tells us that the humpback whales are migrating past Rarotonga at the moment and to keep an eye out for them. We shower and change quickly and head to the bar to see if we can get some food. It is going to cost us a lot of money here for the next few weeks and it’s a bit of a shock when they tell us its 25 New Zealand Dollars (NZD) each for dinner, the hostel is 120 NZD and I can feel the cash draining away already.

We have our meal, a BBQ buffet and chocolate cake and ice-cream for pudding and watch the band. There is a wedding party going on and I feel sorry for the bride and groom. I guess when you go all that that way for a tropical wedding you hope the weather will be fantastic. As it is, it's pissing down with rain and looks like a cyclone has struck outside. Not quite the photos they had hoped for!

We head back to our room, I go to sleep and Simon and the kids watch some film on the laptop. Tomorrow we are thinking of hiring a car for the day so we can drive around the island and try and get some decent accommodation that won't completely break the bank. Hmmm! Could be difficult!

Our last day has arrived and we have breakfast and start to pack up our gear. We spend the morning by the pool and eventually Ali's guitar arrives. It doesn't look too good, it's been mended with fibreglass, not quite what we expected but it actually seems to play ok and as we had resigned ourselves to the thought that it was knackered anyway we're happy enough.

After lunch Ali spends some time getting some of the guys here to sign his book. We had originally intended to collect email addresses in this book but forgot about it from Malaysia to here so it’s a bit empty. Nevertheless he adds a few and he's pleased with that. At 4pm its time to go and we say our goodbyes to everyone before Sunny takes us out to meet the ferry. Goodbye and Thank you everyone at Walu Beach- You have all been great- Sunny, Ziggy, Malley, Sena, Paul, Tico, Appi, Josh, Stanley, Matilda, Cassie- we love you all!! Our Fiji Family!

The ferry ride takes about 2 hours and we arrive at Nomads Skylodge around 7pm. Peterina has invited us to dinner with her family and at 7pm we meet her Dad, Sam and brother and sister Thomas and Carolin. After a quick drink we are shown to a table right by the pool and soon we are joined by Leba, Peterina's mum. (The manager of the Skylodge)What a lovely family, they extend fantastic hospitality to us and we have a great Indian meal. The food is so good and includes thali's with about 6 different curries to choose from. We also have some yummy puddings that we never tried whilst in India and Sam explains this is Muslim food that would traditionally be eaten at Eid.

We spend the evening chatting about our trip and about Fiji. Its very interesting conversation and we learn about the political and economic situation here. As with some of the other places we have visited it seems that waste plastic is a big problem, we also listen to some great stories about the local people. Despite the fact that Fiji is in lots of ways very progressive, it seems that in some areas, local traditions such as kava drinking are going strong. Probably accounting for "Fiji Time". (Basically things will be done-sometime!)

By 1130 its time for bed and we walk down to the house to collect the kids who have gone off with Thomas and Carolin to watch The Simpson's Movie. I feel really sorry that we haven't had longer time to spend with Peterina's family, they are so kind and friendly and I feel really happy to have had the opportunity to share a meal with them.

Tomorrow we are flying to The Cook Islands and crossing the International dateline. This means we will actually gain a day. How amazing I can't really get my head around this concept no matter how many times Simon explains it. We leave on the 18th Sept at midday and fly for about 3 hours, and then arrive at 5.30 on Friday 17th. Wow!

Today is turning out so good! We're going to America Woo hoo!!

Our original RTW ticket included 2 months in the US but when we decided to go home early our plan was to travel from Tahiti to LA and then onto New York the following day before flying home. After talking to the Irish girls who are also flying to The Cook Islands on Saturday we decided to reconfirm our flights and discovered that our flight at 6pm has been changed to midday. This isn't a problem although it does mean we will have to leave Walu Beach tomorrow instead of Saturday morning as planned.

We therefore decided to accept Peterina the student leaders offer to stay at her parent's hotel on Friday night and meet her family. Simon then checks our onward flights to Tahiti and is a little confused to see that although the flight to LA is booked we aren't booked onto any flight from The Cook Islands to Tahiti. We decide to try and miss out Tahiti altogether and fly straight to LA from The Cook Islands. We have taken some advice from our friend Marie and everyone we have spoken to tells us Tahiti is very commercialised and extremely expensive. The initial phone call seems like its getting a bit complex- we have to fly back to Auckland and it will take us over our airmile allowance. Blah blah blah.

However half an hour later and its all sorted - Hurray!!! If all goes to plan we should be flying to LA on the 1st Sept for a week, then to New York on the 8th and then London on the 9th. Perfect- just awaiting a confirmation email now. I'm feeling so excited about this. Although Tahiti is supposed to be good, we have had the most fantastic time in Fiji and couldn't wish for a more perfect beach holiday. With 2 weeks to go in The Cook Islands- another idyllic beach place, I won't feel cheated at all at missing out there and would definitely rather go to the States.

So it seems tonight is our last night here and the staff here have been lovely. At 2 o'clock the Americans leave and we wave them off happily. Its back to being a quiet and peaceful place and we're touched when we're informed that they will be having a special dinner for us here tonight. They clear all the tables except one from the beachfront and spend ages making it all look good for us. Sena put balloons and flowers out and tells me she has done it in red and white especially. (England colours)

Ali goes wake boarding in the afternoon and I sit worrying about him. It looks a bit scary to me but when he returns he tells me I needn't have worried, the fella who took him out didn't seem to have much of a clue either and I don't think he managed to stand up on the board even once. In the end he tried knee boarding and at least kept his head above water for a few minutes! Simon, Maisie and I then take the sea kayaks out for half an hour and whilst looking through the water at the coral see a big bright blue starfish.

Many of the staff here have been sick since we arrived with a viral infection and when we get up to the bar, Paul the barman looks really ill. They are all complaining of feeling cold and have headaches and sore throats. I have been giving them paracetamol as they have been going to the hospital on the mainland and coming back with vitamin c tablets which they seem convinced will cure them, and telling them to go to bed.

Our evening ends when some Italian guests ask Malley to get some Kava roots. We have a few bowlfuls but it tastes horrible and I'm paranoid about getting sick as everyone including half the staff here are drinking out of the same coconut shell. Ali is already complaining of feeling weak and I give him a paracetamol at 9.30 when he asks to go to bed. We sort Maisie out and then go and lie in a hammock on the beach with a few beers, staring up at the stars and listening to the waves in the warm balmy air it’s a blissful and romantic last evening in Fiji

I'm running out of titles for our diary now as we are doing so little! The main notable points of the day are that our fellow Malolo Sliders are all leaving today. At 11pm Mairi and Kevin say their goodbyes and we wave them off from the end of pier with reminders to go and catch up with them if we ever get to Ireland. To be honest comparing the prices for a holiday there and one here it would probably cost us almost as much to go there so I doubt we will go but we'll definitely stay in touch by email .As Mairi's camera broke Simon burnt some holiday photos onto a disc for them and they now have the proof of their fantastic time here.

I crash out on the beach in a hammock strung between two coconut palms and lie there listening to my MP3 player and making plans for our return home in a few weeks. First thing to do is buy a dog. (We have promised Maisie) We want to get an Alsatian like our friends Alli and Adrian's lovely dog Reefer and I have promised Simon faithfully I will walk it every morning before I go to work. ("We'll see on that one!" - Simon)

Caroline and Lydiane move their gear into our bure at midday and we have our lunch together. After travelling for a year and working in OZ for 6 months they are flying to LA tonight and then home to France in a few days. They have been lovely, we've really enjoyed spending time with them and we make some plans to holiday in one of the French ski resorts after Christmas and go and see them for a few days then.

They have their showers at our place and at 4 o'clock we walk down to the pier to say Au Revoir. We'll miss them but I really hope we will see them again in France so I don't feel too sad. The benefit of being the last of a group to leave is that we have scored 2 lots of sunscreen and some insect repellent!

I'm off to the bar now its beer time- quarter to 6 and I'm definitely ready for a Fiji Gold. We had a quiet dinner and sit chatting to the latest arrivals at the resort- two Irish girls Katrina and Rosheen. As it’s the Americans last night the staff perform the show we saw here last week. It's very good and we enjoy it despite having seen it before.

Peterina the student coordinator sits talking to us over a beer. She tells us about the previous December's coup and how when they reached the check points they would all open the windows and shout "bula" to the soldiers. She described how the soldiers would then sling their AK47's behind their backs and shout and wave back. By all accounts it seems that even the day of the coup it remained extremely safe here and we have had the best time. We tell her that we had heard the Fijians are the friendliest people in the world and that we will be spreading that bit of information around when we get home.

Off to bed now it's late and I really want to make an effort to do something tomorrow.

Oh my god we're all feeling slightly weak this morning and although I didn't drink too much, clearing up all the bottles from outside our room makes me feel a bit fragile. We all make breakfast apart from Maisie who scrapes her bum off the sheets at about 9.45 and has to make do with a bit of toast. Warrick and Amy left at 8am this morning, on their way back to Perth (The dark side as they called it) we really enjoyed them being here they were very young and mad and we had a great time.

Happily the Americans are going out for the day, island hopping, on a catamaran and it means the resort will be completely peaceful and half empty. Maisie new Fijian friend Gigi has also left today and it seems so quiet around the pool.

We laze about all day and meet at the bar for cocktails around 7pm. The entertainment fellas have arranged a "cross dressers" evening for the American's and although we didn't join in its highly amusing watching them prancing around in their thongs (Guys) we agreed that some of them conform perfectly to a stereotypical image of young American people- really loud, argumentative and a few are so rude and demanding. On the other hand they are full of enthusiasm for games, really competitive and fun to be around. They're leaving on Thursday and although we will be pleased to be able to bag a sunbed and at least 5 minutes on the internet I will miss their rowdiness.

1030 Off to bed now- feeling tired and ready for sleep.

Joe takes Ali's guitar off to the mainland today and we decide to keep our fingers crossed that it returns repaired. If not we are kind of expecting that anyway so won't be too disappointed. We feed the fish in the morning off the end of the pier and I lie for ages looking into their big fishy faces. The circle of life- we feed the fish our left over food, they get fat and end up on our plates and so it goes on.

After a quiet day by the pool the American girls come back and we decide its time to move to the beach. There is a bit of "them and us" situation developing now and although its very good natured they are so loud and over excitable that their screaming and running around is enough to have us all heading for a bit of peace. We find it perfectly, Warrick and Amy supply a bottle of Jim Beam and we sit with our fellow "Malolo Sliders Society" members(Us, Mairi and Kevin, Caroline and Lydiane and Warrick and Amy) on the beach watching the sunset and drinking whisky and cokes.

After a quick shower we meet at the 360 bar up on the hill, the students are eating up here tonight and then have a Pirates Night organised. Ali and Maisie join in enthusiastically and have dinner before all piling down to our room with a load of beers, a few bottles of wines and a few cocktails. We have a lovely evening, everyone gets quite pissed, Malley joins us later with his guitar looking frazzled after a day entertaining the Americans and we don't get to bed until after 2am. We end the evening sat on the beach looking at the stars and promising we will try and come back to Fiji one day.

Simon and Ali got up early today to take part in a two hour hike to the highest point on the island. Patrina the American student co coordinator leads the walk and by all accounts they have a good time. When they get back around 10am I'm surprised to see they are completely knackered and filthy dirty, apparently the hike was fairly hard going and poor Ali suffered badly with his hay fever.

Maisie and I have had some breakfast and feeling guilty for my complete lack of exercise I decide to have a try in the gym. The gym area is on the beach and consists of a couple of bikes, a cross trainer and a rowing machine. Keeping in mind that I don't want to exert myself particularly and do anything too strenuous I opt for half an hour on the exercise bike and leave it at that.

I ask at reception if it's ok to start moving our stuff to our new home "Bure 6" and when I'm given the ok get moving, Maisie and Mairi help me and it takes us about 20 minutes. It's well worth it though. The new place is so so cool, with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms it's massive and has lots of natural light. It's also in a beautiful location, again right on the beachfront but with a long veranda out the front and a big patch of grass with coconut palms and a couple of hammocks.

I spend the afternoon lying on the grass outside our bure, it's very peaceful and we love it here. When we talk to Mairi and Kevin later they tell us that the price for a one bed roomed beachfront bure was 450 Fijian dollars a night in 2005. The coup has definitely been a positive for us as we wouldn't have been able to afford to come here .The normal rate for this place would be 690 dollars a night. (Without food) As we are getting it for the same rate as the other place - 50 Fijian Dollars each and all our food, we're very pleased and well satisfied.

In the afternoon Caroline and Douglas an Aussie fella take the Hobi Cat out for a couple of hours and take Ali with them. He comes back having had a great time and plays volleyball on the beach with Simon and the fellas before collapsing in an exhausted heap.

We have dinner, a BBQ and then it's the Hermit Crab Race again. When the winning crab No. 11 representing Wales is called with Ali as the owner we're a little confused as we didn't enter but it turns out that Malley has bought Ali a crab and entered it for him. Ali wins 19 dollars and is thrilled and touched by Malley's kind gesture. We all sit having a few drinks and head off to bed around 11pm.

The decision about Ali's guitar has been made and Joe has offered us a free nights accommodation and food, a bottle of wine, the guitar is going to the mainland on Monday for repair which they will pay for and Ali is going to have some wake boarding lessons with Malley. We're happy with this and think its fair compensation and as much as we can reasonably expect.

I expected it to be really quiet here this morning but there are lots of people around. At lunchtime a group of around 50 American students arrive. We knew they were coming so although it does turn this peaceful place into more of a party island we don't mind. We sit talking to a couple of French girls, Caroline and Lydiane, they are at the end of their RTW trip and spent 7 months in Australia working and touring around. As they didn't go to the East Coast its interesting listening to them chatting about the places they visited including Ayers Rock (Uluru).

In the afternoon Caroline takes Ali out in a kayak for some snorkelling just off the reef. Maisie plays in the pool with Appi and I lie frazzling in the sun. Simon has been playing volleyball and table tennis with the boys who work here but I haven't so far been able to persuade my legs to do anything so energetic. I have got so brown since we've been here and I think it because it isn't any hotter than around 30 it's easy to lie there all day reading and listening to my MP3.

By 4pm my tooth is really hurting again. I have been managing the pain ok with 2 paracetamol in the morning and a couple of beers each evening but today it's so painful and makes me feel miserable. I go and have a shower and as soon as it reaches a decent time- 5.30 head for the bar. Paul makes me a Malolo Slide (The best cocktail I have ever had and everyone here loves them) by 7.30 the pain is forgotten and we have a lovely evening with the other people staying here. A good mix, a drunken Aussie couple Warrick and Amy, Mairi and Kevin, Caroline and Lydiane, an American couple called Terence and Sarah, an English girl Michelle and us. Everyone has a lot to drink and I call home and chat to mum for half an hour in between.

At 9pm it’s the Kava Drinking Ceremony. It's famous in Fiji and we have heard loads about it, the Kava roots are ground up and mixed with water to make what looks like muddy water which you then drink. It has a mildly narcotic effect and once Malley and Sunny have got all the American students sat on the floor I go over to have a look at what the Kava Ceremony entails. Apparently you should clap your hands once, say bula, drink a coconut shell worth and then clap 3 times. Well it tastes fairly non descript and only has the effect of making my tongue feel slightly anaesthetised. I'm surprised when Maisie says she want to have some but not surprised when Ali gulps his down. I tell Malley that Ali isn't to have too much but despite this hear later he had 4 cups. I guess he'll sleep well tonight.

The first thing to do after breakfast is go and have a chat with Joe the resort manager about Ali's guitar. Simon is worried as we don't want to get Malley into any trouble and he makes it clear to Joe that we aren't blaming Malley for what was definitely an accident. He says he wants to have a talk with Malley and we leave it that they will perhaps send it to the mainland and try and get it repaired. Everything here works on "Fiji time" and Simon is going to speak with him again tomorrow and try and sort something out.

We spend the day lazing by the pool and watching various people arriving. We thought it would be very quiet here today as lots of couples have left but a big group of Japanese people arrive and it's soon fairly lively. Carol, Shane, Conor, Megan and Niamh pack up all their gear and we help them carry their stuff to the pier. At 4pm its time for them to go and we stand by the boat saying goodbye. We've had a lovely time with them and will miss them loads. We promise to go and see them in Portsmouth before Christmas once we get home.

Once they've left we have our showers and meet Merry and Kevin for a drink before dinner. It's very quiet without the McCabes and we eat quietly with the kids. The Japanese group soon liven things up though and we sit laughing so much at them dancing around whilst Ali, Malley and Ziggy play the guitars. Very funny and exactly what we need to brighten us up after the upset of last night. I talk to one of the Japanese ladies about Japan and she tells me we should definitely visit there as it's so beautiful.

We round the night off playing a game of guess the capital city by listening to the national anthems with two French girls and a drunken Australian couple and Simon wins us a cocktail voucher. Maisie is completely exhausted and I take her off to bed. Guess the Malolo Slide will have to wait until tomorrow.

Today started really well, we had our breakfast and after an hour or so sat chatting by the pool joined one of the entertainment fella's Malley for an aqua aerobics session in the pool. The 4 guys here Malley, Ziggy, Sunny and Mel have been working really hard to make sure everyone has a good holiday and the 5 kids adore them. After a fairly placid kind of workout involving a bit of stretching and running around the pool we have a game of water polo.

Not a good idea for me as it turns out when I get elbowed hard in the mouth and end up with a split lip ouch! Still it recovers with a bit of ice application and Carol and I have a lovely afternoon sat watching the kids all playing around the pool. They have been joined by Appi one of the children who lives here and the gang of six seem to be having loads of fun. Simon and Shane take the sea kayaks across to the nearby Plantation Island telling us they're off to check the talent out across the way.

We all meet for dinner in the bar early and have a few cocktails. The Malolo Slide is the scrummiest thing and Carol and I share that and a Fruit Daquari. We order dinner and are sat chatting with Merry and Kevin the lovely Irish couple that have been here a few days longer than us when we suddenly hear a huge bang. It turns out that Malley one of the entertainment guys has dropped Alister's guitar and we're completely distraught to see the head has almost completely broken off. Oh my god what a complete nightmare.

We now face a sticky situation, it was a complete accident and we don't blame Malley at all. On the other hand it will cost us around 500 pounds to replace it. We talk it over with Shane and Carol and in the end ask Malley to talk to Joe the resort manager tomorrow and we'll see what we can sort out. When we check our insurance policy we realise we will probably only be able to claim around 100 quid for it. What a bummer, Ali's gutted, Malley looks distraught and its upset us all. I feel bad as Shane, Carol and the kids are leaving tomorrow and we wanted to make their last night special but it has cast a shadow over the evening for us.

11pm-off to bed now feeling tired and sad.

When we made our way to breakfast this morning we were so pleased to see pancakes and maple syrup on offer-Yum! We settle by the pool and sit watching the kids all playing around. Maisie, Conor and Megan have a largish collection of Hermit Crabs and seem to be spending a lot of time lavishing attention on them. It's good to see them splashing around in the pool and Maisie practises her front crawl.

Ali and Simon take the sea kayaks out into the bay and do a bit of snorkelling. I wondered whether they would be disappointed having dived at The Great Barrier Reef but they said it was good and they saw loads of different types of fish and some coral. The weather today is a bit overcast but still really hot and it makes us laugh to see the staff wrapped up in their warm clothes, It very humid also and I seem to have caught the sun a lot when I strip off for a shower later on in the afternoon

Early in the afternoon Shane, Carol and their kids go off to the village for a couple of hours and Maisie and I lie together chatting away, it's very peaceful and we have a lovely restful afternoon.

We meet in the bar and have a few drinks before dinner and then watch Ali and the guys playing their guitars for about an hour. There is a big group of American students here who have been working as volunteers. Not bad, they have been doing some conservation work in New Zealand (2 weeks) then an outward bound bit in Australia and then an optional week in Fiji. (All accredited towards their course- what a great degree that is!) Anyway they love Ali's guitar playing and he has a dedicated bunch of groupies there.

Around 9.30 the show starts- this is a mixture of singing, dancing and comedy and we have a great time. The 4 entertainment fellas work really hard to ensure everyone enjoys themselves and the night ends with a bonfire on the beach. As we head off to bed I look back and see wild flames being blown across the beach and up the palm trees!

We were all awake fairly early this morning, my broken tooth is aching a lot and the pain only seems to be controlled with at least 3 Fiji Golds (Beer) 2 paracetamol and 2 Ibuprofen a day. Good diet eh?!

Ali has been up since about 4.30 and by 8am we're all ready for breakfast, there is more choice today and I have some fruit and cereal whilst Simon wolfs down a pile of bacon etc!

We spend the day quietly by the pool. Carol and I have a lot in common and chatter away like old friends. Shane and Simon decide to take one of the Hobi Cat's out for a couple of hours sailing and we watch them trying to catch the wind making their way back and forward across the bay. When they come back one of the guys Mel asks them if they will answer a few questions about the resort which of course they're glad to do. It was all a big scam! and took them a few minutes to realise when they came back that Ziggy had actually been under the table all the time merrily painting their toenails pink!

We have dinner together and a few beers. It's really great here as there are only around 30 guests we are getting to know everyone and there is a very happy and friendly atmosphere. We have been thinking about taking a trip to see one of the local villages but need a few more days rest before we attempt anything as energetic as walking to the end of the pier and into the boat.

We didn't wake up until 9.30 today and almost missed breakfast. Still after wolfing down a few slices of toast we're ready for the main aim of the day which is to do as least as possible.

Another family arrived yesterday afternoon, after us and we sit chatting to them by the pool. Shane is a Navy doctor and his wife Carol was an ITU nurse until she had their 3 children, Connor, Megan and Neve. They tell us they have been living in New Zealand for a year before returning to Portsmouth and that they lived in Plymouth fairly recently where Shane worked at Derriford. We have a lovely day with them and despite the age difference- their children are younger than Ali and Maisie they all get on well.

We spend the afternoon lying on the beach, chatting about raising children and frying in the sun before showering and getting ready for dinner. We have a choice of meals, I choose fish and when it arrives I'm surprised how good it is, we have definitely chosen a real winner with this place.

The slight downside is the return of mosquitoes and sandflies, we're all bitten all over despite using loads of repellent, coils and knockdown spray and in the end I go to bed fairly early feeling a bit frazzled and thankfully avoiding the balloon dance competition arranged by Sonny and Ziggy!

We had to set our alarm as we are being collected by the taxi at 9am. We have our breakfast and load up our gear which has increased dramatically with the addition of 6 days worth of snacks and drinks and a few beers. The journey to the pier takes about 15 minutes and gives us an opportunity to have a bit of a look around. It's very beautiful with loads of tropical coconut palms and colourful flowers everywhere. The women we pass wear bright floral dresses in reds and yellows and flowers behind their ears!

We get some money from the ATM (No ATM on the island) and wait for the ferry to arrive. At 1030 we board a catamaran for the 50 minute trip to Mololo Island. We stop once and then a second time at Musket Cove where everyone else apart from us is staying. We're met by Stanley in a longtail and pile all our gear in before setting off. When we arrive at Walu Beach Resort I'm surprised and thrilled to find it's absolutely stunning here. How fantastic! With a gorgeous long white sandy beach and about 20 beachfront "bures", we couldn't have wished for a better place.

As we pull up we are serenaded by 2 guitarists, a traditional "bula" welcoming song. So cool, we're given welcome drinks and shown to our bure. Its great accommodation, right on the beach with 2 bedrooms, a lounge area and a thatched roof, its very cute and we feel really lucky to be here. Without a doubt this is one of Simon's best finds. For 200 Fijian dollars a day we are getting 3 meals and accommodation. We worked out that this is costing around 15 pounds each. An absolute bargain for 6 days in a place which really is nothing short of paradise.

We spend the afternoon lying on the beach and baking in the warm sun; I try the hammocks and nearly fall out. There is only one other guest lying anywhere near us and other than that its almost completely deserted - complete heaven!! We sit watching the lovely sunset together, it's very romantic and have a few beers. We make our way back up to the reception/restaurant area for dinner and pile our plates high with the BBQ and salad on offer. We have bananas rolled in coconut for pudding - the kids loved it. We sit listening to the guitarists playing and talk to a lovely couple from Ireland. They have been visiting their daughter who is half way through her RTW trip and we have a good chat.

At 9pm the fella announce it is time for the International Hermit Crab race and having picked a crab each for a dollar( I chose No 4 - called Mitsubishi and representing Japan) we all crowd round the crab racing area. To my delight he wins and I get back 18 dollars for my crabby investment! Hurray!

We head off o bed around 1030 and go out like lights. We have had a fantastic day today and I'm completely looking forward to a lie in and then doing nothing all day tomorrow.

Bula!

I set the alarm early this morning and was up and showered by 8am ready to go and explore our surroundings in the daylight. This hostel is quite big and we are staying in the parrots building. Everyone else wakes up after I clatter around and we head for breakfast which is complimentary. It's really lovely to be able to sit outside wearing my skirt, t-shirt and flip-flops and I think it's perhaps a bit warmer than I expected. (It is winter here)

We dig out our suncream and mosquito repellent and after breakfast of toast, fruit and coffee settle ourselves by the pool. It’s a really friendly hostel and I sit chatting to a big group of girls (All English) after exchanging the usual "where are you going where have you been?" it seems that half are at the end of the trips and some near the start as they began in America. We of course are amongst the group at the end of our trip.

A few weeks ago we decided that for several reasons we were going to cut our trip short. This has been a really difficult decision and one that we thought a lot about. Coming to terms with the fact that we are going home soon has taken a lot of accepting and a few tears to say the least. On a more positive note, for us this is the start of a lifetime of travelling around the world and has only fired our enthusiasm even more for getting out there and doing it. Definitely not the end of The Bowmans Travels!

6pm - We've had a lovely day, sat by the pool, swimming and reading. I started Harry Potter today and have just been so lazy only stirring for half an hour or so at lunchtime to get a sandwich .Its boiling and our pale white bodies seemed to frazzle in the scorching sun. In no time at all Ali has burnt and has been banished to the room. Simon has been out for a few hours to sort out our onward travel to one of the surrounding islands. In the end he has decided on Malolo Island which isn't too far from here and my only requests were a decent beach and cheap accommodation.

I'm a bit alarmed when he returns minus one sandal to hear he fell down a manhole whilst out. He has a big cut on his foot and leg. With all our other hassles of the past few days it is a bit upsetting. Anyway he said he was fine, not really hurt just a bit shaken up. Bless.

As its Saturday night the hostel have a show later and when we go down for dinner Ali plays his guitar with the resident players for an hour. What a star, he got him and Maisie free cheesecake from the owner for that. Then its time for the show and its fantastic, such good fun, entertaining and funny with loads of dancing, singing and fire eating. The group of about 10 islanders perform dances from Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and Fiji and they look amazing with their grass skirts, long hair, tribal tattoos and flowery headdresses. It all gets a bit wild when one of the girls burns her belly! It looked so painful and she dropped her firey thing into the crowd but we had a great time and went to bed very happy and full of it.