Oh no! I missed Chocolate Day. It was July 7. No wait. U.S. Chocolate Day is October 28. Whew. I never knew such a day existed but now that I do, I sure don't want to miss it.
This news comes to me via a fellow travel writer's site, Travel Diversions with Doreen. I write a blog on solo travel. Doreen writes one on traveling for chocolate.
What. Could. Be. Bad???? In fact, why didn't I think of that?
Doreen has written not one, but two separate posts about chocolate masters in the United Kingdom. This is hugely important information. I'd be remiss if I didn't relay this fact. Particularly if any readers are heading to England any time soon.
She says that Britain is leading the Chocolate Revolution. I have not fact checked this. But I sure wouldn't mind hopping over and indulging for the purposes of accuracy.
AND…be still my heart…when I went to the Rococo Chocolates site, which Doreen writes about, what should be at the very top photo on the home page? (At least as of today?) Torrone! (I can't be positive, but it sure looks like it.)
I now throw out the idea of "singles" travel for those who might be interested in joining a tour composed solely of people traveling alone, who are presumably not married.
I have not gone with the group Singles Travel Service, but I'm on the email list and they recently sent me a newsletter on some of their future trips.
At first, I didn't think of this as something to write about on a solo travel blog. But scanning (or should I say "spanning") the photos stirred up so many memories of my travels.
I thought maybe it would do the same for you, even if you haven't been across or in view of any of these particular bridges. For instance, seeing the bridge in Venice – one of so many you cross as you walk the quiet, carless streets – reminds me how special a place that city is.
If you've never gone because you haven't had someone to travel with…not a good excuse. You could wander for hours on your own marveling at the uniqueness of the place and stopping for pizza, gelato, cappuccino (what's not to like about eating in Italy?!) Bring a camera and a book and take your sweet time exploring any which way you'd like.
I didn't see too many other bridges I'd actually visited represented on the 50 Fantastic Bridge Photographs post. But as my mind wandered, I remembered Chain Bridge in Budapest. I got to visit that one because I had gone to Club Med alone, met someone I became friendly with and a couple of years later she moved to the city for work and invited me to visit.
Time for me to start harmonica lessons. Right quick.
A travel writer acquaintance of mine wrote this lovely story about how playing the harmonica during her travels in China, Turkey and elsewhere, quickly broke the ice with children she met along the way. Brilliant! Why haven't I ever thought of this?
People often advise travelers to bring gum, coins, pens, pencils and other small items to give to children. But sharing music seems like such a better idea. You hand over a pencil, there's not much of a bond.
But sharing music and bringing a smile to someone's face? Priceless!
In a third-hand account of spa-going, I offer you the results from this year's list of best spas, based on a reader poll done by Conde Nast. I tried going directly to the Conde Nast site, but they offered their results with that annoying web trick of forcing you to click here, there and everywhere to see all the results.
Instead, you can go to A Luxury Travel Blog and see all on one page, the top spas in the U.S., Canada, Hawaii (yes, I understand that Hawaii is part of the U.S., but I didn't make up the categories), cruise ship spas, spas in Mexico and Central America, spas in the Atlantic and Caribbean and top hotel spas.
Take the recommendations with a grain of salt…or with a sugar scrub. Theses spas are not being reviewed by us skilled and trained professional journalists, you know, those of us who majored in spa going and can write about it objectively.
But the list of top spas at least gives you some names of places to research if a solo spa vacation is in your cards. While you're researching, of course, investigate what the solo scene is to see if you'd enjoy going alone.
Visiting a new place? Ride a bus to the end of the line and soak up the sights while coming and going. Get off the bus if you see something or some place that strikes you. Maybe get back on and go to the end of the line after that. Or maybe not.
For two weeks before Sawau tribesmen from the island of Beqa in Fiji perform a firewalking ceremony, they have no contact with women and don't eat coconut. If they mess with "the rules" their feet are liable to get badly burned during the ceremony.
While in Fiji, I watched fire walking, not on Beqa, but the tourist version at the Outrigger on the Lagoon, Fiji on the island of Viti Levu. Now you can watch it too. (Funny thing, when the video begins, someone nexts to me coughs and it seems as though it's from the smoke you see.)
The population of Fiji is half Indo-Fijian, the descendants of Asian Indians brought to Fiji in the 19th century to work in the sugar cane fields. One guide told us that Indians have a fire walking tradition too, but theirs is religious, whereas the Fijian version is purely ceremonial.
Either way, don't try this at home. And certainly not if you've eaten coconut in the past two weeks.
If you're a solo traveler at the Outrigger, or just wind up there to watch, you'll feel comfortable as part of a crowd, as you sit on steps that overlook the lawn where the ceremony is performed.
There's a nice vibe and be sure to stick around to watch the performers pose for pictures with kids. It's a hoot as they pick some of them up and hold them upside down or sideways and make scary faces or gestures.
Nope, it was filmed on Monuriki Island in the Mamanucas, islands off the West coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. (Sometimes, it's just fun saying the names of these places.)
Fiji is a very welcoming place. Everywhere we go we get big and loud "bula's" (BOO-lah), always singing and sometimes guitar and ukelele playing.
Several times we've had "scary" warriors sporting face paint, spears and bracelets of grass or leaves on ankles, upper arms and wrists run out to greet us, screaming Fijian things we don't understand and jumping and making faces. All in good fun.
These seem very much tourist and hotel related but the Fijians also have realized they need to preserve their old ways and teach others. Even if the old Fiji ways involved cannibalism and warring tribes.
Today's post goes back to morning #1 when we arrived at Nadi Airport. Before dawn. It was quite a cheery wake up to see these guys singing and playing guitars and ukelele. Some of what I've learned since about what you'll see in the brief video:
Bula shirts
These colorful, cool shirts are a Fiji staple. The Fijian version of an aloha shirt. We drove past a police station and saw the uniform on dozens of cops sitting on a bus. A bula shirt in a blue-and-white pattern with the police patch on their arms.
Flowers behind the ear
Frangipani and other flowers go behind the left ear if you are single, right ear if you are married. Both men and women get flowers. They look tropical and exotic and smell nice the whole time they're on.
Sulus
The sulu va taga (SU-lu vah TAHN-gah- remember, "g's" have an "ng" sound) is worn by both men and women. The one you see here is the more formal one. Unlike the sulu/sarong that is a large piece of cloth wrapped or tied, and more casual, this one in the video is a tailored sulu va taga that men wear to work and when dressing up.
The Fijian version of men's suit pants. They are made of similar material to suit material, have pockets and a belt that is part of the waistband. And sandals are the way to go.
So, the video below, family, (as some Fijians say a lot) is your (and was my) first taste of the Fijian way of life. Yes, once you are welcomed into a village by the chief and go through a kava ceremony, you are family.
Solo travelers joining any sort of village tour will find a big welcome and learn a lot about Fijian ways and should feel safe and happy traveling to and around Fiji.
I'm off for more snorkeling right from my hotel, the Warwick Fiji Resort and Spa. I'm told the "wildlife" is much different here than it was down the road a bit. And the water is super warm here on the Coral Coast, in the south of the island of Viti Levu. Hot, even, in the shallow spots. Not expected for those of us used to East Coast beaches. East Coast, US, that is.
Now, enjoy a Fiji welcome. I'll be back with more posts on other aspects of Fijian life.
Bula vinaka. Another hot, sunny day in store on the Coral Coast in Fiji. On the south coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.
You know you're miles from home when front page news in the Fiji Sun is about the Kadavu Provincial Council in Tavuki and the news from all of North America is about six paragraphs.
I've learned much about the life in the villages here and the clans and the chiefs and the kava ritual. Kava is a drink made from a local root. Details to come in future posts.
I have little time to blog and that's a good thing. I'm busy. Snorkeling over giant clams, for instance.
Boldly Go Solo 