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DRINKS
I can’t forget about the bar. This is where most of the guests gather when the sun sets (around 6:30 p.m.) to have a drink with new friends before dinner. At Cousteau all non-alcoholic drinks are free (except fresh-squeezed lemonade, smoothies and milkshakes), including as many bottles of ice-cold Fiji water as you can throw down. Also at the bar are fresh slices of coconut, addictive taro chips, and fresh sushi and sashimi. The latter is only there if a guest goes deep-sea fishing. Here’s another little Cousteau detail that makes a big difference: The bar also has a large assortment of insect repellent for guests. One more bar tip: At 3 p.m. the staff puts out fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. No one seemed to know about them except me (of course my nose found them).

ACTIVITIES
Although this resort is known for some of the best diving in the world, it’s definitely not just for divers. Not even close. In fact, guests can do as much or as few activities as they like. Every day there is something to do, on land and sea, from early morning yoga to an afternoon catamaran trip to weekly crab races. They offer adventure hikes in the rainforest (we took a short hike one morning to see the gorgeous views), and Sunday trips to the local church. They also provide ecological awareness tours, like exploring the reef with the in-house marine biologist.

CHURCH
Speaking of Church: My dad and I went to a Methodist mass on Sunday (we overslept the Catholic mass). We quickly learned that even church is on "Fiji Time": It started 20 minutes late. However, it was well worth the wait. The experience was fabulous, and the music fantastic. This side trip allowed the six guests -- including me -- from the hotel to interact with locals outside of the resort. In the middle of the service the minister welcomed us, and asked if a man and woman from our group would get up to say a few words about where we’re from. I stood, said that Fiji has become a third home to me, and thanked the people for being so kind and welcoming. They all listened quietly, and seemed very appreciative. The service was performed mostly in Fijian, but the minister translated some of it for us to understand. The locals were very patient and nice as they shared with us their personal songbooks and bibles. The highlight came when my dad got up and his sulu (basically a skirt which men and women wear to cover their knees) fell off --- in the middle of the aisle. You should’ve seen my dad’s face – he looked like a deer in headlights, and the whole church started to laugh. I just thanked God he had underwear on.

YOGA
Another funny moment took place the following morning. The night before, my dad announced he was going to try yoga for the first time. The class started at 7 a.m., but when I went to wake him he was snoring so loudly I didn’t have the heart to get him up. So I went by myself. I didn’t want to go. This was only my second yoga class ever, but I felt I needed to do some kind of exercise (all I had been doing was eating three huge meals a day). While I was on one foot, trying to stay balanced, I started thinking, It’s a good thing my dad didn’t show up – I’ve got great balance, but this is really difficult! And those four other guests look like experts!

Sure enough, while I was doing the downward dog pose I saw my dad walking toward us. I glanced at my watch; there were only 10 minutes left in the class. I tried signaling him not come, but of course he didn’t listen. The instructor had a big smile, and quietly set up a mat for him. It turned out the instructor was also one of the resort’s masseuses, and had given my dad a massage the night before. To make a long story short, when my dad tried mimicking the instructor’s poses he gave everyone a good laugh. I’m still not sure if he kept falling over on purpose or not.

IT’S TOUGH TO SAY GOODBYE
To give you an idea of how special the Cousteau resort is, here’s one story. We met a Swiss mother and three children (ages 5 to 16), traveling around the world for a year. The Swiss are known for their punctuality, not for their super-friendliness. The eldest daughter told me that when they checked in to the resort they wanted to be as far away as possible from guests and staff. They only wanted to interact with each other. But the daughter then told me how happy she was they stayed, and didn’t go to another resort. She said she learned so much from her short stay. She said the Fijians taught her to be a much more friendly and kind person. She wasn’t just telling me a tale, either. I happened to walk by when I heard the gang singing their sad goodbye song. It turned out to be for the Swiss family, who were going on to their next destination. I stood in the back and observed the family (including the mother). It was particular moving that they not only gave each staff member a big hug, but they all had tears in their eyes. In fact, the oldest daughter was bawling. I couldn’t help it –- I got choked up myself.

This resort – in fact, the entire country – offers so much more than your typical tropical holiday. It really can be life-changing.

NEXT WEEK
Next week we visit a local village, and check in to a moderately priced adventure resort. We will also have video clips from the 2nd Annual South Pacific Music Festival.

Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

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