Travelling means difference

I’m back in Nadi. All international flights arrive here. Everyone is just on their way, nobody stays. If you see a face again the next morning, that’s a long time. I don’t like Nadi. Unfortunately, there’s no other choice on the way from Nananu-i-Ra to Mana. I need a day or two of fast internet before I’m stuck on a modem on an island again.

There’s not a single hotel with internet on the entire north coast. If you mention the word broadband, the other person usually just starts laughing. Telekom Fiji seriously recommended that I open a wireless account. The “Broadband Internet” in Nadi is on its last legs – if it has any air.

A taxi driver explains to me how this came about. Vodafone has a monopoly on the Internet in Fiji. They rip you off until you drop without investing anything. A 1000 flat rate costs the equivalent of €400 a month. The concessionaires of the military junta are earning themselves silly. If my old Vodafone mobile phone hadn’t been hacked anyway, I’d do it now.

I realise again how different people can be. I say to the first receptionist at Horizon: “Hey, I’m a web designer, I have to use my own laptop for the programmes and stuff.” No problem.

Then, today, the new one hits me in the back in good Bavarian Hackl. Snots at me that my laptop is forbidden. Me: I’ll pay, I asked, it’s okay. She leaves in a huff. Later I have to pay while the whole network in Fiji is offline again. The lockers are too small for my laptop. Last night I was able to stash it behind reception. Today, the stupid new mutt refuses. So I’m sleeping on it in the dorm. Thank you!

The wind picks up in the afternoon. The rain season is slowly starting, yesterday I saw the first high storm clouds. The thunderstorms inland are sucking in the cooler sea air. At least until I’ve finished my kite, then they’ll stop again.

I go shopping. The only thing Nadi is good for. On the way back on the bus, the last images of Nananu-i-Ra come back into my head. Sotos waving as he runs into the water after my whistle at the kite point and chases after the boat. Travelling makes a difference.

An email arrives from Father Christmas. His troubles with the “government” of Fiji have gone even further than I feared. The junta has really cashed in on the fact that he supplies schools with sports equipment for free. The highlights follow:

Peter Cole’s civilian mission “The Spirit Of Sharing” was once again a huge success. Getting to more than 60 schools and providing sporting equipment for over 15,000 kids and 75 schools was the final result which Cole says was way over his expectations. Assisted by friends Andrew Greenall & Stephen Longham the team fought with Government officials and Customs officers to clear Cole’s container with $300,000 worth of donated Sporting equipment in it.

The process was delayed over 2 weeks as there was no senior minister in the government willing to give the green light. It’s a very worrying situation when no one in the government wants to make a decision as they are worried about being sent back to their village and loosing their job. The excuse by the government was that nothing can be sent to their country to be donated to the people without paying vat tax which is equivalent to our GST. Also they said that schools in Fiji are not classified as charities needing help.

Cole was to meet with the acting prime minister to sort the clearance out, but at the last minute the minister cancelled as he had an urgent meeting. Never the less the container was finally cleared but not without $1,000 Vat Tax payment. The Rotary Club of North Suva supported the mission by covering the Vat Tax charges and taking delivery of the container.