Our last night in Fiji we went to dinner with Paul and Edna and then tried to listen to the hotel band, but I lasted about 10 minutes. I think my body is slowing trying to switch me back to TN time, and being constantly on the go for 25 days was really wearing me down. So I went to bed at 10:30 and was out like a light until 7am. So at breakfast yesterday everybody is talking about the tsunami evacuation during the night. Ummmm... huh? Apparently there was a siren and an announcement telling everyone to get to the parking lot immediately. I didn't hear a thing. Dad and Jake were 2 doors down and also didn't hear a thing. Bill and Ida were in the room in between us and heard it, but opted to risk drowning in order to get some sleep. Paul and Edna took it seriously though. Edna woke up Paul, told him to grab his money and her ipod and went running to the parking lot. She has her priorities. Reason #356 that I love Paul and Edna.
So anyway, we didn't drown, but it was storming in the morning. So we just stayed at the unlimited mimosa breakfast until the sun came out. Then it was off to the pool! Since it was the last day and it would be most shameful to come home without a tan, I took it easy on the sunscreen and laid out all day. Our flight wasn't until 10pm, so I had no plans of getting out of the sun until it went down. When it did, I went back to the room to shower and pack. I thought I looked a little red, but not that bad. It wasn't until we all met up in the lobby to head to the airport that I looked in the mirror and realized I was so red I was actually purple. Fan-freakin'-tastic! It is always fun to get on a 10 hour flight with a bright shiny new sunburn!
So we got to the airport, got checked in, and said goodbye to our awesome Aussie Erica. We all went through security and thought we could go on to the gate like most normal airports. Not in Fiji! After we went through security we had to split off into 2 lines - one for men and one for women - so we could all get a thorough bag search and pat down. Seriously?? We just made it through security like 2 minutes ago. It took the boys a lot longer to get through with their friskings, so they were crying sexism. I told Paul they kept him for so long because when he was checking in he told the guy at the counter if he could get a window seat, that would be "the bomb." Edna looked horrified when he said it, and started into a long speech about how "the bomb" is a really cool slang expression and they should start using it in Fiji. Classic.
I guess it is better safe than sorry when it comes to security in airports, but in New Zealand I never once showed my passport, I got to take my bottled water through, never took off my shoes, and once didn't even go through any security at all. Jake said that Air New Zealand must have a really strict "no terrorist" policy. I guess that is working for them.
The flight wasn't nearly as bad as the one on the way to Sydney. It was about 5 hours shorter and since I was so tired (and loaded up on valium) I actually managed to sleep on and off for about 5 hours. Jake wasn't taking any chances, so he laid down in the floor at our feet and slept great for like 7 hours. Lucky weirdo. We landed at LAX at 1pm Cali time, and we don't fly out until midnight. Nothing like an 11 hour layover! So from here it is the red eye to Atlanta, a flight to Nashville, and then a 2 hour drive home to Chattanooga. God bless America!
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