UP at 8:00AM, showered, had breakfast, packed, and checked out.
As I was packing, I heard a snap, as I was putting on my new backpack. I thought, "Oh oh, my new cheapo backpack is breaking already." I took it off, examined it, and couldn't find anything wrong. Later, as I was putting my stuff in a storage locker, I found out what the snap was. One of the metal hooks on my camera that the shoulder strap attaches to broke. The metal hook on the other side is worn down (metal fatique) as well, and will probably break soon.
So, I stuck everything in storage, then walked down to the central square and got on "Le Petite Train Touristique", a 1.5 hour ride on a fake train around the city, with commentary. It was 1100 francs, but I gotta get rid of my franc anyway. Yesterday there was two hot chicks on the train, and as the train passed (as I was walking back from the beaches), one of the girls was smiling and waving at me and saying something to me "en francais" (probably telling me I was a hottie, and that she wanted to sex me up). Today there was just a bunch of Japanese tourists and myself.
After the train ride, I walked to McDonalds, but it was packed (noonhour), so went to the harbour and hung out there for an hour, then back to McDonalds and had lunch. Then back to the hostel and vegged.
Very, very windy in New Caledonia, and the wind is very cool. But in the sun, and with the wind blocked, it's hot. One minute your cold, next your hot.
About 4:30, I walked to the bus station to get a public bus to the airport. Only 380 francs (I paid 2500 francs for the private bus from the airport to Noumea!) Public bus takes longer, but still. Talk about a rip off!!
All the restaurants and shops are closed at the airport when I got there, so I sat, hungry! A stewardess walked into the airport with a big pizza. I should've stopped her and tried to buy a piece from her.
I'm the only one at the airport right now. Other than two women working the information booth. Only 3.5 hours until my flight leaves.
The two information desk women left, now I'm all alone in the airport! Weird!
The fine folks of the bar opened up at 8:30, and they had a little bit of food (quiche, sandwiches, salad, etc.) in their display case, so I had some sort of ham wrapped around veggies thing, not all that tasty, but if filled the hole in my stomach. Also had a coke and two chocolate bars. Almost exhausted my XPF currency, just got a few coins left (about 400 franc)
It's now 9:38, and they've started checking baggage for the flight, so I checked mine in, and went through passport control. The security/passport guy asked me something in french, I said "English please.", he said "Oh.", and the other security guy started chuckling, and the first guy just handed me my passport and boarding pass back. I don't think he spoke any english.
There's only 14 people on the plane!!!
Got to Nadi (pronounced Nandi) about 1:30, got thru customs, went outside airport and found the FeeJee Experience lady, got my bus pass and hostel vouchers from here, and got on the Nadi Bay Hotel shuttle bus. Had to wait for about an hour for another plane to arrive with lots of backpackers from Australia. Bus filled up after they arrived!
We got the hostel, and all the backpackers crowded the reception, and overwhelmed the lady. She ended up not having enough rooms/beds for everyone, so 11 of us (without reservations) had to sleep on the beach chairs around the swimming pool at 4:00AM, under teh starry (actually, cloudy) sky. It was free, though.
The movie Cast Away (with Tom Hanks) was filmed on one of the islands in Fiji, I'm gonna go see it!!
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