Day 202 Nadi

Although there is quite a bit of shopping at Denerau, the city of Nadi (pronounced nahn’ di) is only 6 miles away (a $US6 taxi ride) and prices and selection are supposed to be better.
I share a ride with the crew from Moonraker, which is anchored outside the harbor. I want to spend the day shopping for some mundane things like some insoles for my running shoes and a set of headphones for my computer to replace the ones stolen in Samoa. (The headphones I need are the type used to talk on Skype)
My first stop is the famous Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami temple that is one of the largest Hindu temples in the South pacific and their “annual festivals attract devotees from around the world” according to the Lonely Planet Guide.
The temple is dedicated to the various forms of Lord Siva and is quite intricate and very well maintained. A guide greets me and instructs me to remove my shoes and not to take pictures inside, but he adds that by standing outside near the open structure, I can take all the pictures I want. You will see the results in the picture album that accompanies this blog.
For the rest of the day, I wander down the main street and into many of the shops. The shopkeepers are all Indo-Fijian and are friendly but a bit more assertive than the native Fijians. It is easy to say no but there is definitely a sales pitch the moment you enter a store.
One exception to this is the open-air produce market where many of the sellers are native Fijian. I have a good time asking the vendors to smile so I can take their picture and I think I will have some great shots.
I finally find what I am looking for and am glad I made the trip. The insoles were $F16 in Denerau and are $F6 in Nadi a saving of the same six U.S. dollars I spent on the taxi ride.