It is a very common practice for Sharmila everytime we go to a tropical place to find some street side mango vendor and try the local mangoes. I remember doing this in Aruba, Cabo, Cancun, Costa Rica…

Today, we stopped by on our way back from the beach to try out some of the local stuff. There were quite a few stalls by the road side. We picked one that belonged to a rather stern looking lady and her amiable husband. They are of Tamil descent and we spoke a little in Hindi and Tamil.

The mangoes were very large in size. Apparently, locally these mangoes are referred to as “hybrid” mangoes. I asked the local folks what are they hybrid of. Nobody seemed to know.

That did not hurt how sweet and tasty they were though.

The gentleman in the Fiji Bula Lounge in Nadi airport did an outstanding job of the cappuccino art

Saw this inside Nadi airport. There is a whole array of masala packets – Chicken masala, Pulao masala, Garam Masala, Meat Masala… and then there was a “Hindustani Masala” !!! Wonder what that was all about.

As with most countries, the gentleman who gave us a ride from the airport to the hotel soon became our friend, guide and driver for the rest of the stay. Like with every such friend in other countries, I had innumerable questions for Aseri. Picked up a lot of understanding of local culture and local practices.

The funniest story came out when I asked him how did he meet his wife.

Apparently, after dating her for some time, when he wanted to marry her, as per tradition, his parents and family had to go her parents and ask for acceptance to the marriage. And as is customary, to soften them up, they showed up with whale’s teeth. They are considered an ultimate offering of gift.

“And so, if they had refused to accept, what would have happened to the whale’s teeth?”, I asked (the software engineering background always prompts me to look out for edge cases).

“They would have kept them!”

Seemed a bit little risky to me!!

Or as they around here – “Sato Tole” !!

Today was not that day 🙁

I can stay here for the rest of the day – with some wine and a book.

The water was pristine and the sand very welcoming