October 15, 2017 - day 15 of my TransPacific cruise found the Explorer of the Seas docked at the
port city of Lautoka, Fiji. Right behind Suva,
Lautoka is the second largest city in Fiji and a 30-45 minute drive North
of Nadi, Fiji.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMQ0tjdgPvGYJ8fgVC-Q3Dk21bLC7BK5x9i8_jY0nNz3cg-aKCYl8wxPmrPdHx0Q6IvifDQoqhlZuGjwCD8DDdGiNHEM4My1z-qBj9u8xvA1NrKvbsGEbY7nyKrtybyK0JfT-zpyzw39-/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+2.jpg) |
Docking in Lautoka, Fiji |
I stepped off the ship at 8:30am and
began walking to the downtown area. The
walk to downtown is listed as 1/2 mile but it seemed more like a mile and took close to an hour. In my defense, I did make two stops along the
route.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvzpjzgbqXmu3_TYlzxu3MA_Ef3kHMu8iZfa7dldYJFKwAmD-9-mxuB3f4s4Oi_j3fdA7KlStWDQb6DG4vcsIIBVU7aG_Ry9eScYsnWoQ5bSSpJlahxfq3mHavokfiSXvk_7PzllAGbmZ/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+11.jpg) |
Checking prices at stores along the way to downtown |
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A stop to look at the old sugar cane rail cars |
I was able to quickly locate a
pharmacy and pickup much needed Sudafed and Robitussin to help quiet the
annoying cold and cough I picked up on board. Once that mission was accomplished I found
myself at a local market.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOP3tCKg-k2hPUxMFJNY2q_dw6MeX1mFQw0XeBcBDvD3_OdKV3i86uBJ1p7elT2hophg60INW5jczi08QJDorSfMH4_TzKrN0dpoeUiFKci0rGbrk5mYm3NFv1jOnm1XQTU0l2UwpA84b/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+42.jpg) |
Local market |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8S2ZlLGTX2vnontaAWI-ENPt4ncvSEXLxQlZ8abfbVf0zMuuZ2HAeXA1uAD6Wl-3ETOr4wacjFkap4YmVlxFv9i591k7hxGIcWs03plBiKAzSLNJhyphenhyphen_xEpxp4IpvLglzwcbfLaTVIyWM/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+44.jpg) |
Local market |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTkW5ftPKZ3VtjUYN9nHmZNtVhOC72LBEHVXuEjr_ufiX4lJwMZcYaYxsviC3i1baLyA-6MnrhxN_tXPjlxhqm6xUv4XZqgnObIfhXhH6Sknqn5WZyHTMi4AGPpreWqgu5EpVdTraiN78/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+38.jpg) |
Tiny little pinneaple |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHOxQWmvR0sUldlWAb6auLoT1A2XiW8vDSFljz9NZFoTdHYbjJxJ6zyZc0qOf9RLHCTDIC8p6eSQa39g_uPWW_3M0OpIj-73UbEnzbwX-Y36y06di2GuPxo_93Ya9vaEW7I77YJTnHdD-/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+34.jpg) |
At the local market |
Next came a stop at the Sugar City Mall. I joined up with friends on the walk and they needed to to exchange some currency.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUDXZPDWXQWOxNBnj7dcWJEwGkJQY1tPsJvKlfDR1nGdEr-DE72dzfMeBf2Ro_zRFqGp8LmrqSb671Y84rE3IWK21lHTL1A8DZTWuFxKyqH5TsrOUQCtAv_ZYtj5uKdbsON7KsaIdeZtu/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+66.jpg) |
Entrance to Sugar City Mall |
Nicknamed the “Sugar
City”, Lautoka is in the heart of a very lucrative sugarcane belt with Lautoka Sugar Mill being the largest sugar cane mill in the Southern Hemisphere.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aqyrmaLiCGKpHNgpOayp7zckecsNa5aui-jKgQy3ilH7lXmAtXYlpMI7H9-y-uRXsyBTP53A50kXlbdLxq8tnmyk-v17EJltkWl_S-onVw6pGMDXhyphenhyphenmBKMaWO5klrnzc7rCmJ0kvfICy/s400/mill.jpg) |
Lautoka Sugar Mill |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokO250743RZQUtbVgebAcI2IVdaVrxcUcV0mzpWnRTWxjbuFMOf7NTl0-W4x0tCYi54B1Q4Jt9ulGCd7XiOHYBvaUSHCiv52Ge84et33Md8nFWXfW33IglkuU3B2C-Lyo0k7L1rkBggiu/s400/lautoka-sugar-mill-banner-2.jpg) |
Sugar cane harvesting at Lautoka Sugar Mill |
Fiji has the highest percentage of Hare Krishnas per capita
in the world and is also the home to the largest International Society for Krishna Consciousness
temple in the South Pacific, founded in 1977.
The Sri Krishna Kaliya Temple is where the Krishna Consciousness
movement started.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYCDIJlJFjoRT7vZ90n0teczQdNUdMEajj1uKi-3KSFZmVkUyQEfCjVpvGNn85Dc8Axp_46X-YRW9IodDLoP9_mG4Up6x2AGb7a_GgNBlDzd4tgNMtc1nMAYnJ3elUHHAjofuOPRroabk/s400/viti-levu-north-0031.jpg) |
Sri Krishna Kaliya Temple in Lautoka, Fiji |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN82uErIwYMvqU_ZSYgHdUTjHn1jhg02rYTNHdJAJOSmt-E7Oy2vDU0HLpYxzhd8QvH8OA5vsnlAvsk-0IPH9SirY21rWM6q6HOvgmGmhnZ_qe7hL0HVzNWuJYdgXfjuonzLNgjuyD9j4/s400/ISKCON-Lautoka-Temple.jpg) |
Sri Krishna Kaliva Temple in Lautoka, Fiji |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvmogkrrDXLgcWpU7lQj93Oh51LVwSDIib0xVV6mmL3EG0qlxI1Gca5ldEq-4-c-IwOdtSSSpWF3NlTtcgq90UduMbsIppSwT7QF4DGeZ99boqH6o8mCybZYADLAlK5QCdkOY-6SLC6pi/s400/IMG_0820.jpg) |
Sri Krishna Kaliva Temple in Lautoka, Fiji |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIlSOP8aRuryQeXfwPaYU3CBXdZnNg_bJuVqHyKHWjkN3ryAUkDvIFzn8Nwl0mfEIjipqIk9Kd2kHvSv5zONN9gF8LYnQ9kGFvdRoDxWc_TLmJK7Fd-wdUR7MdeE1vGuwEgJaWx0mWjyr/s400/1236438_660295030649787_2122145951_n.jpg) |
Sri Krishna Kaliva Temple in Lautoka, Fiji |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi84Qy_Jm4ql8lY474W1JEfmTWXRewRcF1JL6EeHdggU2zuKfHJpneu_FCaPMXjzAOv9tRKwco-h6l-TOb4HmLxNcdGi5D_JDncKWEF4Kj6HXNoxxb1SuRtscfhQT-JMa8BUaDfrK4HFOK/s400/548402_660295553983068_614975590_n.jpg) |
Sri Krishna Kaliva Temple in Lautoka, Fiji |
Next I was interested in sampling some of
the local beer of Fiji but quickly discovered that the town was almost entirely
a “dry” town, presumably due to the heavy Hindu population here. After asking several locals and receiving
some very strange looks, our small party of four manage to find a very small,
dark, dingy, out of the way place to rest and enjoy a local beer. I am not sure I would have entered the place
alone but felt a little more comfortable in a pack of four.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4dNyRrvVl4t3gwA1tNM4rqvHfHxbGyr_M0UnL0xBTWYIiken6lyXRR3JITkHwHlAGFF1igqQsSe4U6P3EgtmVJnSXAMjewa0hMPmbYCembMGRSWWELJdvgFHfUlw3lqRBJLsSxJjrSiG/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+47.jpg) |
Finding a local beer in Lautoka |
Next it's off to find the local bus
station. I love taking local
transportation in foreign countries.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDabB0Nz6vMwCP4R5p8MSPKVl2_9_J1Tg-H6ZYrFPbMhr-CY30p6ltnsmrtJHgCTM56Rug_rZjTP6PIz_RjFp7R30W3xJl58BOpE7NSLrHGSeH3TfQbMWoK87muG0f61G9GM_ECNMtqaF/s400/Lautoka+Fiji+37.jpg) |
Local bus station at Lautoka, Fiji |
Shortly after arriving at the station a local
approached asking if we needed help. I must have had that ‘deer in the headlight look’.
I discovered that you can not
simply hop on a bus and pay a toll.
First you must purchase a bus ‘card’ from one of the individuals walking
around looking very official. Similar to
a credit card, the cost was $10FJD or $5USD.
One card would prove to be sufficient for the four of us to ride.
It was now early afternoon so the four
of us began the walk back to the dock, arriving close to 2pm. It was a good day overall, with good weather
and good friends, but Lautoka is not a port I need to visit again.
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