JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

After a week no Blackberry web access and little to no internet availability, I'm back online in Fiji on Denaru Island.

Bad things first. I failed to notice that my ATM card expired on October 31 and virtually at the same time, my American Express card was compromised and had to be canceled. Thus far, for various reasons, neither replacement card has reached me. No worries though, I've simply taken to rummaging through Kristin's (who arrived last Sunday) purse while she sleeps.

Have done lots of fun things over the past week or so including hitting Waiheke Island near Auckland for some hiking. Not so much exciting to do overall in Auckland. Wasn't quite as I imagined it...nice enough, but nothing special. Skipped the Chris Brown/Rihanna show that was in town. Also hit "Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World" (can't get enough of that name) to check out manta rays, sharks, penguins and what not.

On Wednesday Kristin and I flew to the very, VERY French island of New Caledonia and spend four nights at Le Meridien resort on Ile Des Pins which was pretty darn nice. Our waiter said we were the only Americans he could recall in 14 months working there. Lots and lots of French and Japanese tourists though.

I foolishly encouraged a biking trip the second day there and this Pringle and Snickers-eating old man from Philadelphia nearly died trying to keep up with the, shall we say younger, more fit girl from Ohio. If I didn't know how out of shape I was before the biking, well......you know.

Got Kristin back the next day by heading out to "la piscine naturelle" about 15 minutes from the hotel. Remarkable array of beautiful, colorful fish to snorkel amongst. Turns out one of the two of us gets a bit freaked out by live fish touching her (or him?).

The last full day on Ile Des Pins we took a Pirogue excursion. These are wooden outrigger canoes with triangular sails. Pretty cool, pretty relaxing...and no, we didn't "captain" the boat.

Arrived today in Fiji and so far, so good. Beautiful hotel...great setting. Doing a day hike excursion tomorrow to the highlands....going whitewater rafting the next. Hoping to catch some of the election coverage on CNN along the way.

Very sad to miss the end of the Phillies game, but hey....can't complain.

I have lots and lots of pictures and just signed up for the "unlimited internet usage" at the hotel, so hopefully I'll get many of them posted soon.

Must say, I'm not sure I've eaten better over any one-week span in my life.

Oh........and I shaved my beard off.