| Photos | Biggest city (pop. 60,000) seemed like small town to me. It was a three hour drive each way, so I didn't go very often and when I did time was limited, so I had regular haunts and didn't do much exploring.
Pretty much always buy the same things from the same stores being served by the same people. |
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The girls at Desai Book Depot knew I bought Playboy, Irving Stone and science fiction novels. They would let me know when something new was in. I also bought the school's library books there, so I was a customer to keep happy. I got to know Lu, a Rambian, very well and when we caught up with her in 1985 she was manager of the main Desai store. Irene was always dark and mysterious Indian. |
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| Caines Janiff | By going upstairs above Caines Janiff I could by photographic film and paper at 25% off from the price downstairs. Just told them that I was a member of the QVS
Photographic Club (it didn't exist). Since we developed and printed our own photos at school, I became a well known regular customer and got to know Himla who usually ran the wholesale business. |
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| Restaurants |
Favorite eating spot was the Nanking and waitresses knew me by name - I usually had chicken cashew (75¢) and once in awhile shrimp curry. When the New Peking opened White insisted that I go there because the waitresses were sexier. Late in 1972 we started eating at the Golden Cockrel. In August we had lunch at Biddy's Steakhouse (upstairs) - nice looking place but slow service. Owned by American Mike Brooks and seved American type meals. |
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When it came to electronic gear I did most of my shopping at Gokal's where I became friends with Hari. But when I bought the Jumbo tuner-amp I bought it directly from the Kenwood wholesaler which had special rates for Peace Corps. |
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| Shops | 
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| The Market | 
Handy, centrally located and right next to the bus depot. There were two sections, the first being food items and the second local handicrafts. Serious business as you can see on the business card. |
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| From a letter 7/25/70 | "Tourist cruise ships frequent Suva. The Americans usually fly into Fiji, so the boats tend to carry Australians and a few kiwis. They are of all ages.
For those not a ship Suva has several first class hotels filled with the required luxuries. There are also plenty of cheap hotels where one can stay for about $2.50/night. We learned to avoid making major purchases when a boat is in town as all of the
prices go up for the tourists. Better luck bargaining on a slow business day". |
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 Home |
Handy, centrally located and right next to the bus depot. There were two sections, the first being food items and the second local handicrafts. Serious business as you can see on the business card.