Greetings From Suva (Fiji) in the South Pacific

Hello

My name is Jose Legarra and I love sketching anywhere I go. I have been doing this since I have memories. Spanish architect of the “old school” no wonder why drawing is to me a kind of a tool that allows me to explore new places and mingle with anyone in the streets.

Indeed, sketching is something that attracts people and I usually finish my doodles surrounded by a bunch of people (mainly kids, who are the more curious) talking about this and that.

Now posted in Suva (Fiji) I’ve been here now for almost two years (and I have four more to go!) and my work brings me to different countries around the Region.

Here are some of my catches

Govinda is one of my favourite restaurants in Suva, where I live. Vegetarian food and crowded everyday!

The views from the building I am working in are fantastic. Sometimes You would spend the whole day just watching the falling rain (the amount of rain in Suva is staggering!) or just wondering which kind of weird boat is this one…

RUPs Big Bear is a crazy store where you can find almost everything. Inspired by the old indian bazaar, it is for me one of the recommendations, even if it will not appear in any touristic guide.

Suva has an entrance road that is not very sexy… However, among the dilapidated buildings you can find jewels of the 60s or 70s which are worth a couple of pencil strokes.

The central market has a lot of local seasonal fruits and vegetables and it is a wonder on Saturday mornings when vendors coming from around the islands install their stalls around the main building and make an extension of it.

Renwick road is one of the busiest streets in Suva. There are all kind of shops around and it becomes crazy when a cruise ship is on a stopover.

From Mt. Korobaba (pronounced Koro-m-ba-m-ba) you will have amazing views of Suva and its outskirts. The peninsula is surrounded by reefs that are visible from afar.

Religion is very important among the original i-Taukei (literally “owners”) people in Fiji. There are all kind of Christian churches but the Suva cathedral is probably the most beautiful of all them.

There is almost a half of the Fijian inhabitants that are Indians. Yes, the British brought a huge contingent of people during the 19th century to get them all working in the sugar cane plantations. As a consequence, there are Hindu temples everywhere.

With all the rain, and being Fiji quite mountainous, there are rivers almost everywhere. And I have a special weakness for bridges.

The old harbor Authority building is a beautiful piece of the 1930s. Very difficult to get it in a sketch, I finally found the prefect spot in the terrace of a bar just in front of it.

And to finish, even though Suva has not beautiful beaches (most of the beaches are mangrove environment) it is very easy to hire a boat which will bring you to any of the islands around where you will find crystal clear waters, white sands and coconut trees.

Who wants more?