Fiji - August 22 - September 6
AUGUST 22 - 25
Bula!
That's how you greet people here. / Kia Orana was on Cooks/.
That's what we had to say before drinking traditional kava in Nakabuta Village yesterday - then repeat again three times and say vinaka - thank you. The drink is suppose to calm you down and bring a mood of friendliness among the hosts and guests. Fijians drink quite a lot of it and that's why they are much more laid back and relaxed than the other half of population - Indians, who are business oriented. /quite pushy in offering their services/. On the second day here we took a two hour ride to Suva - the capital. An Indian driver made me close my eyes many times when he sped and passed other cars on a narrow road / inevitably came to mind my teacher - Mr Woloszyn who died here in a car accident/.
In Suva we visited a market, bought papaya - called here paw paw /by the way there is a lot of names in this country that have double names - Lomolomo, Vituvitu etc/ , pineapples, mangoes.
Went to museum - history of Fijians and Indians / cannibalism as the main feature of the first nation in pre-christian times; work on sugar cane plantations during the indenture times in case of those brought here from India by the British/. Highly regreted not having enough money for souvenirs in the museum gift shop.
First two nights we spent in Tubacula Beach Bungalows then moved to Vacavita Bure /home/
near Sigatoka town, where we do our grocery shopping. As for weather - we haven't seen the sun yet!!!!!!! except one evening with an unexpectedly beautiful sunset like on postcards/. All brochures say that during winter, which is now, it should be dry and sunny - well it is not.
Lori is going on a 5 day boat trip hoping for better weather in the Yasawa Islands / by the way Fiji means 320 islands! - I didn't know about it/. Ewuna - are you home yet?How are the pictures? I'm afraid we left the cord from our camera at Marysia's. Did you find it? Ela, the name is Travel Cuts on King St. across from Mountain CO .
AUGUST 26 - 30
Nadi , Fiji - Internet Cafe /$10 for an hour, but at least this time it's fast/
We took local buses a few times - no doors or windows, plastic screens to be unfolded for rain or wind, very bumpy and noisy rides when on side roads /and I mean bumpy and noisy so it really hurts your bum and eardrums/ full of local people ready to say "bula", smile and talk to us. To get to a bus though, you have to brush off all the cab drivers offering you better and better deals. They are earning their sustenance, we are budgeting our trip - finding a compromise involves a feeling of guilt. I prefer walking and buses especially if without backpacks. Last Friday we decided to rough it up in a tent for three days to save money for a boat trip which has been tempting us from the beginning. Renting a tent and camping costs us $20 a day - a real deal. The campsite is at the Seashell Cove Resort, full of young people who came here mainly to do diving and surfing. They occupy the dorms and the bar in the evening. To get there we were passing sugar cane fields, goats, bulls, little houses scattered here and there and of course palms full of coconuts. There is a horse to ride for Kamila with no saddle and name - she named him Coconut and barebacked a few times.
During low tide we walk about half a km toward the ocean to explore the bottom. There are all kinds of starfish - dark blue the most common, slugs, sea cucumbers, snake-like creatures that shrink when touched by a stick. We could have an impressive collection of seashells already - not having room in our backpacks we must restrain hoarding impulses. The tent is rather small, but surprisingly we sleep very well squeezed in various positions. The only things that bother us are mosquitos /they love Kamila the most/ in the evenings and constantly damp towels with no chance to dry well as the sunless weather continues.
During one of the strolls we take , we make friends with a local Fijian - Mala, who invites us to his house. We go there next day to meet his wife and four children.
They feed us with fish caught by Mala earlier that day and casava. We eat sitting down on the floor mat around a gas lamp. They are hoping to have electricity and a good road soon - Americans are building a Marriot hotel nearby, you can already see the area for a huge golf course and dozens trucks working on the site. Kamila gets a horse ride with Mala's 10 year old son next morning. On Monday we are leaving for Nadi. We eat at Indian restaurant / chicken curry, roti, somosa, papadam/. We stay at Nadi Bay Backpackers - have a dormitory with four beds. In town we shop, look at gift stores, drink kava in front of one, and enjoy Fijian time. The famous quote about Fijian time reads: We searched high and low for the Fijian word for hasta manana, but found that there was no word here for anything so urgent. When we asked for example how long our bus trip would take - they said - an hour - it turned out to be three hour ride. Tomorrow we are going to Yasawa Islands - back on Friday and to Australia . Thanks Susi for a visit.
Jolu- udalo sie!
SEPTEMBER 7
Happy New Year to all teachers and students out there! Yes!!!!!! I am in Australia !!! The country that started the whole idea of my trip, much later in planning it became round-the -world. /Internet access is much easier and cheaper - but still I'm not going to spend time to edit my notes so please everybody forgive all my errors, grammar inconsistencies and any misused words. OK?/ But before ---
August 31 - now Finally our packs are lighter of sunscreen we must use in the tropical sun that now reminds us of its power. However, i'm getting heavier /yes, Ela!/ from the food /yes it's very healthy/ they give us on the trip to Yasawas. The cruise package /island hopping/ includes meals which is the only way to go as there are no stores or restaurants on the islands. The little resorts are run by Fijians - they do everything: welcome newcomers with songs, cook, serve, clean, take on fishing and snorkelling trips, entertain after dinner, teach to weave baskets, husk coconuts, wear sarongs in different ways and bula dance. We reach the islands from a big catamaran ferry from Denarau Marina close to Nadi. It is run by Awesome Adventures - all their vessels are in yellow and purple colours as well as staff clothes. We are going past Mamanuka Islands to the first in Yasawas - Kuata Island . We are taken to our dormitories with bunk beds and mosquito nets / luckily there wasn't any need for them/. Snorkelling from the beach is awesome again - blue and purple corals, shaols of colourful fish in all sizes, anemones, sea urchins, clams, slugs, shells and various algea. Before going to bed we swing on a hammock, watch the moon and southern cross, and sqeezed together we all fall asleep for two hours until discomfort wakes us up. Next day after breakfast two boys climb a coconut tree for us and we quench our thirst /after last night's rum?/ with the yammy juice. At 11 am the ferry takes us to Waya Island and another resort called Korovu. Turns out Kamila forgot her swimsuit on Kuata - emergency radio call for $3 takes care of it and she gets it back next day. At meals we sit with other - usually twentysomething years old travellers. Here in Korovu we are for two nights and make friends with a group from all over UK and Irealand. Most of them spent a few months in Australia and New Zealand working and earning for next stages of their trip. Kamila is of course closer to their age than we are and has a ball joining their conversations and exchanging jokes. I have to find time at last to praise Kamila for being a great travel companion. She knows how to make use of luxuries we are exposed to from time to time, but never complains when we choose or happen to be in harsh conditions. she has her "Lord of the Rings 2" with her and fills the time when there is nothing better to do. Of course we have all our moods and down times from time to time - normal state of affairs. Too bad she doesn't continue her journal on line - she does it though in her notebook. The second day in Korovu we are taken on a boat to a place with a strong current - a favourite passage of monterays. Whenever they are spotted by our boatsmen we jump to water geared with masks and fins and try to swim over them. We have a few seconds not being able to keep up with them any longer - they swim against the current. Then back to the boat and jump again screaming with joy at seeing those magnificent creatures again and again. That was definitely the highlight of our Fijian experience.
