Bula from the beautiful islands of Fiji!
What a place this is! The jungle and the beaches are breathtaking, the waters unbelievably clear and the people uncommonly happy. The air is full of life and character, and you can't walk past anyone, Fijian or traveller, without hearing them call "Bula!" with a smile.
I arrived slightly delirious at 5am on Monday 14th September. And I left LA on Saturday night. So I travelled through time, and completely skipped Sunday. In America I was 8 hours behind England, and here I am 11 hours ahead. The local bus down to the south of the island took me 2 hours. It was 120km and cost me $8 Fijian dollars. Thats £2.42
It is a very simple way of life here, homes are single storey with only 1 or 2 rooms, dogs, cows, horses and chickens roam free, and there's nothing a Fijian would rather do than sit with friends late into the night. And that normally involves Kava. Kava is a drink made from the pounded roots of the Kava plant, and is the Fijian alcohol. It is drunk at any and all traditional ceremonies, parties, or just whenever it possibly can be. I had my first taste in the Navolo village in Korelevu, and it was like swallowing a thin, watery mud.
On my very first morning in Fiji I hiked through the jungle to a waterfall where we swam and washed off all the sweat and mud under the cascading water. Our guide, Jiutu, took us to his village where his people were waiting, root in hand, to welcome us. The powdered root is poured into a bag and rinsed through with water, much like a giant teabag, and served in a coconut husk. The reciever shouts 'BULA', claps once, then drinks the entire bowl in one go. After passing the coconut shell back you clap 3 times to show respect. And then you chase it with water or beer or rum (Bounty rum 58% - That was a good night!!) or anything you have to get rid of the taste. Your tounge goes numb and your mouth feels like cotton wool. Then the dancing happens; the villagers sing and play ukulele while others pull you up, wrap their arms around you and dance. Then, just when you've got rid of the taste and the strange feeling in your mouth, another cup is presented...
I have done so much! I've swum in the ocean every day, snorkelled, kayaked and paddle boarded. I've had a traditional Fijian massage - and I can still feel the pain of it now! I've balanced on a slack line, spent a night looking at the stars from a hammock and sat around a fire on the beach. I've climbed a mountain and cantered across the beach on Billi. I've swum in a waterfall and pulled a leech off my leg. I've drunk the milk from coconuts that have fallen from the trees, then broken them open and eaten their flesh. I've survived a severe tsunami warning after the Chilean earthquake.
Today has been slightly unreal. I sailed to South Sea Island, a tiny dot off the coast of Viti Levu, the main island. The island is so small you can walk all the way around in less than 5 minutes. I paddleboarded around in 11. They say you can see the sunrise in the morning, turn around and watch it set in the opposite direction. The water is impossibly clear, so it is easy to see the coral reef that surrounds the island. But i wanted a closer look. So i went scuba diving.
It was INCREDIBLE!! It's suprisingly simple, and though confusing at first, i quickly got the hang of breathing through a tube. My instructor, Wesley, was either Irish or South African, or perhaps a strange mix of both. But he was great. We swam down holding hands, he gently pulling me around until i got to grips with the stange weightlessness that comes with being underwater. There was so much to see, angelfish, starfish, sturgeon, countless other beautiful, beautiful fish, swimming beside me, in front of me, below and above. The parrot fish is stunning! But the best moment came maybe 10 minutes in. Just cruising, not even 10 meters away, SHARK!! A 1.8meter White Tip Reef Shark. He wasn't bothered by us at all so we followed him for a while until he dissappeared into the coral forest. Im pretty proud to say i was excited, and not even scared for a second =]
A meke performance greeted me when i surfaced. Traditional music and dance in traditional costume, including war dances and stick fights - though there's probably a better name for it than Stick Fight!
I have made some really deep connections with people here. There's Kurt, the Austrian kite sufer who is travelling the world kite surfing. Michael, from Germany who spent time living in a village and now has 3 wives... possibly. Monkey (Marcel) and Sarah (Annie), also German (there's a lot of them here!). Marcus, who i sat next to on the plane from LA, who will be doing the same orientation programme in Sydney, who just happened to be staying in a hostel right beside the second one i stayed in and turned up one night at Kava time!
So, in conclusion, Fiji = beautiful, welcoming and a lot of fun! But i can't deal with Fiji Time. There's a saying here. Fiji time, no worry no hurry. Basically, things happen when people can be bothered. Best example; i travelled to Sigatoka, the closet big town to exchange some money. I arrived at 8.50, the exchange was closed. A woman was waiting outside and had been for an hour - it was supposed to open at 8. At 9.15, eventually a guy turns up, takes 20minutes to turn his computer on and set up, and then finally serves us. Fiji time - when we get round to it.
Or return from a night out at 3 in the morning, and stumble around drunk turning on every light, knocking things over and talking really loudly. You never really get a good night's sleep. Especially if you've got a creaky bunk without rails.
