Feejee: kava, white sand, coral reef, bure, island hopping, boats large and small, puppies, people, families... all so much a part of Fiji. When we first arrived we managed some island hopping on the west coast, off the main island of Viti Levu in the Yasawa Islands group. It was such a beautiful boat ride out there with islands looming near or majestic with mountains (okay hills) in the distance; so typical of how you imagine it - white rings of sand with lush green forest in the middle surrounded by coral reef and lagoon blue waters - some stoopid small, some larger but all screaming out "paradise island"!
The first island of Waya was a little hilly number with a connection to a nearby island at low tide when the sea would part from two directions leaving a glistening white sand bar. A quick snorkel out confirmed some lovely coral and sealife, and although it was a little choppy the visibility was still good. It was a very quiet place with little double "bure" rooms (bure being rather like a natural wood hut - a feature of traditional Fiji and in still in use in remote village communities) located on the sand. We only spent one night there, but it was quite lovely with dinner and a bonfire on the beach.
Onto the boat again to our destination for two nights to the island of Naviti; a bigger island but sadly with some ruined coral reef - a combination of low tides, sun exposure, people walking on it and boats knocking against it. but we managed a small boat trip out to a channel of water frequented by gorgeous enormous manta rays that we snorkelled above - apparently not as good as when you dive with them, but nevertheless an amazing, very tranquil sight. The nightlife wasn't too bad, in that we had local performances and fire dancers which was amazing to watch, but the dinner (no choice apart from meat or no meat) was reminiscent of a boarding school and some of the entertainment was enforced en masse which struck me as slighly dodgy Butlins style - so we ran off and hid on the beach - lazing on the hammocks between palm trees gazing at the stars - an altogether more enjoyable experience!
It was a short trip out to the islands but lovely and then we got back to the main island of Viti Levu and went about sorting out some super super cheap accommodation. In the next couple of months, my partner found work as a scuba diving instructor and all went well - he was teaching some Dive Master students - 2 Swiss Germans and1 English so we mooched around together and managed some intersting nights of kava, alcohol and vindi vindi.
Kava is the ground down root of a plant and is a very traditional part of Fijian life - also known as "grog". It is mixed in a muslin bag with water, pressing down on it with the hands into a large kava bowl - it turns out to look remarkably and worringly similar to muddy puddle water and the taste isn't much better! You drink it (all in one) from carved out coconut shells until the main bowl is empty. However, it does have medicinal properties for kidneys, sleep enhancement and helps to numb the throat and mouth. It also apparently has mildly narcotic properties - of which I didn't manage to experience namely because you need to drink many, many bowls of a relatively strong mix - not something that is easy to stomach!
Vindi Vindi is translates as "flick flick" - played around a wooden table, sat cross legged (old and young alike) for 2 or 4 players with four holes in each corner and bascially a finger version of pool - strangely addictive game mind you!
In those two months, some other great travellers came to visit our happy cheap place and we arranged another trip to another island on the cheap for a bit of island-style relaxing, drinking and dancing - a whole new technique required to large it up barefoot on sand!
[Photo: Nadi Bay sunset]
