The past 11 days or so have been absolutely amazing! Here's just a few, actually a lot of insights to my life in Fiji (I wish that I could add in the pictures within the text but my tablet won't let me do that, they're all at the end and hopefully in order). It turned out to be a lot longer than expected but I jut can't decide what to cut out! So feel free to skim or just look at pictures:
Traveling to Kadavu (April 30): When we got to the airport we had to wait outside for a half hour or so because of a bomb threat. There was a prank call made to the airport but for safety precautions they closed it down for a while and check through the airport. Other than that it was the most chill airport experience ever. Hardly any security. We walked right on the landing strip to get to a teeny tiny plane that was so cute. It was about a 40 minute flight over some beautiful ocn. Every once in a while we could see bits of reef through the ocean water. When we got there we had lunch at a little wharf, then had a beautiful boatride out to a little island just off the coast of the first village. I went sea kayaking off that shore--the first of many sea kayaking experiences. I partnered with Mikyla and we had a bit of a rough start, but we were able to get the hang of it.
Vacalea Village (Apr 30-May 2): This village was situated at the top of a big hill. I was really impressed with the concrete sidewalk up the side of the hill (Dad you should have seen it, so impressive! the villagers did it all themselves with bags of concrete. I hope I have a picture!). The people were so absolutely kind and welcoming. That night we had a Kava ceremony. This is customary in Fijian villages. Any visitors wishing to stay overnigght and be a part of the community must present the village's chief with a Kava root (it has another name but I can't remember). If the chief doesn't accept it, Anthony says that they would push the root away and the visitors would be required ot leave. If the chief accepts it, then he will say some Fijian words and move the root towards himself. Then the Kava is passed around and everyone is offered a drink out of a coconut shell (if you've ever seen the other side of heaven it is a lot like that where your mouth kind of feels numb). Kava is initially a root plant but then they grind up the root part into a fine powder and mix it with water to make a drink. It's considered a narcotic and is actually against the word of wisdom for islanders to drink because the people abuse it and do crazy things. One drink though just makes your mouth tingle. It's not against the word of wisdom for visitors who just drink it to be polite during a Kava ceremony. The next day was filled with snorkeling, sea kayaking and exploring the village. That afternoon we helped paint their community center as part of a service project. Then we all gathered up at the volleyball court where there is a gorgeous view of the island and the ocean and the sunset. We played volleyball for hours, it is a huge thing here in Fiji, they were all so good. When we weren't on the court we were playing with the kids who hardly spoke English but loved to be with us regardless. They were amazing. The next morning they had a closing ceremony for us. The people sang (which is so gorgeous, by the way, their voices carry so far), and the cheif said some things, our group said somethings, we sang God Be With You Till We Meet Again, and they present us with Lais. It was gorgeous and tear jerking and wonderful all at the same time. We spent the rest of the day traveling to Daku Village by sea kayaking, motor boats, snorkeling, etc.
Daku Village (May 2-May 4): Daku Village is right on the beach. The children are soo friendly. They hung on my arms and hair from the second I got here and never let go. Dinner was a chicken stew and it was heaven. It tasted more like home than anything from the other village. They have more electricity with a TV even. After dinner the kids got to watch Tangled. I am staying in the Elder's home (the oldest one in the village) and his name is Epi. He has a son whose name is Epi as well who is married with children and also has a son named Epi. The littlest Epi has attached to me and not left my side. He is so very cute. The kids seem to be in awe with our hair. They love to tuck it behind my ears away from my face and when it was wet they loved to stroke it and touch it. we attended the Methodist church. For the most part it was in Fijian so it was too hard to understand but the music was absolutely amazing. They had great acoustics in the room but for the most part they were just amazing singers. Basically the whole "ward" was part of the choir. They had this really long stick that the middle Epi would go around and tap on the head of the little kids that were being roudy or weren't bowing their heads during the prayers. It was perfect! We totally need to have those in our wards. The eldest Epi talked for a little while in English about sin and recieving forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It was really good and made me really understand that other churches have much of the truth. I knew that in my head all along but had never really understood it. In the evening I took a nap on the beach and then we went on a two hour hike. It was absolutely beautiful. Even though my ankles got cut up it was totally worth it to be able to enjoy the wonderfulness that God had created in this world. As kind of a departing ceremony in Daku village the kids preformed a few dance numbers for us. After which we had a short sea kayak ride to the resort.
Papageno Resort (May 4-5): We arrived to this resort and it was seriously heavon on earth. There was a real mattress, a real hot shower (the showers in the village were cold and outside), real chairs, etc. we snorkeled and it was the most beautiful of all of the days that I've snorkeled. It was absolutely gorgeous. Then we switched with the sea kayakers and I was partnered with Anthony (our main guide). Anthony can be really understanding and easy going at times or he can be really pushy about doing things. Thankfully this was one of the times that he was pretty easy going. We landed at this little beach and waited for the motorboat to come get us since it started to get pretty rough. We had a little hermit crab race that was really fun. Again I wish that I could have taken pictures but it was also nice to just enjoy. We also went on a really long hike to get to this little waterfall but it had a nice little pool at the bottom and it was nice to be able to swim in the freshwater. The rest of the evening we just kind of hung out. We had a ping pong tourney that night in the game room that I dominated at and won the finals.
Most Terrible and Terrifying Ferry Ride Known To Man (May 6): Today went much differently than planned. We were supposed to spend the morning snorkling and sea kayaking thenn have about a 45 minute motorboat ride to get on the ferry that would take about 4 hours. Instead, the weather was too bad to take the motorboat so we had to leave right after breakfast to go to the ferry. When we got on the ferry there was this pig that was absolutely ridiculous. It was still alive but its legs were tied around this pole and it was just laying there. It was disgusting. Upstairs wasn't a whole lot better. We were supposed to be on a nicer ferry but for whatever reason it didn't make the trip. The ferry didn't get going for about 3 hours. The first few hours of the ride weren't so bad. It seemed as though we were fairly on schedule, just longer than we had originally expected because we had to get on at a different port. It was actually kind of nice to have a day where we were basically required to just hang out and not have any other obligations. The later it got, though, the stormier it got as well. The boat had to go a lot slower than normal because of that. It got dark and extremely rocky. There were points where I honestly had no idea what was going to happen to us. It felt as though the boat was rocking at a 45 degree angle on each side. Some of my "favorite" parts were when Kayla would call out Patti! Patti! and Patti would answer with it's going to be okay...we're going to live. Even though I was just as scared, it was pretty comical. Lightened my mood a little at least.
Suva (May 7): Suva is the capital of Fiji and this is where we visited the US Embassy, University of South Pacifiic, Environmental Conservation Lawyer lecture, and the LDS Temple. It was a great day feeling more like a tourist than before but still learning so many things that I never had even thought about before. And even though the temple is under construction it was still gorgeous.
River Rafting (May 8): The bus ride through the mountains was gorgeous but scary as well. All dirt roads, uphill, downhill, etc. The river was absolutely amazing. Not much of white waters, but a lot of beautiful scenery. Definitely one of my favorite adventures here in Fijii. A great way to end it.
Leaving Fiji: I'm sad to go but also excited for the rest of my adventures. New Zealand will be completely different but amazing in so many ways. Stay tuned for more fun! Love ya!
Traveling to Kadavu (April 30): When we got to the airport we had to wait outside for a half hour or so because of a bomb threat. There was a prank call made to the airport but for safety precautions they closed it down for a while and check through the airport. Other than that it was the most chill airport experience ever. Hardly any security. We walked right on the landing strip to get to a teeny tiny plane that was so cute. It was about a 40 minute flight over some beautiful ocn. Every once in a while we could see bits of reef through the ocean water. When we got there we had lunch at a little wharf, then had a beautiful boatride out to a little island just off the coast of the first village. I went sea kayaking off that shore--the first of many sea kayaking experiences. I partnered with Mikyla and we had a bit of a rough start, but we were able to get the hang of it.
Vacalea Village (Apr 30-May 2): This village was situated at the top of a big hill. I was really impressed with the concrete sidewalk up the side of the hill (Dad you should have seen it, so impressive! the villagers did it all themselves with bags of concrete. I hope I have a picture!). The people were so absolutely kind and welcoming. That night we had a Kava ceremony. This is customary in Fijian villages. Any visitors wishing to stay overnigght and be a part of the community must present the village's chief with a Kava root (it has another name but I can't remember). If the chief doesn't accept it, Anthony says that they would push the root away and the visitors would be required ot leave. If the chief accepts it, then he will say some Fijian words and move the root towards himself. Then the Kava is passed around and everyone is offered a drink out of a coconut shell (if you've ever seen the other side of heaven it is a lot like that where your mouth kind of feels numb). Kava is initially a root plant but then they grind up the root part into a fine powder and mix it with water to make a drink. It's considered a narcotic and is actually against the word of wisdom for islanders to drink because the people abuse it and do crazy things. One drink though just makes your mouth tingle. It's not against the word of wisdom for visitors who just drink it to be polite during a Kava ceremony. The next day was filled with snorkeling, sea kayaking and exploring the village. That afternoon we helped paint their community center as part of a service project. Then we all gathered up at the volleyball court where there is a gorgeous view of the island and the ocean and the sunset. We played volleyball for hours, it is a huge thing here in Fiji, they were all so good. When we weren't on the court we were playing with the kids who hardly spoke English but loved to be with us regardless. They were amazing. The next morning they had a closing ceremony for us. The people sang (which is so gorgeous, by the way, their voices carry so far), and the cheif said some things, our group said somethings, we sang God Be With You Till We Meet Again, and they present us with Lais. It was gorgeous and tear jerking and wonderful all at the same time. We spent the rest of the day traveling to Daku Village by sea kayaking, motor boats, snorkeling, etc.
Daku Village (May 2-May 4): Daku Village is right on the beach. The children are soo friendly. They hung on my arms and hair from the second I got here and never let go. Dinner was a chicken stew and it was heaven. It tasted more like home than anything from the other village. They have more electricity with a TV even. After dinner the kids got to watch Tangled. I am staying in the Elder's home (the oldest one in the village) and his name is Epi. He has a son whose name is Epi as well who is married with children and also has a son named Epi. The littlest Epi has attached to me and not left my side. He is so very cute. The kids seem to be in awe with our hair. They love to tuck it behind my ears away from my face and when it was wet they loved to stroke it and touch it. we attended the Methodist church. For the most part it was in Fijian so it was too hard to understand but the music was absolutely amazing. They had great acoustics in the room but for the most part they were just amazing singers. Basically the whole "ward" was part of the choir. They had this really long stick that the middle Epi would go around and tap on the head of the little kids that were being roudy or weren't bowing their heads during the prayers. It was perfect! We totally need to have those in our wards. The eldest Epi talked for a little while in English about sin and recieving forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It was really good and made me really understand that other churches have much of the truth. I knew that in my head all along but had never really understood it. In the evening I took a nap on the beach and then we went on a two hour hike. It was absolutely beautiful. Even though my ankles got cut up it was totally worth it to be able to enjoy the wonderfulness that God had created in this world. As kind of a departing ceremony in Daku village the kids preformed a few dance numbers for us. After which we had a short sea kayak ride to the resort.
Papageno Resort (May 4-5): We arrived to this resort and it was seriously heavon on earth. There was a real mattress, a real hot shower (the showers in the village were cold and outside), real chairs, etc. we snorkeled and it was the most beautiful of all of the days that I've snorkeled. It was absolutely gorgeous. Then we switched with the sea kayakers and I was partnered with Anthony (our main guide). Anthony can be really understanding and easy going at times or he can be really pushy about doing things. Thankfully this was one of the times that he was pretty easy going. We landed at this little beach and waited for the motorboat to come get us since it started to get pretty rough. We had a little hermit crab race that was really fun. Again I wish that I could have taken pictures but it was also nice to just enjoy. We also went on a really long hike to get to this little waterfall but it had a nice little pool at the bottom and it was nice to be able to swim in the freshwater. The rest of the evening we just kind of hung out. We had a ping pong tourney that night in the game room that I dominated at and won the finals.
Most Terrible and Terrifying Ferry Ride Known To Man (May 6): Today went much differently than planned. We were supposed to spend the morning snorkling and sea kayaking thenn have about a 45 minute motorboat ride to get on the ferry that would take about 4 hours. Instead, the weather was too bad to take the motorboat so we had to leave right after breakfast to go to the ferry. When we got on the ferry there was this pig that was absolutely ridiculous. It was still alive but its legs were tied around this pole and it was just laying there. It was disgusting. Upstairs wasn't a whole lot better. We were supposed to be on a nicer ferry but for whatever reason it didn't make the trip. The ferry didn't get going for about 3 hours. The first few hours of the ride weren't so bad. It seemed as though we were fairly on schedule, just longer than we had originally expected because we had to get on at a different port. It was actually kind of nice to have a day where we were basically required to just hang out and not have any other obligations. The later it got, though, the stormier it got as well. The boat had to go a lot slower than normal because of that. It got dark and extremely rocky. There were points where I honestly had no idea what was going to happen to us. It felt as though the boat was rocking at a 45 degree angle on each side. Some of my "favorite" parts were when Kayla would call out Patti! Patti! and Patti would answer with it's going to be okay...we're going to live. Even though I was just as scared, it was pretty comical. Lightened my mood a little at least.
Suva (May 7): Suva is the capital of Fiji and this is where we visited the US Embassy, University of South Pacifiic, Environmental Conservation Lawyer lecture, and the LDS Temple. It was a great day feeling more like a tourist than before but still learning so many things that I never had even thought about before. And even though the temple is under construction it was still gorgeous.
River Rafting (May 8): The bus ride through the mountains was gorgeous but scary as well. All dirt roads, uphill, downhill, etc. The river was absolutely amazing. Not much of white waters, but a lot of beautiful scenery. Definitely one of my favorite adventures here in Fijii. A great way to end it.
Leaving Fiji: I'm sad to go but also excited for the rest of my adventures. New Zealand will be completely different but amazing in so many ways. Stay tuned for more fun! Love ya!
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| Teeny Tiny Plane to Kadavu |
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| Beautiful View from the airplane |
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| Lots of motorboat rides while on the island |
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| Snorkeling adventures! |
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| Sea Kayaking with Mikyla |
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