on the enlarged photo to save image.
On the way back from New Zealand to Los Angeles we stopped
for 4 days to break up the long plane ride and to relax a bit in Fiji,
a beautiful tropical paradise that used to be a British Colony.
Bula! as the natives say in greeting you. The people here
originally came from Africa, we learned, but also there are a lot of Indians
migrating here from India. Fiji golf star Vijay Singh is actually Indian!
He has a beautiful home in Nadi (pronounced 'nandi'), on the main island
Viti Levu where we landed, we were told.
The weather is nice but it rains a lot. It somewhat reminds
me of my old country Vietnam because of the beaches, the jungles,
the humidity. The people are poor but they seem to be very happy.
Here's a beautiful sunset as seen at the Warwick Hotel & Resort
where we were staying. It's located at the south side of the
island, where it's a lot dryer (less rain). I may enter this photo
in a contest offered by Grand Circle Travel !
It was a gorgeous 5 star resort, nice place to relax before
we get home after a long journey.
As soon as we got there a group of us immediately hopped on
a glass bottom boat to scout the area and the corals in the ocean.
It was a nice boat ride off a small but nice beach on the resorts premise...
We saw some corals and small colorful fish like Nemos !
At sundown they light up the torches...
...blow the conch shells...
and beat the drums... to start the night life...
Here's a bunch of us on the back lawn watching the night shows.
They surely put on a darn good show for us!!!
Here's a new use for the coconut shells that I thought
was a super idea !!!
Very lovely !
It was not all play in Fiji. Grand Circle took us to a local primary
school that they sponsor, the "Ratu Filise Memorial School"
Here on the roof we saw some American student volunteers
painting the tin roof of the school. These are rich kids from
the US that need a purpose in life, we were told !!!
We love these first graders. It looks like they were playing
"Simon says" with the teacher.
These kids love us, the "rich people" from America.
Here we were guests of the fourth grade class with a nice male
teacher, a big guy, telling us about the students and their schedule.
He told them to sing and put on a show for us...
The students danced around...
and tried to scare us...
And the drum sounds come from a broken chair and two
sugar cane sticks...
Then they presented their homework for us to inspect.
This boy showed Sherril all his homework in details...
All homework is in English...We were impressed !
They suddenly surrounded Sherril when they saw me taking a picture.
Bill and Frances and 2 boys...
On the way out the teacher gave Sherril a piece of paper.
It was the school's post office address. I guess he's hoping
we'd send them pictures or other things. We will do that.
More kids greeting Sherril, Guy and Sandy.
The local Grand Circle Tour Director is Simon, a jovial happy
guy. Here he's giving us a lecture on the people, the geography
and the history of these Fiji Islands.
Simon took us to the small market town of Sigatoka just south of Nadi
where we shopped for vegetable to give to the local villagers and for
souvenirs for us. In a store there he picked up a guitar and surprised
us with a few songs. He knows quite a few American songs. Amazing !!!
Simon, Andrea and a local chef gave us a cooking demo.
It was Walu, a local type of fish, cut up in small cubes,
marinated in onion garlic and local vegetable and sauce.
Everybody watched tentatively...
..and finally we got to try to eat it. It was delicious !
Everybody tried it and liked it !!!
Then it's time to rehearse for the village ceremony in the
afternoon. We picked Roger from New Jersey for our chief.
Here he's practicing squatting on the floor, ready to drink the
Kava drink without making a face !
Here he is with his wife Marlys facing the tribe, withe a huge
bowl of Kava drink they just mixed and about to pass the
drink around for everybody to drink !
Kava roots look like this in the market that we went to earlier.
They grind these roots and put the powder in the drink and
everybody is drinking it from the same bowl !
Our chief Roger tried first, then it's big Fran from Hilton Head, S.C.
Sally and Sandy from Kentucky tried it...
then the bowl got refilled and passed on to Ann and Curt from New York...
Many didn't want to drink it but George from New Jersey did.
His wife Lorraine looked frightened. She passed !
Jack and Marney from Pennsylvania tried it.
Nghiem tried it but Sherril chickened out.
Here Sharon from South Dakota
and here's Betty from Georgia.
The ceremony was concluded with demos of basket weaving and
coconut extraction. The final tribal chanting was so beautiful
it brought tears to my eyes. They were singing the Farewell
Song "Isa Lei".
After the ceremony we broke off in small groups to have lunch
with the villagers in their homes. Here we're squatting on the floor
in the living room to eat various kinds of food.
I think most of us tried to eat mainly fruits that we know.
I think Don and Nancy from Ohio were eating papaya !
Back to Miss Coconut Shell and the evening outdoor entertainment !
I should've shown this earlier. It was when the dancers came
down to audience to pick up volunteers to perform on stage...
and Jane from Georgia got picked (far right)
Here she is dancing around with a native dancer...
I think Jane was probably a cheer leader in school some decades ago !
Here's part of the audience again.
Here's more interesting shows in the evening.
Here's some indoor show that's not so good.
Some of these dancers are real short and chubby!
One of these dancers is actually a man, I was told.
Maybe it was this one...
...or it could be this one...
...who knows...
Dinner time at the beach house restaurant.
Here's our last day in Fiji, at our farewell dinner.
A great time to say thank you and say goodbye to our Tour
Director Andrea (second from left)
We've been together for 3 full weeks.
Now it's time to say Goodbye !
Jane wrote a poem for Andrea and read it to her and everyone.
It was funny but sad because the end of the trip is near.
Andrea responded well with good words and good wish to all of us.
More pictures of the dinner.
and of other occasions...
.
1 comment:
i admire your great colourful life..!!
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