Fiji - Dance, Song & Feasting

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Our last day in Fiji and it was one of the most fun!  We participated in a cooking demonstration, learned all about how the coconut is used including the leaves, shell and meat, and watched the all day preparations for the feast to be held this evening. We were also treated to a Fijian dance and song recital given by the local village.  

From early morning til this evening the Fiji oven was carefully being tended. As the wood turned to coals, food was added, then banana leaves.  Underneath was added pumpkins, taro, fish, chicken all cooked in this oven.  Delish!! 

We wee also given a demonstration on basket weaving with coconut leaves.  Amazing to see how this small branch  was turned into a man’s basket. Yes, baskets for men and women are different. 

Learning how to crack open a coconut and how make coconut shavings, cr/eam and oil. 

Watching how to make kokoda, Fiji ceviche.  Here they use snapper and fresh coconut cream, along with the lime juice and other vegetables.   

The food was not only fresh and spectacular, but it was also served in handmade baskets.  This picture shows the snapper and chicken being woven around them with coconut leaves before being placed in the oven along with a huge pile of taro.

Our Fijian feast this evening had lots of different fish, ceviche, taro, pumpkin, several cooked vegetables and different spinach varieties and eggplant too. The pumpkin was stuffed with rice. So good!  Dessert was fresh fruit, cooked bananas in coconut milk and some of plantain or jack fruit with a caramel sauce on it.  

At the end of the meal we were entertained by several dances and songs.  I teared up when they sang the traditional Fiji goodbye song.  I’m gonna miss this place. 

School Days

We had an opportunity to visit a local school and jumped at the chance.  The new school year just began two weeks ago so the children were still getting used to summer being over. They attend school from 8 to 4 with half hour lunch.

The children and teachers were very welcoming and friendly.

Many of the students were barefoot as were some of the teachers.  As one who wears shoes as little as possible I loved this! 

We visited several of the classes from 1st graders to 6th graders. Each class asked us questions and sang to us.  

This is the first grade class. 

The school sat high up on a cliff and overlooked the turquoise sea.  The first thing I said when we got there was “how can these kids study or learn with a view like that!  I’d be daydreaming all day.”  As if on cue a cute little boy came up to me and very proudly said, “Nice view, eh?”.  Exactly! 

Every classroom asked us if there were wild animals where we came from.  They were fascinated to hear about the bears, coyotes, bobcats and even deer from our part of the world.  Apparently, there are no wild animals in Fiji.  Ned and I have been equally fascinated with the mongoose that run around, much like our squirrels.  

We loved the songs (all sung in Fiji) to us.  What cracked us up the most was the 6th grade class.  They choose to sing us a song about White Europeans coming to take away the Fiji children from the beach.  It was quite an animated song with a lot of hand motions and hip swaying.  The teacher was quite embarassed and kept asking them were they SURE they wanted to sing us that song? They responded quite enthusiastically yes! 

Forest Trekking

Today we went on a forest trek.  We were told to wear tennis shoes, bring water, bug spray and lots of sunscreen.  I didn’t take it seriously.  My bad.I thought it was just going to be a walkabout on the property grounds so I dressed what I thought was appropriate - cover-up over my bathing suit with flip flops.  Ned, being the wise man he is had hat, better shoes, water (for us both) and made sure I was at least sprayed down with bug spray and sunscreen before we left.

If you look closely at this picture you will see one of our trekking mates, chest high in thick flora in the rainforest.  It was a super informative hike, learning about how the Fijians use the plants in various ways.  It was also a slippery hike, trekking in the humidity up to the top of the mountain and back down. 

One of our guides was Oni. Here she is telling us about a plant called, “mileaminute.”  It’s used for medicinal purposes.  It grows for a mile, but it will stop you from bleeding in a minute.  

The orange bulb looking plant is a ginger variety.  You can squeeze it and out comes a LOT of gel.  The Fijians use it in their hair. 

Wild chili peppers. We saw a lot of these being sold in the marketplace.

The plant in the far right corner is squished and used for toothpaste/toothbrush. 

The purple one is used for cleaning out your ears, to quit making them itchy. 

We also found out from talking to several of the guides here that they are familiar with cacao trees and it grows wild in their yards. However, they mostly use it just to eat the pulp as a fruit. It’s considered a treat and delicacy. Vakua (a guide who took us bike riding yesterday) has 4 trees and says his grandfather grew lots of cacao. Hopefully, Arif will be able to rehabilitate the cacao industry on this side of the island as well. 

After a lot of slip sliding around (and an occasional fall on my butt), thru creeks and itchy grasses, we finally made it to the top of the mountain and were rewarded with this waterfall. 

And this incredible view! 

On the left side of the island you can see a small beach. We had kayaked there yesterday and had a great time swimming among small baby reef sharks. They didn’t seem nearly as interested in me as I was in them. (Thank goodness!)

Ned looking happy as we started out the hike.  Little did we know.  

Our other guide, Meli.  He’s also been our guide in other adventures like kayaking and snorkeling.  He gives me just enough room to hang myself and then always bails me out.  Sweet guy. 

Me, at the end of the trek - happy to be back. 

Market Day in Savusavu

Today we explored the Western side of the Island and went into Savusavu.  This side of the island is definitely more touristy and for the first time since coming to Fiji we have run into folks from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the States.  All the locals are still super friendly, but I kinda miss being a novelty and having people voluntarily striking up conversations with us. 

Savusavu seems more laid back than Labasa, which seems kinda funny to say since all of Fiji is pretty laid back!  

We enjoyed market day in Savusavu, especially all the produce. The piles of dried kava root never cease to amaze me. Yes, we succumbed to buying a pineapple and some tiny little bananas, called lady fingers.  So sweet!

I have no idea with these little tied up things are.  There seemed to be something purple inside of them.  Maybe taro inside?  

Things you won’t find at our stores in the States.  

Canned tuna maybe, but not corned mutton.  (Josh, I almost bought this for you. Almost as good as the canned alien meat I got you from Roswell, NM). To be fair, I think this was imported from New Zealand or Australia and not a local Fiji thing.  

Grog is the local name for kava.  And what the heck is a chocklate ice block?  We make chocolate blocks, but I think that’s different...

The view from the park in Savusavu.  

Just love the workmanship of these hand carved kava bowls.  They are the size of a very, very large salad bowl.  They are carved out of ironwood and have inlaid mother of pearl.  If only I could hand carry one of these back!  I’d love to have my friends over for a kava and chocolate ceremony.  Still one of the most memorable experiences in Fiji.  I’m convinced that a lot of the world’s problems would be solved if everyone just spent more time hanging out and talking over their issues drinking kava. 

Vanua Levu - The Friendly North

We reluctantly said goodbye to Arif and headed once again to Labasa.  This time we stayed on the main road and had an uneventful trip back. Kudos to Ned who drove like a local, except for the rookie mistake of turning on the windshield wipers instead of the blinkers everytime we made a turn.  (Darn things on the wrong side of the steering wheel!).  Sure made us laugh every single time tho.  Now that we had time to enjoy the journey we especially appreciated the breathtaking scenery.  

We needed to get from one side of the island to the other.  The rental car company didn’t allow us to drop off the car at another location so we drove back to Labasa and then went in search of local transportation.  After being told different times for the bus we needed to take we finally decided to just hang at the terminal.  It’s a bustling, diesel choking place with 10 or 15 buses constantly idling, coming and going.  Cough, cough.  Peenie, had packed us a lunch (too sweet right?!) so at least we had a yummy snack to munch on while we waited it out for two hours or so. 

Vanua Levu is known as “The Friendly Northern Island”. So true! While hanging out at the bus terminal, which was located at the central marketplace in town, many people came up to us to shake our hand, call out a friendly “Bula”, or to ask us where we were from. There didn’t seem to be a lot of tourists in this part of the island.  One woman who had a sweet little boy with her, sat down next to me and started chatting up a conversation.  She invited us with her family and friends to a picnic on the coast.  “There will be a lot of good food and surfing.  Come, you should come.  Please join us.”  Sweetest, warmest most friendly people on the earth!  After sitting in the sweltering diesel fumed heat I momentarily considered her offer.  We did have fun taking turns perusing the local marketplace marveling at the stacks of dried kava, tied up taro roots, heaps of spices and lots of fresh produce.  

We were so happy to finally see the bus saying “Savusavu” that we didn’t care that it was the local bus and not the express.  It was about a 3 hour drive over the mountain and onto the western side of the island.  At every stop hawkers would come up to the bus window and sell everything from dried pea snacks, sandwiches almost identical to what Peenie had made for us, and many things we didn’t recognize.  Almost every village had a small “mini-mart” where people gathered on the porch eating ice cream and chatting.  Loved the children lining up to go home at the end of a school day.  So glad we opted for the local bus and got to experience this first hand...and SO glad to finally get to our final destination.  Just one more taxi ride from the town of Savusavu to our resort.  Wahoo!  

When we finally arrived at Koro Sun Resort we were immediately treated to foot massages.  Dang, after the long hot day traveling across the island it felt amazing.  I think we’re going to like this place! 

Kava Ceremony and Fijian Hospitality

Arif  displaying that warm Fijian Hospitality, invited us to stay with him. We were really looking forward to the Kava Ceremony.  That and lots of chocolate tasting!

Bob, who is Cacao Fiji’s foreman at the Dreketi farm, also lives next door to Arif  (Bob was also the sweet guy that came looking for us when we were lost and kept me on the phone until we knew where we were).  He played master of ceremonies, mixing the Kava. 

What is kava? It’s the national Fiji drink also known as “Fiji wine”.  “Kava is a mildly narcotic drink made from mixing the powdered root of the pepper plant (piper methysticum) with water and results in a numb feeling around the mouth, lips and tongue and a sense of relaxation.” 

It was served to us in small coconut shells.  At first I thought we were only going to get one cup of it.  But, the idea was to drink ALL of it. Of course!

The whole point of sharing kava is to take your time, tell stories and be social. Arif would clap by cupping his hands together. That was the signal to pass around another cup. What  a wonderful way to get to know someone. You are totally present, relaxed  and talkative, a known by-product of sharing Kava. 

We eventually did some chocolate tasting.  Everyone agreed our favorite pairing was the Kava with our Fiji dark chocolate bar. 

Bob’s mom, Penie, spoiled us by making some delicious meals during our stay. Chicken marinated in tomato and spices, taro, potato & egg salad, with soursop and mango juices.  We also had tea in the afternoon and my favorite, Fiji bread (I think it was called baba cow, at least that’s what it sounded like) for breakfast.  Baba cow is like thick beignets (without the powdered sugar).  You smother it in butter and jam...duh, of course! 

Arif’s home sits on the banks of the Dreketi River.  A picturesque little piece of paradise.  It’s so relaxing to just hang out and take it all in. 

The property is surrounded by coconut, mango and papaya trees, several kinds of passion fruit, a corn field and huge cassava plants.  I loved watching the fisherman go by on their boats. Arif also has a dock and in true Fijian fashion there were lots of fisherman coming and going or walking up to the house to say hi and fill their water. 

Cacao Fiji Cocoa Farm - Land of Enchantment

Cacao Fiji was founded by Arif Kahn in 2014.   It’s amazing what he has accomplished in such a short time. At one time Fiji had a thriving cocoa crop, but cyclones, politics, and labor issues saw the decline of cacao being exported over the last 50 years.  Cacao Fiji is the only company that is currently exporting beans here.  I believe they export 1 to 1.5 tons of cocoa beans per month.  We feel so fortunate to have discovered these beans and so honored to get a personal up close tour of their farm and production.

Beans drying in the sun..                     

When a sudden rainstorm appears they can easily be rolled under the roofed drying area.  Note the wheels on the beds. When we arrived it was blue skies and then out of nowhere it began to downpour.  Arif and his team had the drill down!  Within minutes everything was tucked away out of the rain. 

The fermenting boxes.  

It usually takes about 5 to 7 days to ferment the beans.  The wet beans are put in boxes and moved from box to box every day. The stair step system lets gravity do the work.  

Other drying beds.  The one outside is quickly able to be covered with a cloth. 

One of the challenges of growing cacao and producing great beans is the constant struggle between rain and sun.  The cacao needs plenty of rain to grow well, which is why they are so prolific in the tropics.  Once fermented they also need to be sun-dried for approximately 7 days.  Thus, the tropical weather that was so great for the trees is not so great for drying the beans. 

I’m not sure what magic goes on in the production of these beans, but they are definitely one of the sweeter cacao beans we use.  Often times when people say they don’t like dark chocolate, we have them taste our Fiji chocolate.  Many times we bring them over to the dark side.  

As a back-up, in case of too much rain, Cacao Fiji has a steam boiler drying system.  They inherited it from the previous owner and it needs some work to get it up and running.  

Beans being carried to the storage area and ready for export! 

Arif has great plans to expand his farm and production.  He’s purchasing 25 adjacent acres with a plan to plant 10,000 more trees!  Here’s his nursery that has some seedlings. 

Cacao Fiji resides in the land of enchantment.  The river and waterfall on the property only adds to the magical experience.  I can see one day there being small burres (Fiji huts) being built next to the river and maybe even Eco Tours being given here.   

My favorite part of the day was sharing lunch with all the workers and having them taste our chocolate.  For some of them it was the first time they had tasted chocolate made from these beans!  

Navigating Fiji Backroads

Rental car - check, figuring out driving on left hand side of road - check, GPS to where we need to go - check, 1 hour drive to farm - check.  Let’s roll.

Slight flaw in plan, google GPS in Fiji doesn’t exactly have the coordinates down.  After a 3 hour detour, driving down dirt roads, gravel roads and having our little Suzuki fish tail erratically thru rutted gravel roads we finally stopped and asked a couple walking down the road how much longer to Dreketi?  They pointed in the direction we had come, “Go back to the main road.”  You mean we didn’t have to be on this gravel road the last hour?  But, but, the GPS said... They laughed and said there’s a river between this road and Dreketi.  No bridge..  Go back.  Sigh... They were extremely sweet and took us to their home (!), introduced us to all these sweet relatives and let us borrow a cell phone.  Ours didn’t have service.  The eldest gentlemen took Ned for a short walk, sat him down under a bench under a tree, put his arm around Ned’s shoulder and said, “You’ve made a terrible mistake!” And then let out a big belly laugh.  They offered us water and to come sit on the porch with them, but we told them we were already several hours late for our appointment.  

Sorry I don’t have a picture, but they were all so sweet and I didn’t want to offend them by taking out my camera and taking pictures of them and their home.   God, I love the Fijian people.  In the meantime, enjoy these pics of our jaunt thru the Fijian backroads.

This part of Fiji does lots of logging.  These pictures reminded us of Georgia with the tall, skinny pine trees and the logging trucks. 

We also enjoyed the occasional sheep or goats that crossed the road.  

Love the colorful clothes everyone wears, especially against the green backdrop.  

But I digress...back to our journey 

We finally made it to the main road, got ahold of Arif and were told to “Stay on the main road, go past the two saw mills and look for the Cacao Fiji sign.” Sounds easy enough for these seasoned travelers.  The people that helped us out earlier said the exact same thing - past 2 saw mills look for the Cacao Fiji sign. 

Our interpretation of 2 saw mills is first one then look for another.  Wrong! There are literally 2 saw mills side by side on both sides of the street.  We kept driving. When we reached almost the sea, we got another phone call from Arif and his foreman Bob.  “Where are you?  Turn back, you’ve gone too far!”  At this point Bob didn’t trust us to our own devices and insisted to stay on the cell phone with us having me call out landmarks as we drove. “There’s a Jehovah Church” or “there’s a quarry”, etc.  Bob just kept saying, “keep going”. We FINALLY found the Cacao Fiji sign! (Does this road on the right look obvious to you?”)  Bob said, “Should I come get you or can you make it up the gravel hill?”   No, no, we’re NOT that pathetic we can certainly drive up the hill, especially after the 2 hour detour down sketchy gravel roads.  

Wrong!  We managed to get up a very rutted gravel road until we came to a creek.  Mmm, let’s go back to the fork in the road it must be there...

Bob ended up getting in the truck and finding us.  We crossed the creek, went up the hill and very sheepishly met up the Cacao Fiji crew.  

In typical Fiji fashion we were given a very warm welcome.  

As you’ve followed along with us, it shouldn’t be a surprise that one of my 

favorite things so far in Fiji is the friendliness of everone. We took an early morning walk around Labasa and were continuously greeted with waves, good mornings and the constant  “Bula”.  People would roll down their car windows, give us a wave and shout out “Good Morning.”  I have found my happy place.  I’m always getting teased for having too much energy in the morning or being just a tad bit too cheery before everyone has had their morning coffee. I’ve met my match here.  Can you imagine being in Nevada City or San Francisco and people would open up their car doors, poke out their heads, give you a big smile and warm greeting?  Or walk across the street to greet you?  

Loved watching the school children in their bright pink and snowy white uniforms walk to school.  

Stay tuned for our day on the cocoa farm...