Posted by Niels & Amy on May 01, 2007

DAY 72  Kava and Bilibili's

While on Ovalau Island, we were able to spend a few days in a traditional Fijian village, staying with at family-run, local 'guesthouse' just outside of Arovudi village. Here, we sampled the real Fijian life. The village and our accommodation was rural, very basic, and completely authentic. Our hosts were extremely hospitable and provided home cooked Fijian food for us daily. The couple that ran the guesthouse was assisted by their 5 children and any cousins that happened to be about - it was quite a family affair. We spent much of our time talking and relaxing and even took a bilibili out for a ride. (A bilibili is a bamboo raft used by Fijians to fish and for river transportation).

Tourists that pass through here are still few and far between, so we were quite an attraction. We were lucky enough to even have time to sit and chat with the village chief and Niels spoke at length with the head of village development which provided great insight. Later, we attended a village gathering where we sat amongst the locals and had the opportunity to consume copious amounts of kava (Niels never missed a round of course). Many of the villagers requested that we take their picture with one of us, so Niels snapped away. The villagers were all anxious to introduce themselves and talk with us. The next day we burned a CD with all the pictures for the village (they can get prints made in Levuka town).

Amy attended church on Sunday (as the only visitor) to observe this very important aspect of village life. The service was all in Fijian, but passed quite quickly as there was much singing which was wonderful. Her visit was much appreciated by the villagers who needed to shake her hand and thank her after the service. We spent 3 nights in the village and in the end didn't really want to leave but needed to make our way back to the mainland.

A string of memorable experiences came to a close when we left with our host in the dark of morning (4.30 am) in his small boat with his sons at the watch. As we made our way across the black sea, luminescent sea creatures floated by and stars still shone brightly as the cool air and bouncing movement worked to wake us up. We arrived at the wharf to the sounds of someone yelling and were told to quickly get off the boat and onto the ferry by our host. We literally jumped onto the ferry in bare feet aided by the boys in the boat, onto the departing ferry. Watching the sunrise from the ferry, we reminisced, knowing that we will long remember and cherish the last few days that had just passed.

Posted by Niels & Amy on May 01, 2007

DAY 68  South Seas Gem

Levuka, a lovely town on Ovalau Island, has become our favorite place in Fiji thus far. The spirit of the town is authentic, lively and filled with genuinely friendly people enjoying a simple life in a far less touristy part of Fiji. The journey there is not easy, but worth it. We took a small boat from Nananu-i-Ra to Ellington Wharf, then a shuttle back to RakiRaki where we caught a bus that continued Southeast on the Kings Road for 4 hours. (This road, which is really more like a track, is most certainly NOT fit for a King!) The bus ride takes 4 hours because of the absolute horrible road conditions. It is quite amazing that the buses are able to make it through the dirt, mud, and loads of potholes that make up the so-called road. Riding on the bus was a bit hair-raising at times with the width of the bus being wider than many of the rickety bridges we had to cross, but we eventually arrived safely at Natovi landing. Dirt encrusted from the ride, we took a ferry to Ovalau Island and once there, road the bus for another 40 minutes to Levuka.

Levuka has one main street (ironically named 'Beach street' even though there is no beach in sight) that is lined with false-fronted wooden buildings with covered walkways. There are several pool halls, a few restaurants, and numerous shops selling everything but the kitchen sink, many of which appear to have changed very little since the late 1800's when Levuka was really thriving. We made our home at the Royal Hotel, the oldest hotel in Fiji and felt as though we had slipped back in time. Our days passed quite quickly as we spent most of our time strolling around town, biking a bit, and talking with the locals.

Posted by Niels & Amy on May 01, 2007

DAY 64  Exile Island

Nananu-i-Ra is a small island of 3.5 square kilometers of Vitu Levu (Fiji's mainland) that feels like another place far from Fiji as there are a number of holiday homes and guesthouses, none of which are occupied by Fijians. During our 4 night stay there we felt as if we were exiled. There are no facilities and as a result of no native culture, a real lack of anything 'real'. We were very skeptical about this island when we read about it in the guide books and had nearly decided to pass it up when we realized that location wise it would break up our journey along the Northern coast quite nicely. From Lautoka it was a 4 hour bus ride on the Kings road through plantations and countryside dotted with small villages and the occasional traditional bure. The bus made some stops along the way at markets which broke up the journey and gave Niels a few more photo ops.

At Raki Raki, we hopped off the bus and were immediately swarmed by taxi drivers saying, "Where you going?" and they were relentless. After fighting them off, we stocked up on supplies and since they are so persistent, when we were ready to grab a taxi, a driver was right next to us. We piled in the taxi along with a fellow seasoned, British traveler. What should have been a short taxi ride was a drawn out, circling affair. As we slowly came to a boil in the taxi, the driver drove around the small town center stopping every few yards, shutting off the engine, getting out of the car, to engage in a chat. After this happened several times, we figured out that the driver was attempting to corral some Japanese tourists that he was hoping to also get some business from. The British guy traveling with us provided some much needed comic relief as the ride failed to progress. We finally took off toward Ellington Wharf where we took a small boat to Nananu-i-Ra.

Arriving at our accommodation, we settled in and took in the surroundings. Reading our posts, you may have noticed that we do not mention specific names of the places we stay, and that is intentional, but this time the experience was so appalling that we feel we have to mention it by name. Staying at Safari Lodge has been the worst value for our money that we have ever had in all of our travels, anywhere. We have never had rude, inconsiderate, ill-mannered hosts, but we did there. Somehow we, the paying guests, were made to feel as if we were intruding on them! That being said, the island was nice, but not as nice as it is written up to be. We did enjoy some good snorkeling, but this was only possible at high tide and it involved swerving for numerous jelly fish and loads of sea lice. Also, we did some light hiking and kayaking to pass the time and met a lovely British couple who provided great conversation and travel tales and helped us pass the time in exile.

Posted by Niels & Amy on April 17, 2007

DAY 60  Bula from Fiji!

For the past few days, we have been trudding around Lautoka, Fiji's second largest city. This city bustles during the day, especially around the market and bus station, where buses belch out thick, black fumes. From here it is possible to catch a bus to just about anywhere here on Vitu Levu (Fiji's largest island). The market houses a vibrant, abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, and Fijian handicrafts. Winding around the seller's tables is often interrupted by a local stopping to say, "Bula!" and many want to engage in a chat. Niels is especially good at carrying on a conversation with them and he often asks if he can take a picture. This is usually followed by an enthusiastic, "Yes!" and the people are then amazed to see the picture on the camera screen. Smiles and laughing are contagious here, and we find ourselves going back to the market frequently.

Lautoka has a large Indo-Fijian population and we are able to see, smell and taste things we have not come across before. There are buckets full of spices in the market, carts selling sweets and snacks around the bus station, and many things that we can only guess at what they are. We have been trying things here and there and have not been disappointed. It is nice to be able to be a bit adventurous again!

After researching a lot over the past few days, we have made some bookings and have now mostly planned out the month we plan to stay here in Fiji. Tomorrow we will take a local bus and taxi and make our way to Nananu-i-Ra, a small island off the Northern coast of Viti Levu. We will stay there for a few nights, hoping to pass the days hiking and lounging about. The sun has been hiding behind a thick layer of rain clouds lately, so we are hoping it will make an appearance again soon.

Posted by Niels & Amy on April 17, 2007

DAY 57  A Rough Start

Last Saturday we arrived in Fiji. Unfortunately our flight into Nadi was three hours late. Because it was almost midnight, we had to take a taxi to our accommodation, which we fortunately booked from Rarotonga. It was pitch dark which made it difficult for us to get our bearings, but luckily Niels had studied the map enough that he was soon able to confirm that the taxi was not just taking us for a ride. The ride into the mountains was rough. The beat up wagon did not have any shocks and the brakes did not seem to be operating properly as we bumped along the potholed, muddy track. After about 20 minutes, we finally made it to our accommodation where we were welcomed by a pack of hostile dogs, one of which honed in on Amy's leg and clamped its jaw around her knee cap. For a few minutes, we trudged through the dark in search of the owners or any sign of human presence. When we finally found the owners, we were shown our room, but a small army of frogs stood guard outside the door. Unlike the dogs, the frogs were not interested in nibbling on any body parts so we could finally settle in for the night. (A night which would end up emphasizing the importance of setting up the mosquito net as Amy awoke bitten on the lip which caused major swelling) Yep, it's not all roses and sunshine ;).

After two nights, we caught a local bus to Lautoka. Riding the bus gave us our first real impression of Fiji. The bus appeared packed full when we boarded but the locals smiled and made room. The impatient bus driver would rev the engine to rush people getting off the bus so other passengers would hand their bags to them out the windows (no glass, just open window frames on the sides of the bus) to move things along. Everyone was friendly and quite courteous.

The bus made its way from the foothills of the Sobeto Mountains to Lautoka passing through sugar cane fields. Views of mountainous landscape, sea in the distance, and village life made the ride pass quickly. Strangely, this was juxtaposed by blaring, American rap and R&B. Hearing 50 Cent on the bus while ambling through rural Fiji was so out of place, though no one seemed to care - they were too busy smiling.