Bula! Bula!

Bula!

April 9, 2019

A pretty good night of sleep and we all seem to be on Fiji time, which is 5 hours behind Seattle. Breakfast and the boys went for a quick snorkel in front of our place.  They said it was nice, but not amazing.  They did rate it better than Sri Lanka though.  We traveled up to the next village, another kava ceremony so we were allowed to walk around and then given a guide to walk 40 minutes through the jungle, over 9 river crossings and to the  beautiful Biausevu waterfall. 

The three brave Lemkes climbed up the falls a bit and jumped in.  We had a nice swim and back we went.

Stopped for lunch at He-ni Uwa Restaurant.  A local from our hotel told us about it.  It had an amazing view and could see the fish down below in the water while we ate. 

Even though Fiji does not feel touristy they definitely have high tourist prices.  A bottle of water at the hotel is $5.00 and it is $1.50 at the grocery store so we made a quick run to the market and got a couple bottles and some much needed ice cream!

A very quick shower and headed back to the home stay for a lovo dinner. It is traditionally only for special occasions like weddings, Christmas and birthdays, however, they have offered to make it for us. Upon arrival Navi asked Andy and the kids to drive and find some ( crazy named) special leaves to use for the cooking of the feast.   

I was not allowed to go.  The women are not allowed to take part in this. They have to collect firewood and stones that they heat for hours. They wrap the chicken and pork with leaves in tin foil and when they rocks are ready they place the meat packets on the rocks, cover with the leaves (which end up shrinking and sealing the  meat bundles/rocks) and dinner is done an hour later.

While they were off hunting for the leaves I had my own task to participate in.  A mother in-law that lived in another nearby village had passed. My job was to help carry over the hand woven mats to another house for the farewell ceremony.  We had to place them in a particular way.  The colored yarn that is on one side had to all face one direction and pointing out of the house. They needed to be rolled and tied with a colored piece of material.  I learned these are the mats they would wrap around the body and the giant jugs on the patio were filled with kerosene to be used at the cremation of the body.  I was told to sit on the floor with the other women.  They wanted pictures of me carrying the mats and also sitting with the women.  I confirmed I shouldn't be smiling in the pictures given the circumstances.

The women had many questions of me:

What did I do? How old was I? Do I see my parents? What do I think of Trump? How cold is it in Seattle? How long of a flight? What religion does our family practice?

Things I asked and learned:

No one ever goes hungry in the village, they take care of each other. They don't like Trump. They don't have babies at home. They go to the hospital but aren't given medication for delivery, just after for sleeping. If there is a dispute with someone in the village they present it to the village counsel and then shake hands at the end.  All is then forgiven and are friends again. Kids go to school through 13th grade.  Their English is much better than my Fijian. : - )

The kids played with all the other village kids. Saylor and Hudson were really impressed by how kind and respectful they are to each other and to them.  The adults went back to the house for more of the Farewell Ceremony.  Andy was told to enter on one set of steps and to sit with the men on the patio.  I had to enter on another set and sit with the women inside while the men were outside. This only happens at a Farewell Ceremony. More conversation again.  I of course didn't understand but they were very kind and tried to include me.

Dinner came together about an hour after it came off the pit. The dinning table was put away and a large cloth put on the floor.  All the food was sat out and we were called to dinner. This time we all ate together except Navi had to got to the funeral prep. We sat on the floor again, told how we are always welcome back to the village. The kids can now bring their kids to the village in the future and we would all always be welcomed, we are now family. A quick Fijian prayer and time to eat dinner. No utensils are used, only the hands.  Dinner had the meats, watermelon, pineapple, bread fruit, potato salad, coleslaw and Tang! When finished you wash your hands in a communal bucket and cloth. You are also supposed to wash your lips. Our host said once you experience the lovo dinner and traditions involved we have now been to Fiji.

It was late and Andy drove us back to the hotel.  Hudson and I stayed at the hotel while Saylor and Andy went back to the hot jungle to have a night in the village.