Fiji Island Number Four!
Trip Start
Feb 15, 2010
1
87
94
Trip End
Dec 23, 2010
Waya Lailai, Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
It definitely wasn't just for backpackers, although there were lots there, it was for everybody which made it very different from any of the others!
We were given a very posh welcome drink on our arrival and asked to join in with the Kava Ceremony that evening before dinner. It involved drinking Kava which is the traditional drink of Fiji (which according to my research causes lethargy and a slight loss of co-ordination) one by one as we sat in a circle, clap the correct amount of times and chanting the right words. Oh the pressure! Some people find Kava ok, but I didn't like it! It's a murky brown/grey colour for a start with a weird taste.
When I saw the room I was staying in, I got very excited! I had chosen an 'ensuite dorm' but it wasn't really a dorm. For a start it was a traditional Fijian Bure with thatched roof and everything and it only had three beds in it. 1 double and 2 singles and from what I could see it was only one other person in there with me, yay! The ensuite bathroom had no ceiling and white walls, attractive to bugs me thinks, but not too many thank goodness!
Whilst I was staying here I met some lovely people, including a couple on their delayed honeymoon and some other really nice travellers. I also joined in with some of the games that had been organised one evening and some jewellary making, very cool!
After check out on my last day there and after settling what I thought was a very small bill considering the quality I had enjoyed for a few days, I went for a visit to the local village, called Nalauwaki Village. It was a much better tour than the previous one I had been on. We were told the resort supports the village quite a lot, not sure how much, but a lot of the staff came from there so that's a start!
We went to see the Kindergarten, a new build, funded by an English tourist with lots of money! It was very smart and hopefully going to be very beneficial to the young in the village. When they are older they go to the mainland for schooling and stay with families as it tends not to be worth commuting back and forth.
I was very sad to be leaving the Islands that day, as I had loved my time here in the most welcoming location I have ever known!
I was back to Nadi on the mainland for one more night before moving onto the US of A!!
