Think Pacific July 09 Expedition Arrives in Fiji!
Trip Start
Unknown
1
Trip End
Ongoing
Ndaku, Fiji
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The start of a Fiji Gap Year!
“Welcome to Paradise” is the standard greeting by Air Pacific’s cheery onboard crew as your plane descends into Nadi International Airport.The team landed safe and sound in the beautiful Fiji Islands and made their way along the coral coast. With Fijian pop music (Fijian’s love their cheese!) crackling from the stereo, and taking in the sights of the beautiful Coral Coast, the team are headed for Wadalice bridge, where they jumped into outboard motor boats for a short transfer to Caqalai. The first few days of every Think Pacific Expedition is spent relaxing on this beautiful castaway island and after 30 + hours on the move from the UK, day one is spent swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean and taking the ten minute stroll around the island before hitting their hammocks, the perfect start to their expedition ! As per traditional Fijian custom, The Think Pacific team presented a ‘sevu sevu’ gift of yaqona (kava ) to one of Fiji’s Chiefs. Our volunteers were formally welcomed to Fiji by pounding the roots of yaqona and sharing a few bowls of this ceremonial drink with the Ratu of Moturiki island. Kava is one of the most important, fascinating and endearing customs in Fijian society. It is made from the dried roots of a pepper plant and is drunk ceremonially from tanoa (a traditional wooden bowl) and served to each person using a bilo (a half coconut shell) whilst sat cross legged on a mat, drinking according to hierarchy in the village. Kava is safe and is drunk in fairly weak measures compared to other Pacific Island Nations. It’s a mild relaxant, often used in natural stress remedies in the UK. It is custom to clap once, drink the whole lot in one go and then clap three times. Everyone had a great time taking part in the ceremony and enjoying their first taste of kava. Patrick in particular seemed to get a taste for it! He impressed the local Fijians by drinking ‘bilo levu’ (from the largest bowl). It is a huge honour for our volunteers to be welcomed in this way by the Ratu of Moturiki and accepted into the Fijian community, an area of Fiji with little to no tourism and surrounding islands, where the expedition team is due to spend the next month, are accessible by chiefly invitation only. After the ‘grog’ our local guides and the staff of Caqalai island cooked up some fabulous Fijian food and then it was time to head to the grass huts and our weatherboard dorm to fall asleep on our castaway island with the waves lapping gently on the shore.
A unique insight into Fijian custom, and a fabulous start to the expedition.
Life in the UK and Ireland seems a world away now!
