Suva, Fiji
February 10, 2007
After going to bed on Thursday evening, February 8, 2007 I awoke on SATURDAY, February 10, 2007…..Friday the 9th just disappeared….poof! gone! We crossed the International Date Line and it is gone! I have read and read about it….people have tried to explain it…I still don’t get it….it’s just gone, apparently forever! Glad it isn’t my birthday!
Bola Bola! That is the cry we heard over and over as we enjoyed the island of Fiji. What nice friendly people! What great memories I will always have of yet another South Pacific Island.
Open air buses, a bit more comfortable than the “le trucks” we have come to expect on other islands, but far less colorful, met us dockside. Our very dark-skinned guide met us with a broad white-tooth smile. “Bola Bola!” he kept shouting, grinning broader and broader with each second. “Welcome! Welcome”…or “My love to you! My love to you!” He explained that this country is made up of some 330 islands about 100 of which are inhabited with some 250,000 people, 80,000 of them living in Suva, the capital city.
We traveled about 30 or 40 minutes passing military guard station after guard station (they had a bloodless coup in December). Non-threatening, the guards bared their teeth and shouted “Bola Bola”! which by now we had learned to shout in return. We eventually came to Navua, a small village that was teeming with Saturday shoppers. Produce stands, bolts of colorful cloth, bottles of ointment, colorful displays of plastic containers….one stand was more vivid than the next. It was in this village that we boarded “long boats” to make our way up the Navua River. Donning damp and slightly dank life vests (they had only one or two that would fit my large girth!) about 6 or 8 of us gingerly made our way into these tipsy boats that were really just large canoes with a 25 horse powered outboard motor attached. Our “captain”, like all his other colleagues smiled and shouted “Bola, Bola” over and over again as he assisted each of us…some more nervous than others into his beautifully painted and immaculately clean boat. Soon, we were on our way to “enjoy” the rapidly rushing brown water of the river. (We were to learn later that the river is usually crystal clear but due to a heavy rainfall the day before, the water was murky and muddy). Passing small villages built on the sides of the steep river where children delighted in diving off large rocks shouting “Bola Bola” as they hit the water. Hitting rapids head-on we soon realized why when we boarded these precarious boats we were each given a plastic trash bag for our bags and cameras….we got drenched! How nice! The cool water felt wonderful in the hot and humid heat of the midday. Eventually we made our way deep into the densely vegetative river valley, stopping at a magnificent waterfall where some dared to go in clothes and all…In hindsight, I am sorry I wasn’t one of them.
Soon made our way back downstream stopping at one of the villages we had passed on our way upstream. This time, the young men that we had seen diving and playing in the water were “dressed’ in long flowing grass skirts, their dark chocolate well-hewn bodies painted with exotic geometric patterns of black dye. Several serenaded us by blowing into large shells….drums were beating….and “Bola Bola” could be heard everywhere….we were being invited to a KAVA ceremony. Kava is a special plant from the pepper family that grows for about 5 to 10 years before the roots are pulled up, dried, and pounded to a powder. (This is the “new” way of doing this….historically, after the Kava was dried, young virgins would chew the roots, spitting into bowls and then serve). This powder is put into muslin, water is added and a cream colored drink results. One small sip and your lips and tongue are slightly deadened….15-20 cupfuls, as most men drink on a regular basis…and your whole body is apparently numb!
The entire village (140 people of seven generations in one family!) had assembled in their large bamboo gathering place to greet us. After we removed our shoes, socks, and hats! we were asked to sit on the floor (benches were provided for those that just couldn’t sit on the floor…or would never have gotten up had they had) with the men in front and women in back. We faced the men of the village with their woman and children behind them. The large Kava bowl was ceremonially brought into the center of the room. The Chief entered and sat behind it. One of our group “volunteered” to be the acting chief from the ms Amsterdam and the ceremony began. The young grass-skirted men brought water filled “tubes” of bamboo into the room emptied them into the Kava bowl while the chief manipulated the muslin wrapped Kava powder. The spokesman explained how the Kava would be presented with certain clapping of hands. The ceremony proceeded until “our” chief accepted the drink, on all our behalf, and clapped the appropriate times. It sounds hokey…but in reality was fascinating and spell-binding.
A nice lunch was served and lively entertainment commenced with war dances, (historically the victors of war ate their captives!) dances of the women, and even the children singing a farewell song. All in all, it was a lovely and memorable day….something that if you had asked me if I thought I would enjoy I would have said…no way…but am I glad that I did it.
Returning to the ship we were greeted, dockside, by the Fiji Police band….men clad in bright red tunics with multi-pointed white skirts….can’t get much colorful than that…and as we sailed at sunset, you could still hear “Bola Bola” coming from the crowds of happy friend Fijians waving us a bon voyage.
February 10, 2007
After going to bed on Thursday evening, February 8, 2007 I awoke on SATURDAY, February 10, 2007…..Friday the 9th just disappeared….poof! gone! We crossed the International Date Line and it is gone! I have read and read about it….people have tried to explain it…I still don’t get it….it’s just gone, apparently forever! Glad it isn’t my birthday!
Bola Bola! That is the cry we heard over and over as we enjoyed the island of Fiji. What nice friendly people! What great memories I will always have of yet another South Pacific Island.
Open air buses, a bit more comfortable than the “le trucks” we have come to expect on other islands, but far less colorful, met us dockside. Our very dark-skinned guide met us with a broad white-tooth smile. “Bola Bola!” he kept shouting, grinning broader and broader with each second. “Welcome! Welcome”…or “My love to you! My love to you!” He explained that this country is made up of some 330 islands about 100 of which are inhabited with some 250,000 people, 80,000 of them living in Suva, the capital city.
We traveled about 30 or 40 minutes passing military guard station after guard station (they had a bloodless coup in December). Non-threatening, the guards bared their teeth and shouted “Bola Bola”! which by now we had learned to shout in return. We eventually came to Navua, a small village that was teeming with Saturday shoppers. Produce stands, bolts of colorful cloth, bottles of ointment, colorful displays of plastic containers….one stand was more vivid than the next. It was in this village that we boarded “long boats” to make our way up the Navua River. Donning damp and slightly dank life vests (they had only one or two that would fit my large girth!) about 6 or 8 of us gingerly made our way into these tipsy boats that were really just large canoes with a 25 horse powered outboard motor attached. Our “captain”, like all his other colleagues smiled and shouted “Bola, Bola” over and over again as he assisted each of us…some more nervous than others into his beautifully painted and immaculately clean boat. Soon, we were on our way to “enjoy” the rapidly rushing brown water of the river. (We were to learn later that the river is usually crystal clear but due to a heavy rainfall the day before, the water was murky and muddy). Passing small villages built on the sides of the steep river where children delighted in diving off large rocks shouting “Bola Bola” as they hit the water. Hitting rapids head-on we soon realized why when we boarded these precarious boats we were each given a plastic trash bag for our bags and cameras….we got drenched! How nice! The cool water felt wonderful in the hot and humid heat of the midday. Eventually we made our way deep into the densely vegetative river valley, stopping at a magnificent waterfall where some dared to go in clothes and all…In hindsight, I am sorry I wasn’t one of them.
Soon made our way back downstream stopping at one of the villages we had passed on our way upstream. This time, the young men that we had seen diving and playing in the water were “dressed’ in long flowing grass skirts, their dark chocolate well-hewn bodies painted with exotic geometric patterns of black dye. Several serenaded us by blowing into large shells….drums were beating….and “Bola Bola” could be heard everywhere….we were being invited to a KAVA ceremony. Kava is a special plant from the pepper family that grows for about 5 to 10 years before the roots are pulled up, dried, and pounded to a powder. (This is the “new” way of doing this….historically, after the Kava was dried, young virgins would chew the roots, spitting into bowls and then serve). This powder is put into muslin, water is added and a cream colored drink results. One small sip and your lips and tongue are slightly deadened….15-20 cupfuls, as most men drink on a regular basis…and your whole body is apparently numb!
The entire village (140 people of seven generations in one family!) had assembled in their large bamboo gathering place to greet us. After we removed our shoes, socks, and hats! we were asked to sit on the floor (benches were provided for those that just couldn’t sit on the floor…or would never have gotten up had they had) with the men in front and women in back. We faced the men of the village with their woman and children behind them. The large Kava bowl was ceremonially brought into the center of the room. The Chief entered and sat behind it. One of our group “volunteered” to be the acting chief from the ms Amsterdam and the ceremony began. The young grass-skirted men brought water filled “tubes” of bamboo into the room emptied them into the Kava bowl while the chief manipulated the muslin wrapped Kava powder. The spokesman explained how the Kava would be presented with certain clapping of hands. The ceremony proceeded until “our” chief accepted the drink, on all our behalf, and clapped the appropriate times. It sounds hokey…but in reality was fascinating and spell-binding.
A nice lunch was served and lively entertainment commenced with war dances, (historically the victors of war ate their captives!) dances of the women, and even the children singing a farewell song. All in all, it was a lovely and memorable day….something that if you had asked me if I thought I would enjoy I would have said…no way…but am I glad that I did it.
Returning to the ship we were greeted, dockside, by the Fiji Police band….men clad in bright red tunics with multi-pointed white skirts….can’t get much colorful than that…and as we sailed at sunset, you could still hear “Bola Bola” coming from the crowds of happy friend Fijians waving us a bon voyage.
No comments:
Post a Comment