"We stayed in Suva for a week. Suva is very local, virtually no tourists, it is a bit dirty but we had not been in a bigger town for a long time. Great restaurants, movie theatres, shopping and the biggest food market we had ever seen. And all at very reasonable prices, much lower than elsewhere in the Pacific. People on Fiji are generally extremely friendly. Everyone greets you with a Bula! and you very often get stopped and the locals just want to have a chat. They want to know where you are from, what you are doing here and if you like Fiji. Very relaxed and very pleasant.
Then we sailed west along the south coast of Vitu Levu. In 3 hours we spotted 15 whales, some quite close! Then we sailed to the Yasawa group. The villages are very poor, generally there is no water, no electricity and most people live in traditional ‘Bures’, small houses made of wood, branches and hay. The islanders generally live in isolation since the main island is too far away for them. Most islands are 30-50 miles from the coast. Once you get ashore you have to get in contact with the village chief to be accepted to visit the island. The best way to be accepted is to give him some Kava. After that you pray, clap your hands and have a glass of Kava together. It only takes a couple of minutes but after you have done that you are accepted as a villager and can stay for life! Once we learned that one of the chiefs had died the night before and they were preparing the funeral and in the process of cutting up a cow they had just slaughtered. When we were about to leave Kim and I were invited to drink Kava with the village elders. We sat down with 10 old men and were served Kava in the traditional coconut shells. This was only for men so Christine was led to help the other women to prepare the big meal of the funeral. A unique experience.
The people in these villages are as friendly as I think humans can get. So soft, so respectful, so curious, so playful. Just unbelievable. This must be the best example there is, that money does not by happiness!"
Moana in Fiji
