Country #112: Fiji Delayed. Part 1

Full truth: This post will appear as if it was written in April 2019. It wasn't. Today's date is actually April 5, 2020.

I, along with sensible people everywhere, am "sheltering in place", trying to ride out the Covid-19 epidemic that has brought the planet to a standstill. It is jarring and hard to believe that exactly one year ago, I was about to embark on a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

On April 9th, 2019 I landed in Nadi, Fiji. My co-workers and I were supposed to stay for an undetermined amount of time or more specifically as long as it took to get the Boeing Max up and flying. We all figured we had a couple of weeks, at best, before having to return home. We ended up staying until July 24th. The Max still wasn't (and still isn't) fixed but we ended up living in paradise for three and a half months.

In that time, I took advantage of being based in this far-flung part of the world and dropped in on Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga, all of which I posted about. So, why no post on Fiji? To put it simply, I didn't know where to begin. There were simply too many amazing experiences, too many wonderful people, too many memories that can't adequately be captured in a rambling post. So I ended up just putting this blog on the back burner, where it pretty much remained for the rest of the year.

Now, I have lotsa time. Lots and lots of time and no new adventure on the horizon so it seemed a good a time as any to put the wheels back on this wagon. So why the back dating? I'm not really sure. I'm basically lying to myself in an effort to preserve the monthly posting structure I initially envisioned when I came up with the name. But I am telling the truth here, so that's got to count for something.

Anyways, in order to not get too tangled in the tropical weeds of Fomo Goes to Fiji, I'm just going to list in no particular order some of my most favorite memories from this magical time.

* Navala

It is important to point out that there are two very separate and distinct Fiji's. Within its 330 islands, you will find both tourist Fiji- this is what you are imagining: azure waters, swaying palm trees, smiling locals greeting you with coconuts and "real" Fiji, where most people live in very conservative villages, each governed by its own chief, in very basic conditions. They generally live off the land, eating only what they grow or raise and don't have the financial means to join the tourists in island-hopping.

In order to visit these villages, you need to be invited in by the chief. In exchange for their hospitality, you are expected to bring a sevusevu, or a small gift, usually kava.  There was a time that a Fijian friend had made arrangements for me to visit a nearby village to take weaving lessons. I wanted to bring a gift but got the feeling my teacher was not a big kava drinker so I set off trying get some fresh flowers.  Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest. On the day of my first lesson, the lone flower vendor I'd seen on the side of the road was nowhere to be found. There are no flower shops or nurseries as we know them, only companies that provide arrangements for the hotels but are not open to the public. I was stuck. I went to a market with the hope of getting her a nice box of chocolates only that is not something that the local, usually non-air conditioned markets carry. I asked around for advice. One person told me to bring a loaf of bread. Another suggested a bag of rice. I cognitively understood that these are practical things that my host would probably appreciate but my western mind could not help but picture how I would react if someone knocked on my door with a bag of Thomas' English muffins. "What do you want me to make you a sandwich? Get the fuck out of here with those muffins! Don't come back". I couldn't do it. I ended up buying 4 cheap bags of cookies (the only kind they had) and hoping that it would suffice.

Weeks later, the issue would arise again. My friend, Antray and I were heading into the central highland region of Viti Levu, our home island. Our destination was Navala, a village known for maintaining the traditional building techniques at a time when most had switched to cinder blocks and corrugated metal. I made reservations at the nearby Bulou's Eco-lodge after reading countless reviews lauding its host, Tui. In a country full of the kindest, most welcoming people you could ever hope for, this guy was getting raves. I needed to up my game. I still couldn't bring myself to show up with a sack of rice but I did manage to score a bag of double stuff Oreo's, which may not sound like much but trust me, that was huge. 95% of the products on Fijian shelves are either locally grown/ made or imported Australian brands.

Tui met us in Ba, the closest town and drove us back to the village. He was every bit as kind and charming as expected, making us immediately feel welcome. He took us to his home, which he shares with his elderly mother and Tickles, the wonder cat who could be found on my lap for the entirety of our stay.

It would be just the four of us for the night, yet he prepared a feast for at least 5x that.  After dinner, we settled in for a bowl of kava. For the uninitiated, kava is a drink made by grounding the root of the pepper plant and straining it repeatedly through a dirty sock. Drank it large enough quantities, it produces a tingling mouth and a slightly stoned feeling. It is essential to Fijian society and anyone spending even a minimal amount in the country will at some point hold a half coconut shell to their mouth, yell "Bula", swallow it down one gulp and then clap three times. If you are there for 3 1/2 months, you will do this a lot. During our kava ceremony, I glanced over at mom. She was in her wheelchair, watching us and happily munching on double stuff Oreo's. Success was mine!!

"Hey!!  It's been 45 seconds since you stopped petting me. Back to work!!"- Tickles the Wondercat

The following morning, Tui took us to Navala village proper. His father used to be the chief and the title is now held by his uncle. The village (and Habitat for Humanity) were in the process of rebuilding from the devastation wrought by Cyclone Winston in 2016. Because of the extensive damage, the people had been given the option of using modern techniques to rebuild but most had opted for the more labor intensive olden ways.

After walking around the village and taking countless photos of people's homes, we put in a visit to the chief. He was a nice enough man but I wonder if being the leader of such a photogenic village, one with a steady influx of visitors, gets old when it is expected that you have to bring them into your home and entertain them.

We returned to Tui's place for one more massive meal before starting our journey back to Nadi. Now a year later, I like to think that Tui, Tickles and his mom are safe and sound in their isolated part of the world, untouched by all the chaos that Covid has unleashed on the rest of us. Maybe they even still have some Oreo's to remind them of our visit.

* Mana

Months earlier- I told you this would be in no peculiar order- I had just arrived in Fiji.  I was living in Nadi, which has shitty beaches. You don't see Nadi's beaches in any of those enviable Instagram posts. For those, you need to go to the smaller islands, which was precisely my plan. I would spend a couple of nights in Mana, one of the islands in the Mamanuca chain. As I waited for my ride, I was having breakfast at the hotel. A friend asked me why I had brought a backpack, snorkel and beach towel to breakfast. I explained my plan and extended an invitation. Less than 30 minutes later, there were four of us speeding across perfectly blue waters to the Ratu Kini Dive Resort. 

As with most of the islands, there are three main things to do on Mana: dive, snorkel and drink. We did 2 out of 3. At this point in my Fijian journey, I had not yet taken the dive refresher course I needed and thus missed out on the Supermarket, one of the top dives in Fiji. Instead, we all went snorkeling on the Mana wall.

As far as consolation prizes go, this is a pretty spectacular one.  Perfect visibility, healthy vibrant corals and plenty of fish (including one tiny reef shark): this was like swimming around in the world's nicest fish tank.  It was one of the best spots I'd ever been.  I'm not the world's best swimmer but I've been snorkeling plenty of times so I could not figure out why I kept getting tangled up with my friend, Manny. There was little current to speak of. Did I need a snorkeling refresher course, as well? It was later that I learned that this was his first time ever snorkeling and he had decided that his best course of action was to stick close to me. On one hand, Wow!!  What a place to start!  On the other hand, I fear he may have peaked too early. It's going to be hard to find a place to top the Mana wall.

I mentioned drinking. We did that too. There is a bar that has probably popped across your IG. It is called Cloud 9 and is located smack dab in the middle of the ocean. If you are coming from Nadi, I honestly don't think it is worth it.  It is over $100 just to get to the bar (including $30 in drinks) and the novelty of its location wears off pretty quickly. Then you are just floating on an overpriced bar, albeit one with really good music. From Mana, it is only a $20 r/t ride. In that case, you might as well.

Back on Mana, it would have been nice to walk around the island but it is not permitted for a very unusual reason. Survivor. As in the reality show that I had no idea was still on the air. It is and the filming takes place on a neighboring uninhabited island. The crew is based at the Mana resort, which along with its beach, is closed off to the public for confidentiality reasons. They are there for months at a time and are understandably eager for non-Survivor interactions, so they hang out at Ratu Kini and were our co-conspirators in keeping the bar open until the wee hours. 

We would later run into them in Nadi because it is Fiji. Meet someone once and you will run into them again. Guaranteed. 

* Tokoriki

Pro-tip: Is there anyone in your life that you would like to spend more time with but life just keeps getting in the way? Solution: Tell them you have a place for them to stay in Fiji. Paradise has a way of motivating people.

I'd been trying to get my sister to visit me in Amsterdam for the better part of a decade. The one year she was going to do it was a year that we didn't go. I had been in Fiji one week before she and my niece arrived. One week!!

This meant that I really didn't have my bearings yet. How am I going to blow them away with my tour guide skills when I have no clue what's up? Luckily, she took the lead.  I suspect that she did this out of fear that left to my own devices, I would have booked us at some really cool rustic hostel (or as she would see it "some flea-ridden hovel") but whatever the cause, she booked us at the Sheraton Tokoriki.

This is high-end tourist Fiji. There are bures (or beach cabanas) with private hot tubs.

 There are complimentary manager's cocktail parties on scenic overlooks  .

There are traditional lovo dinners (think luau with underground cooking and traditional dances) and a guy who really doesn't want you to touch his papaya.

My niece had been in Fiji at least 48 hours, it was time for her to have some Kava.

There is a swim-up bar, crab races and top notch cuisine, none of which I got a photo of.

But most importantly, there is all the beauty that Fiji has to offer, which makes a pretty ideal backdrop for any getaway. To get to share it with my sister and niece, clear on the other side of the world only made it that much more special.

* Nacula

Mana and Tokoriki are both part of the Mamanuca chain, which are the islands closest to Nadi. They are sensational, no question but they are also the busiest. When you go a bit further, into the Yasawa chain, you see less and less of the human footprint. With that in mind, I decided to spend a couple of nights on Nacula island (pronounced Nadula). It is the furthest Yasawa island accessible by ferry.

This is probably a good time to bring up an important distinction between real and tourist Fiji. Everyday things are dirt cheap by US standards. For $1, you can go to the local market and get a big bag of fresh fruit. $7 gets you a bus ticket for the 4 hour ride to Suva, the capital city.  For $8, you can get a bucket of popcorn, a beer and a ticket to the only movie theater in Nadi. For $15, you can have dinner and drinks at the nicest place in town.

When it comes to tourist things, it is a different story. It is super expensive. The South Sea ferry company has a near monopoly on transport to the islands. Just getting to Nacula on the Yasawa flyer is almost $150. You know how many bananas you could get for that? By this time, I was quasi-local, and as such was getting the inside scoop. Instead of the Yasawa flyer out of Denarau island, I knew you could go a bit north to Lautoka and take the Tavewa Seabus, which is essentially a supply boat keeping the islands fully stocked on fresh produce and Fiji Gold beer. It is not for the weak of stomach but it'll get you there.

And there is pretty amazing. I stayed at the Oarman's lodge, which became my favorite island hostel in all of Fiji. It has both private bures and dorm beds and happens to sit on a ridiculously pristine beach.

The first thing I did was go next door to the Blue Lagoon dive shop- did I mention this was where the Brooke Shields movie Blue Lagoon was filmed? Yeah, the beach is that nice- and sign up for the refresher course I'd been wanting to take,  Getting back to diving after an eight year absence, I wanted to focus on what I was doing so I decided to forego the GoPro. Big mistake. It was cool af.

But the course and the dive were great and gave me the confidence to become a Fijian sea monkey for the remainder of my stay.

The snorkeling, which took up the rest of my time, was not too shabby either.

At the very end of the Yasawa chain is the Sawa-I-Lau cave. It is a natural pool that sits inside a series of limestone caves. It is also the resting place of the 10-headed Fijian diety, Ulutini, but I digress.

Oarsman Lodge set up a special transport to the cave for me since I was on the ghetto ferry and thus on a different time schedule than everybody else. This meant that we (my dinner table buddies joined me) got to the caves way before the tour groups did. For a good hour, we had the cool clear waters all to ourselves.

Once they arrived, the guides led us to the next chamber. There is a lot written about needing extra courage to do this. Don't believe the hype.  Because of the tides, in order to get to the second part, you need to swim under a rock tunnel. There will be a 5 second gap where you are submerged under solid rock before you pop out on the other side. There is a guide on one side holding a flashlight and another one pushing you underwater towards him. If you have ever put your head underwater and not freaked out, you can do this.  Seriously, this is not a thing and I don't understand why they push it as such.

Back at the lodge, I was bemoaning the fact that I had to leave. I loved it so. Dean, the manager, gave me his number and suggested I return. I later ran into him at a bar in Nadi, on a flight to Brisbane and on the beach in Wailoaloa. Once you meet someone in Fiji....

(More Fijian adventures to follow)