Fiji Vacation

Landing in Nadi

Fiji was never really a country that I had considered going to before. It always had seemed too out-of-the way and exotic to be a place that was realistically reachable. Incidentally, while searching plane tickets out of Vanuatu I discovered that tickets to Fiji are cheaper than going pretty much any where else. While before coming to Vanuatu I didn't think that a tropical vacation would be the kind of trip that I would like, WOW have I realized how wrong that impression was. I also had thought that Fiji would be very similar to Vanuatu as geographically the countries are so close. While there are a lot of similarities between the two countries, Fiji has a very different vibe from Vanuatu and I came back to Vanuatu grateful for my Vanuatu Peace Corps placement.

The beach at the Beachhouse

Fijian market food

A few friends and I landed in Nadi to start off our two week vacation. After a couple of days there, we bused on Fiji's awesome buses to The Beachhouse, a backpacker resort on the Coral Coast. It was nice to spend a few days relaxing in hammocks, kayaking, and horseback riding. We then journeyed on to Suva, the capital of Fiji. Suva is definitely a buzzing metropolis compared to Port Vila! It was refreshing to get a big-city vibe after a year of island life. Suva has a variety of restaurants and I was pleased to be able to eat Korean food. Surprisingly, there was also a lot of lamb on the menus, so I ate lamb more times than one probably should in a two week time span. While in Suva we stayed at an Airbnb, which was exciting since it had a washing machine. It's the little things!

Sand dunes

Natadola Beach

After a few days in Suva we backtracked the way we came down the Coral Coast and stayed in another cheap, but nice, place right on the ocean. We spent our time there snorkeling, trying Fijian kava, and walking around some large sand dunes at Fiji's only national park.

After a few days there we headed back to Nadi to spend the rest of our vacation, as accommodation is cheap and it is a good base for day trips. One day trip was to Natadola beach, which was advertised as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. It was a very nice beach, but a very expensive hotel is there and we felt a bit like squatters trying to crouch in some shade while security patrolled the perimeter of the hotel grounds to ensure that people like us didn't step on their grass.

Mud baths

Small island

Another day we went to the mud baths. Basically we just slathered ourselves in mud, let it dry, and then washed ourselves in various hot springs. Our last full day in Fiji we splurged and went on a booze cruise. We ate, drank, and snorkeled. An absolutely gorgeous day!

Snorkeling

After two weeks we said goodbye to that beautiful country and flew back to Vanuatu. What a great trip! I've been so fortunate over the past few years that I am able to take vacations in places like Fiji. How am I supposed to go back and get a job in the US after this??

Usage of Leaves in Vanuatu

I am constantly amazed by the vegetation in Vanuatu, and how people use items from nature in their daily lives. Leaves play an important role in daily life and there doesn’t seem to be anything that they can’t be used for! Here are a few ways that ni-Vans use various types of leaves.  
          

•    Making Roofs

Natangura leaves are dried  and used as roofs of houses. It is A LOT of work to cut down, dry, and then arrange the natangura leaves into 'shingles' for the roof. I spent one full day (eight hours) with some women, and in that time they didn't even make enough to cover the roof of a tiny kitchen. It's amazing how long the roofs hold up, although in times of high wind there are always repairs that must be made afterwards. 

•        To-go food containers
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         Often at fundraisers, events, funerals, etc, lap lap or other food is parceled to go in leaves. Two leaves are laid out like an X, food is put in the middle, and then the leaves are folded up and tied with the 'boon'- the middle hard part of the leaf. It's very environmentally friendly- no garbage or dishes to do after the food is eaten!

• Eating

            Never did I think that I would ever walk behind my house to pick some leaves to eat for dinner. Nevertheless, aelen kabis (island cabbage) is a regular part of my diet in Vanuatu. Unfortunately snails and other bugs also like to eat aelen kabis, so my leafy dinner is usually full of holes. I tell myself that it's local and organic to try to get my mind off of the fact that snails were hanging out on my dinner.

•        Making baskets

       Many people earn their income by selling food- such as                    taro, manioc, kumala, and cabbage- at the market. People 

      weave baskets out of coconut leaves to hold the food. 

•       Weaving mats, purses, and crafts
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      Mats are an important part of life and culture in Vanuatu. On Ambae, mats are woven and dyed red. These mats (not pictured, but can be seen at this link) are used in ceremonies, weddings, and deaths. Other mats (such as the one pictured) are used in daily life for sitting on in the house, in the kitchen, or outside. Women use dried pandanas leaves to make mats as well as purses and fans. 

•                  Baking

  Baking is hard work in Vanuatu! It's often done, daily in some families, although I only bake when I am with a neighbor. First, a

pile of rocks is put on top of a fire for about an hour to make the 

rocks hot. Then the rocks are taken off of the fire (which is now 

just a hot area). Food, such as taro or lap lap, is wrapped in 

leaves, either banana leaves or another leaf that when I ask what it

is I am just told it is a lap lap leaf. The food wrapped in leaves is placed on the hot area and then the rocks are placed on top. After a few hours of cooking, the rocks are taken off again, the leaves are unwrapped, and then it is finally time to eat! 

There are many many more uses of leaves in Vanuatu, but these are a few that I commonly see. The ability of the people of Vanuatu to use the local resources to do anything from bake to weave purses to make roofs is truly incredible.