Suva

Michele kicks off her mammoth trip on 9th January 2012. Read her roving reports from the High Seas to her journey Down Under. Keeping you up-to-date with all the news as it happens.
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Michele Monro
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Suva

Post by Michele Monro » Sat May 05, 2012 6:26 pm

Suva’s land is much the same as it was years ago, with its volcanic cones verdant with thick tropical growth and its golden sand shores graced by translucent waters. Yet the modern day traveler is happy to note that amenities are plentiful and, most pleasant of all, you don’t have to contend with one of the major worries that plagued the last century: cannibalism. Despite this practice The Fijians actually have a highly developed culture that is truly amazing. Their building skills were impressive, from sleek double-hulled canoes that could hold up to twenty men to elegantly thatched temples woven of pandamus leaves. They also produced copra cordage, elaborate weapons, intricately carved wooden bowls and pottery and beautiful tapa cloth from bark.

The Fiji archipelago consists of more than 300 islands, ranging in size from more than 7,000 square miles to tiny coral atolls that barely break the surface of the sea. The two largest islands, Viti Leva (Great Fiji) and Vanua Leva make up 85% of the landmass. The capital Suva is located on the southeastern corner of Viti Leva. This precipitous city averages more than 200 inches of rain annually.

Fiji life is filled with ceremonies and celebrations. The Mekei combine song and dance accompanied by the beating of thick bamboo poles and wooden drums. To the charged rhythms women tell ancient stories with the movement of their hands and the men move in aggressive, forceful stances, representative of war dances prior to battle.

In the early hours Sea Princess passed west of about 5km and steered through the Kadavu Passage towards the island of Viti Leva. The pilot boarded at 8.00am and with his assistance we entered the harbour waters passing between the dozens of reefs surrounding the port of Suva. It required precision, timing and experience to make the docking at South Kings Wharf pier but by 9.00am we had received clearance from the port authority.

Everyone booked on tours huddled in to the theatre and waited for the announcement for their outing but it was a long time coming. The gangways were blocked by independent tourists getting off and it took nearly an hour until my tour was called. Gabby. Craig and I made our way to the bus, which was without air-conditioning but they did leave the door open on the one-hour journey and to be honest I think we were lucky it still had an engine. The driver was doing his level best to wrench the gearbox out and he literally pounded the vehicle to death. We were so lucky because the island had suffered torrential rains for weeks, which had flooded many areas but we were treated to glorious sunshine that one associates with a South Island paradise. We finally arrived at the village at 11.30am and were greeted by natives in authentic costume and all manner of conch shell blowing and drum beating.

The village of Navua is home to about 100 Fijians and they appear genuinely happy to see you while they treated us to a little local flavour and demonstrations of island craft. One of the ceremonies we were witness to was karva or yaquana. The kava liquid is made from pepper plant root, which is ground into a pulp or powder and mixed with water. It is then strained through hibiscus roots and passed around in a coconut shell, first offered to the chief or guest of honour. With a clap the bowl is emptied in one gulp. The group then claps several times to signify that the bowl has been drained, and repeats the process until each individual has taken part. While not alcoholic, the liquid is known to cause a sort of euphoria and it’s been found to have medicinal purposes as well. Guess who was hiding!

With the ceremony completed, a buffet lunch was served while the natives gathered round on the floor to play us island music and sing traditional songs. It was soon time for the highlight of the tour where five of us boarded a simple, motorized canoe for an exhilarating 45-minute ride upstream through gentle rapids, past agricultural land, deep gorges, rain forest and cascading waterfalls to Namuamua. The area was teeming with vivid and melodic birdlife and an array of tropical fauna. The gorgeous vistas reminded me of an Indiana Jones segment and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Harrison Ford had rope swung over the water. Our boat docked at a small makeshift quay and it took a good 15 minutes to traverse the rocky ledges of clear pools and steps made in the rock shelf. The hike was worth it. You could actually hear the waterfall before you saw it and a light fine spray mist coated the area. The waterfall was in a small natural lagoon and it literally thundered down the mountain. Gabby braved the waters but couldn’t swim far as there were strong undercurrents that would have pulled a person under with ease. The adventure was really exhilarating and I for one would have liked to have spent another hour there, preferably with fewer people.

The experience was soon over but at least we still had the return boat trip back to the village. Our driver was great fun and overtook all the other boats in our group and made sure we were fully soaked as we rode the rapids for maximum effect. The only small niggle was that a lot of older people slowed us down as they needed help in and out of the boats and up the many steps. It meant we didn’t get back to the ship until 4.15pm instead of 3.30pm so we had to forego our one-hour in town, as we had to be back on board for 4.30pm. As we reached the wharf a Fijian band was playing and several island women were dancing around while waving the national flag. Several returning tourists stopped to have a dance or two but it became evident that the crew were waiting to raise the gangway. I went up to Deck 14 to watch the sailaway as we weaved in and out of the sand reefs and made sure I took the requisite amount of photographs. The Captain announced that the weather and sea for the upcoming journey would be good and then asked for a minutes silence to honour ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. This has been instituted to recognize the soldiers who fought in World War 1’s historic Battle of Gallipoli. It’s also an annual day of remembrance for the fallen troops of several South Pacific countries. “Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one in battle”.

I have to say I was fit for nothing more, my legs had literally turned to jelly and after a quick dinner poolside I decided to call it a day and watch a movie as they were re-showing Night and Day with Tom Cruise and I’d missed the ending the first time round…. And I missed the ending again. I don’t think I’m meant to watch this film but third time lucky.

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Lena & Harry Smith
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Re: Suva

Post by Lena & Harry Smith » Sat May 05, 2012 7:58 pm

Michele what a great experience to actually be with the Fijans, and see how they live and see their skills when all we know is what we see in movies etc, but you were probably wise to avoid the drink from the coconut shell. You never know what effect it may have had. You may have been tempted to dance in a grass skirt and a wreath round your neck. :)
A nice regular gesture for the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Callipoli in WW1,

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