Part 6

I am Robinson Crusoe

The last time I was in Fiji my son was just a skinny little kid. It was now 10 years later and I was on my own this time. The last time we stayed at a pretty posh resort with a pool and all the amenities. It really wasn’t my style, even then, but it was his first real dive vacation and I wanted to make it as memorable and comfortable for him as I could.

This time I had something completely different in mind. Fiji is comprised of two major islands, (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu), and dozens of smaller islands surrounding them. These two major islands are fairly modern with electricity, running water, restaurants, resort hotels and plenty of automobile traffic. Hell, the capitol city of Nadi, (pronounced, Nan-dee), even has a McDonald’s.

I guess I wasn’t the only one who had fantasized about living on a tropical island because one tour group provides boat transportation to some of the more remote islands in the Mamanucua’s (pronounced, Mama-New-thu), group. This is the way to truly live as the native inhabitants do. I would be dropped off for a week’s stay on one of these tiny volcanic outcroppings to stay with a village of the indigenous people. Remember, it was only a hundred years earlier that these people were cannibals and were making meals out of the first white men who came there.

I arrived at Manu Island early the next day to a beach landing with no dock. I waded ashore where the village chief and every member of the tribe met me. The greeting was amazing! Each person came up to me with a huge smile and shouts of “Bula”, (meaning, “hello”). They helped me ashore with my bags and led me down a narrow jungle path, which wound through the lush tropical vegetation. About a mile and a half later we came to a large grassy meadow where the village lay. The village was comprised of about eight bures, (pronounced, boo-rays), of varying sizes that served as the meetinghouse, the sleeping quarters and the chief’s house. The main bure, or the meetinghouse was where all of the ceremonial meetings took place, where meals were consumed and all the members of the tribe did the majority of socializing. This was also the place where the Kava ceremony took place.

Kava is made from the pounded root of the native pepper tree plant. The root is dried, pounded, and placed in a straining cloth for preparation as a drinking beverage. Water is added to a large carved wooden bowel, and the Kava in the straining cloth is soaked in it. As the Kava root absorbs the water the cloth is repeatedly wrung out back into the bowel. This leaves a coffee-with-creamer colored liquid in the bowel, which is the finished liquid for drinking for the Kava ceremony. Only the men of the tribe are allowed to attend the Kava ceremony and on this night I was to be their honored guest. Now I had attended a Kava ceremony on my last trip to Fiji on the large islands, but this was different. This was much more formal and not something done just for the tourists. This was a regular part of their lives. I remembered from my previous trip that it was considered polite to bring a gift to give in return for the invitation, usually a cloth bag of more dried Kava root. I however had neglected to bring some. It is sold in every market on the larger islands but this tiny island had no stores. I did however, have a box of very good dark Maduro cigars from Honduras and presented one to every man attending. These were an enormous hit.

During the Kava ceremony all the men sit in a circle around the Kava bowel and a cup made from a hollowed-out coconut shell is filled repeatedly with the Kava liquid and passed in turn to each man. Everyone claps twice together in unison and the cup holder must empty the shell’s contents in one drink. Upon completion of the liquid the men all clap once in unison and the bowel is re-filled and passed to the next person, where the procedure is repeated. There is much laughing and joking and a good time is had by all. We drank Kava and smoked cigars well into the night.

So what does Kava do to you? Well, to me, Kava tastes pretty much like muddy water. It does, after consuming several bowels, start to make your lips and tongue numb and has a slightly intoxicating effect. Fijian women I have talked to claim that it causes impotence in men and, when enough of it is drank, an inability to get an erection. I decided that it wasn’t going to be replacing Pepsi for me anytime soon!

The next day was spent exploring the island on foot. I hiked to the top of the island, which was an inactive volcanic cone. The view from the top was incredible. I could see for several miles with other neighboring islands dotting a panoramic view clear to the horizon. I swam; I speared fresh fish and lobster for dinner and helped in the preparation of the nightly feasts. We had a roasted pig that was prepared by covering it in banana leaves and cooked in a pit with hot stones for most of the day. It was so tender that the meat fell easily off the bone.

The first few days I had a constantly smiling and laughing entourage of children following me throughout the island. Their numbers dwindled as the novelty of me wore off and the children slowly returned to their regular pursuits until I was left with just one boy whom I dubbed “Friday” in my tribute to the Daniel Defoe classic novel. At that moment, I could truly say, “I am Robinson Crusoe”!

The week passed all too quickly and before I knew it, it was time to return to the main island. It was with a very real sense of sadness that I left my newfound friends. In just a week we had established such a closeness that I still think of them often today.

I have been an avid scuba diver since I was a teenager and no trip to Fiji or any other tropical island is complete for me without several good dives included in it. As many people already know, Fiji is famous for its World Class diving. Beqa, (pronounced “ben-ga”), island off the south shore of Viti Levu is famous for its “fire-walkers” and only slightly less famous for its beautiful Beqa Lagoon. Fiji has the usual fare of beautiful tropical fish, big drop-offs and the large pelagics, (sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, etc.), which come to feed, but its biggest draw to most divers is its abundance of soft coral formations. They are every color of the rainbow and leave a lasting impression on every diver fortunate enough to see them. The dive operators are courteous, professional and among the best in the world.

Getting around in Fiji was great fun for me. I rented a car and drove from Nadi, the capitol, to Pacific Harbor for the boat trip to Beqa. Not only was the scenery spectacular, the two and a half hour drive initiated me into the subtleties of driving a car with the steering wheel on the opposite side that I was used to and driving on the left side of the road. It does take some practice to master shifting with your right hand instead of your left. I had experienced it several years earlier driving on the island of Moorea in Tahiti so it wasn’t totally unfamiliar. It may seem like a small thing to some, but to me, those little experiences are what make a trip to a new culture even more special.

Next Post, Part 7

The Two Samoas

I can't wait for the next post. Your life's really interesting, and you seem to be really strong :). Respect.

As a Showgirl for the past 6 years I was impressed with your perspective on the dancer life. You were right on in your observations of what we go through to work in what so many of my non-dancer friends think is a glamorous life. The trouble with trying to quit is that after a few weeks I get really bored and about the time I am ready to climb the walls I find myself back at the club. The truth is I do meet some very interesting men and while I don't date customers, I have made some very good friends. I might take issue with your remark that most dancers are "bum magnets" if I hadn't seen proof of that first hand. Dancers, however, don't have a monopoly on that though. I know just as many non-dancers who prove that.

Good luck with your life,

Kim in L.A.