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Published: April 6th 2010
It's now the last night of my travels and I'm feeling a predictable combination of emotions. On the one hand I'm very sad that this wonderful adventure is at an end. On the other, I'm feeling elated at the opportunities and experiences life has given me and incredibly proud of myself for overcoming all the obstacles I've faced. I've learnt many lessons and I've been changed by the people and places I've encountered. I'm determined that I'm going to apply these things to the next phase of my life after this trip. After all, in the new age parlance that I've found I have adopted recently: "Life's a Journey". Just because my next flight destination is a rather unexotic London Heathrow, doesn't mean that I have to stop seeing with new eyes, being open to people and experiences and living life to the full.
I'm particularly glad that I've made it all the way round with my camera still in tact. Despite the humidity, sand, seawater and myriad other aggressors it has come into contact with, it is still functioning. I've developed a very deep relationship with it as it has gone everywhere with me, seen everything I have, and
Labasa Bus Station, Vanua Levu, Fiji.
Fiji has a large Indo- Fijian population.focussed my energies. I really don't know what I would have done without it. Thankyou Nikon.
So, last time I wrote I was about to leave for Vorovoro island and the 'Tribewanted' project. I took a tiny 6 seater plane from Nadi to Labasa which was truly petrifying when I first saw it, but exhilarating once I was up. The views were breathtaking as you are always close enough to the ground in those small planes to have wonderful aerial views of the coral reefs and islands below. The plane was so small that I was sitting in the co-pilot's seat with the controls right in front of me. I was very careful not to touch anything, although when the pilot started texting whilst flying through a pocket of strong turbulence I wished I could have taken over the controls. I was met at the airport by Jeli from the Vorovoro village, who took us by taxi to Labasa town centre, and from there it was a 40 minute boat ride to the island of Vorovoro.
The place captivated me. It was utterly intoxicating, and I'm not just talking about the narcotic effects of Fijian "grog" or "kava"
(not to be confused with the Spanish fizzy stuff). Kava is a herbal-root based beverage which is mixed with water to make a cloudy, heady brew. The active ingredient takes a little while to build in your system, so it takes a few "grog mat" sessions to really feel the effects- but it's rather pleasant. Kind of like being drunk, but without the mood swings. Grog drinking though, is not simply a matter of getting tanked up, talking nonsense and staggering home via a kebab stand. There is real ceremony and ritual involved. From the pounding of the roots, through the mixing procedure, to the all important "Sevu Sevu" ceremony where the Kava root is presented to the chief (Tui) or most senior person present. I had the honour of presenting the kava roots to Tui Mali (the chief of the Mali island region), which involved making a ceremonial handover and a small speech about my reasons for coming to his island. He then welcomed me officially and accepted my offering.
My first few days on Vorovoro seemed quite unreal. I had expected to find the island and village devastated by the category 4 cyclone that had battered
Northern Fiji just a few days before my arrival. But the team had obviously been busy, working very hard to put things back in order quickly. There were many fallen trees, and debris scattered throughout but thankfully the main structures had weathered the storm, damaged but not destroyed. Many roofs had lost chunks of thatch, the vegetable patch had been lost completely and the fruit trees were all destroyed. Thankfully though, owing to the climate which provides plenty of sunshine and rain things will grow back quickly, and there was already optimism where you would expect to find despondency.
There is something truly exceptional about the place. The island is home to a unique concept in eco-tourism. Visitors like myself can come - not just as paying guests but as part of a community where everyone contributes something of their time and effort to the smooth running of the venture. Many aspects of life are wonderfully simple. You eat, pitch in to make sure all essential duties are taken care of, offer to help with the work of the local Fijian community if you feel so inclined, and then rest. You can do as much or as little as
you choose to. If you want to just appreciate the remote, idyllic nature of the place from the comfort of a hammock, you can. If you want to spend an afternoon snorkelling amongst the coral reef and tropical fish, you can do just that. If you want to help out with the work of repairing cyclone damage by weaving some coconut roof thatch, there's someone from the village to show you how. If you offer your help in the kitchen there is always something to be chopped, grated, washed up or wiped down.
That's the other great thing about Vorovoro life. There is real harmony between the tribe visitors like myself and the local Fijian community. We worked together, played volleyball together, cooked, cleaned and most importantly laughed together. It is genuine too. This is not Fijian hospitality purely for tourist dollars. It is travellers and locals learning from each other and building something good together. It's the first time during my travels that the nagging guilty feeling associated with being a marauding tourist left me alone. I knew I was involved in something genuinely constructive and positive. One of the sad things about my travels has been the
Vorovoro, Tribewanted Village, Fiji.
Grand Bure, Ecotricity House and solar panel. sense of dislocation and separation between tourists and local people. The way that tourism so often violates local culture, absorbs the energies of communities, leaves a pile of waste, then merrily flies back home bothers me greatly.
It has been great to finally find a place that defies this depressing formula. It offers the opportunity to get involved with the local community in meaningful ways. I spent many happy hours listening to Pupu (Grandpa), the wonderful island elder 'yarning' about how he has cured the sick using local plants and herbs. Or wincing at the excruciating story of how Poasa lost his finger to a lawnmower (not in a poker game). I've been in the middle of a discussion about the best way to secure roofing thatch, helped rebuild a bure (traditional fijian cottage) roof, learnt Fijian songs, heard copious fishing stories on the grog mat and learnt about the superstitions, dreams and visions of the ancestors. These have all given me a truly authentic glimpse into Fijian life that resort stays and tours simply don't manage.
The other brilliant thing about it is that it all happens in harmony with nature too. It has sustainability at its
heart so nothing is wasted and the plentiful resources of the island are capitalised upon. Electricity is used very sparingly for essential purposes and is generated on the island by a combination of solar and wind turbine energy. Sea and rainwater are used for most everyday purposes like washing dishes, clothes and personal hygeine. Most of my showers were taken at the waterfall shower, a 5 minute walk along the beach. Cooling, freshwater comes cascading over the rocks and as long as you use biodegradable toiletries you don't have to worry about the environment or saving water by turning off the tap while you condition your hair. Such precious relief from the sweltering heat and grime of island life! The toilets are compost loos- which means you sit on a 'white throne' as usual but all excretions are sent down the long drop with a coconut shell sized scoop of sawdust thrown down after. Then nature is left to do its work and turn it into soil enrichment and fertiliser for the fruit and vegetable crops. Genius! I'd be lying if I said the process was odourless but it wasn't that bad really, considering the heat and the presence of
so many boys.
There is a wisdom in this place that I have never encountered before. People here are resourceful and conscientious about how their lives impact the environment. The island provides for so many of life's necessities that you can't help but realise how simple life can be - if you allow it to be. There are plentiful fruits and vegetables, and an abundance of fish in the sea. The coconut trees, bamboo and mangroves provide ample building materials. And with a few simple tools many things can be fashioned to make life more comfortable. My beach shack or 'vale' was shared with Chloe and Kelsey. There were no doors, locks or windows, and yet I felt very secure. There were no lights, fans or bathrooms but I was comfortable and content. It made me realise that life really doesn't need to be complicated. Not surprisingly, I stayed on for longer than the initial week I had scheduled for. I could have happily stayed on even longer still, but my onward flights were booked and I had to be back in England for a set date. I'm determined I'll return one day though.
After Vorovoro I
headed back to the biggest island of Viti Levu. As I had been mostly based near islands and beaches for much of my time in Fiji I wanted to head inland to check out some more rural, mountainous areas. As I only had a few days left I chose the Sabeto Valley, a short bus ride from Nadi town. I wanted to go hiking to see some of the mountains, waterfalls and jungle of the area. My guesthouse arranged for a local woman to be my guide and walking companion as the area was "like her backyard". Great! We confidently set off early on my first morning there. It didn't take long to be off the dirt tracks and to be experiencing the exhilaration of being 'off road' and surrounded by unspoilt landscapes. Lush forest, fast flowing rivers, impressive mountain ranges and rock formations were just what I'd come here for. Before long though, I realised that my guide seemed less than confident about the route we should take. She would go in one direction, fighting her way through thick bush and foliage with me following behind. Then she'd stop, hesitate, turn round and say we'd gone the wrong way.
Trekking in the Sabeto Valley.
My guide looks confident here but we had been lost in the jungle for the preceding hour. Super scary. This then happened several times, then many times, and I became more worried and her increasingly frantic. She kept on apologising and saying everything looked different since the cyclone. It became quite tense, not least when I very nearly fell down a steep ravine, and she had to drag me back to solid ground. I was by this time covered in cuts and scrapes, bleeding and soaked to the skin with sweat and rain. I said a little prayer, and resolved to stay calm and trust she would get us out of there eventually. Sure enough, after another hour or so we had found the path she was searching for and we were back in the comforting arms of civilisation. The expression "Phew!" would be a vast understatement.
I spent my last day in Fiji, doing very little and allowing myself a day free of the culture quest. Topping up my tan by the hotel pool and eating the last of my favourite Fijian foods: kokoda (fish cured in lemon juice), walu fish curry, dahl, and roti (like tortilla wraps). I waited and rested until it was time to go to the airport for my 10pm flight and tried
to come to terms with the end of my travels. It has been an amazing, fascinating, life changing trip and I feel so lucky to have had the experience.
Thank you for sharing it with me!
(There are 3 extra pages of photos that you can view by clicking the 'next' tab in grey, below)
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Nancy
non-member comment
Congratulations
Hi Claire, I have really enjoyed your blog and love your photos! What an amazing trip. Good luck with whatever you decide to do next. Nancy