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Published: February 16th 2011
After a very restful night's sleep, I wake up to the rain. It was still coming down pretty good which made for a great reason to lay around a bit. I took a cold shower which actually felt really good since the room was without AC and then headed downstairs for breakfast. This is where I discovered the best jam! It was mango and something and home made. I put extra extra on my bread! The rain stopped right at 10 am which was perfect timing since I had to check out of my room. The front desk agreed to watch my bag and I set out to see the town. As it turned out, there was not that much to see. I was able to wonder north to the WWI and WWII memorial and then on to one of the church's. This church was so small yet so beautiful. A women and a couple of girls were inside cleaning it. I was able to go in and see the entire inside was wood. It was so peaceful and simple and yet stunning. So unlike the ornate churches in Europe. This was far more inviting. I continued on from here and
saw the Methodist church built in 1864. It was also quite pretty. A service was going on so I couldn't go in but it was still fun to see. The streets around town are narrow, one lane and sometimes paved, sometimes not. They are also quite hap-hazard. No real pattern to anything and the homes and buildings are scattered about in much the same way. It made for a very pretty landscape. The land runs uphill quickly and many homes are built into the side of the hills. So between the green you have a home that is yellow or blue or green...its cool! And they all look out onto the sea. There is just a calm and peacefulness to the whole town. I climb the 199 steps to see a great view of the entire town. I have to stop a couple of times on the way up. As it turns out, I'm in worse shape then I realize and its super hot and humid. In this weather, it makes the Swallow Cliffs steps seem easy! The view is breathtaking and I'm glad I've done it! You can see all of town. The great thing is that along the
route the homes have these little bridges from the steps to their homes over the waterway. It seems to be a natural water run off from the mountain. Its like a babbling brook and quite pretty. On the way down the steps I'm stopped by three young girls who ask a bunch of questions. What's my name, where am I from, how did I get here. It was fun! Back on the road, I make my way around to the old Masonic Lodge. It's burnt out now which happened during the last Coup but it was originally built in 1875. Its at this time that I also realize another fascinating thing about Levuka - Mamie, stop reading now and skip to the next paragraph. I have only been walking maybe an hour and have seen several squashed toads. Not only are there not that many roads, but I'm on the back roads and have yet to see a car. How is this possible? Do the toads move that slow? Apparently crossing the road in Levuka is more like a sucide mission for the toads. Poor little guys....
Next I come across the old town hall, 1898, and police station,
1874 which seems to be a men's meeting place now. Several local men were sitting inside and chatting. I said hello to the officer out front and kept on moving. Then I saw the school, 1882 and headed back to the main road, Beach St for the rest of the sites. The Sacred Heart Church was built in 1858 and is so pretty. The clock and bell no longer ring and I can't figure out how to get inside, but I stand and marvel at it from the road for a bit. How wonderful that this piece of history is still standing. From here its a walk through town which is all on one street and is opposite the coast. There is no beach here but a nice grassy park that lines the length of the town. Since its Saturday, some of the village women have come into town to sell their fruits and veggies in a farmers market of sorts. The rest of the town is a wooden boardwalk with shops selling food and treats to t-shirts and clothing and school supplies (school term just started again) and really just the basics. There is nothing out of the ordinary
and many shops are boarded up and closed. I'm thinking quite a few things have gone out of business. While on the walk, I was also able to see the bus service in Levuka. It was really a covered flatbed short truck with two benches in it. I can only imagine that ride on the bumpy one way road! I made my way back to the hotel to pick up my bag and then headed to Chinn's families house. I was greeted by her father again and her brother. They are very nice people. I also met her mother. They look like twins! Its incredible! I was served a very good lunch of rice and veggies and something else in coconut milk. I was not entirely clear on what it was I was eating, but whatever it was, it was good! I then sat for a couple of hours and visited with the family. They showed me all of the photos of Chinn's wedding (I can't wait to see Chinn on Thursday and tell her all about it!). I talked a lot with her sister and really just enjoyed their company. At about 3:15 I left with her mother as
My favorite church
This is the inside, so pretty!my guide and went to the grocery store - the MH - and then on to the wharf to catch my boat to Caqalai. I had called the resort there on Friday and asked for a boat transfer. The island is very small and the only way to get there is by boat. They said to meet the boat at the wharf. The wharf was very small and I only saw one boat. After a minute of looking for the driver, a man walked up to me and said, I take you the Caqalai (pronounced Thungalai - it took me like 3 days to be able to say this!). We shook hands, I looked at the boat and was a bit skeptical. This is either the right guy or the absolute wrong guy. I asked about the resort and he said, yes, you called yesterday for a boat pick up. I decided to trust my gut and the fact that Fijian people are generally extremely honest and got into the boat. I waved good-bye to Chinn's mum and was on my way. The boat was a small boston wailer type but with an engine on the back. No seats. I
sat on a cushion on the bottom. I figured how bad could it be...the driver was named Ty, had his two sons with him and a life jacket. No problem! We pushed off and I found out that it would be about a 30 min ride. Well, in Fijian time, that turned out to be 50 min because we had to stop at the other big (relative term) island so that Ty could drop off some supplies at his village there. The village was Daku and on the island of Moturiki. I waited in the boat with his two young sons while he went ashore. The water was very low so we anchored about 100 yards from shore. Again, I figured, this can't be that bad. While I sat, I took a couple of photos and tried to talk with sons. The younger one was interested in my camera and let me snap a photo of him. He was so cute! Before long, Ty was back, and we were back on our way. It was only about 10 more min around this island and we came upon Caqalai. This is the Fiji they write about...this is the Fiji you see
in brochures!
We pull up to the island and we're greeted by a few of the resort workers. Now, let me define resort...there is a main building (no windows) that has the kitchen, eating/gathering area and office. Its about 15 ft from the water - depending on what the tide is doing. Next to is on one side is the dorm building that sleeps 12 and then scattered about are Bure - thatched roof huts that people sleep in. They can sleep 1 to 4 people. Then, you had a couple of toilets - there was an actual flushing toilet in it - very exciting - but the rest of it was a painted shack. You also have a pretty primitive shower building - no doors but it had a roof and let me tell you, the cold water showers felt amazing! On the other end of the resort were the Bure that the staff slept in and the dive shop. That was it. You can walk the entire island in 15 min. Meaning, you can walk the entire shoreline in 15 min and that's taking your time! The sands are perfectly white and soft with their little bits
My Caqalai boat first mate!
Yep, that's the boat and you're seeing more than half of it in the photo! of shell and coral and the water is an amazing shade of blue. When you see photos and you say to yourself, that color can't be real...yeah, I found where that color is real! I pretty much thought I'd died and gone to heaven! I get checked into the dorm - it was the last bed they had - and head out to a chair in the sun for a little afternoon reading. Dinner is going to be served at 7 pm. Everyone at the resort - which can hold up to 32 people max - eats together. Its literally the best place in the world. I've been eating all my dinners alone at the host family so this idea of community eating is very exciting! They also served afternoon tea at 4 pm. I love that British influence all over the world! During tea I meet Lindsey. Its a Scot (and again, I love Scottish people!) and the dive instructor. We get to chatting and she's super happy to meet someone from the US. Turns out not only do not a lot of people from the US venture to Fiji but even fewer venture out to the islands on
view from 199 steps
All of Levuka below! the east side. Her boyfriend is from Indian Beach, IN and just took a job on the islands on the west side, she's joining him in 2 weeks. I'm going to these islands before I leave the country in early March and we make plans to meet up then. She's lived some of her life in the US and we have a bunch of things in common. Its as if I've met my long lost traveling sister! The boyfriend went to Purdue and is an avid water skier. She ended up calling him later that night to tell him about me. I have a feeling we'll all throw back a few beers on the other island in March!
At around 7 pm, they blow into the conch shell to call all the people to the main room. You take a seat and are served a pre-plated dinner - tonight was a chicken and veggie sweet n sour with a side of rice. Again, I super excited its not curry! I sat down at a small table with Jon. He's an older bloke from UK, probably in his late 50s early 60s and informs me that he's at the single
traveler table. I think, sure I'll sit with him. Turns out that the residents for the weekend break down into four groups - the 18 to 22 yr old Latitudes volunteers that I'm sharing the dorm with, the ex-pats and friends in their late 20s, early 30s and the family from Australian and a couple they know who are working in Fiji and Jon and I. We're the only two singles. Perhaps Jon is up to something LOL. I have a very nice conversation with him and find out he's been on the road for 5 yrs. He worked in the UK govt and at some point around 5 yrs ago he decided it was time to get up and go. He's been traveling to all places off the grid. No fancy resorts, avoids all major towns. He's a quite interesting fellow and I'm intrigued. What keeps someone on the road for this long and spending the majority of the time alone. My guess is he's searching for something but he has yet to find it. He never came out and said that, but it seems as though that's what was going on. Like there was something left for him
to fulfill. Either way, it makes for great conversation!
After dinner, the resort staff, all Fijians from the village called Niubasaga on the island of Moturiki. They bust out a bongo type drum, three guitars and a tamborine and start playing. Its amazing! They sing traditional songs from their village, then bust out Sweet Caroline, then the Beatles. Residents are joining in on playing the instruments and before long everyone is singing. A couple of people were even up dancing. It was fantastic! They also brought out the Kava. Now, I had read about this, but was not sure about trying it. But, when in Rome...or um, Fiji...Kava is a root plant and they take the root and mash it down into a liquid. Its put into a large bowl and served to you in a small cup. You have to clap once, then drink it all back at once, hand back the bowl and clap three times. I had heard it tasted pretty bad and it looked like muddy water. Well, it tasted even worse than that. It hits your lips and you're like, ok, not so bad. Then you swallow and you're like, good god why is
this a good idea! It makes me want to gag a bit but I hold back. The Fijian men giggle as they watch me take my first drink. I'm sure my reaction is similar to many others and it never gets old. Now, this drink doesn't give you a buzz but rather a numb like feeling. So, pretty quickly, my tongue feels fuzzy. Its such a strange sensation. To fully explore this, I decided its a good idea to try two more cups. Once my whole mouth feels fuzzy, I think, yeah, probably a good time to stop! Jon was all about it and had several as did the locals. The music played on, most people drank the kava and we enjoyed the day as it slipped into the night. The moon was more than half full and presented a huge glow! It was so bright that it dimmed the stars. It was also quite cloudy. We headed down to the one end of the island for a large bonfire. This was spectacular! I stayed for a bit before heading back to the dorm. Jon loaned me one of his flashlights. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the resort has a
generator that only runs from 6 pm to 11 pm. So midnight walks to the toilet could be tough :-) As I get back to the dorm, I realize that I'm sharing it with the 18 to 22 yr old crowd. They are all sorts of hammered and tell me that they plan to stay up late drinking on the beach. I said no problem, dropped my mosquito net and settled in. Boy, they weren't kidding. More than once a couple of them would come into the dorm, get really loud and then in the drunken loud whisper say, sorry Courtney. I was giggling to myself. We've all been there!
I rose quite early in the morning and it was a bit cloudy. Breakfast would be at 8 am so I settled into a chair on the beach to read. There was a glorious breeze and I just soaked it all in. The feeling on the island is to chill. No one closes doors on the buildings, if they have a door, or the windows. You and your items are perfectly safe and you have no fear of anything. It almost felt too good to be true, but it
Our band for the evening
Lulu, my new friend, it the one waving giving the hang ten sign. was. I really wanted to stay for a whole month! Breakfast was a simple cereal and then lots and lots of fresh cut fruit. I was in heaven. Fruit is also something I'm not getting a lot of at the host family. I ate so much! I decided to head over to the small village of Niubasaga for the Sunday morning church service. I went with several of the resort staff and was really excited. There are about 80 Fijian's living in this particular village. The church is Methodist and the entire sermon was in Fijian. I was greeted by one of the women and she brought me an English bible to follow along with. The building was rather large with a nice understated alter draped in yellow cloth. We sat on the floor, indian style, and all of the children gathered together in one spot. One thing I noticed is that the children seem to be raised by the village as a whole. It doesn't matter whose child it is crying, the closest adult or older child picks them up and quiets them down. It was so special to see. The singing during mass was incredible. It was like
No retouching needed for this photo!
Seriously, why did I leave this place! a well practiced choir. The women would sing the higher parts, the men the lower parts and one man would keep time with a stick like thing while banging it against his bible. I was in awe! I only joined in for the amens and then the our father. I was able to read the bible passage that was being discussed so that helped and at the end, I had to get up and thank them for welcoming me into the service for the day. As it turns out, the priest has blessed me just before that and thanked god for sending me to visit. So interesting! I then stood outside of the church next to the priest after the service and shook hands with all in attendance. Many asked my name, I did my best to say the words right in Fijian. It was so fun! Then I met Megan, the US peace corps volunteer that is stationed in the village. She gave me a tour around. She is from Oregan, been there 7 months, helping to set up a clean water filtration system using solar panels and really enjoying her time. We talk in more detail with the villagers, since our boat was not back to pick us up yet, and I learn that the day to day is pretty basic. They farm, cook, clean and fish. They all seem to move at a pace that baffles me. Life is very slow here and there is no need to rush. One villagers has a satellite dish and they sometimes, if they're lucky, once a month, watch TV. Apparently, that's a really big event. I sat with some of the village men and we exchanged more information. Here are men living in a village and many of them have not even been to the main island of Fiji let alone left the country itself and one of them is wearing Oakley sunglasses. You wonder how these two worlds collide! This entire experience of the village will definitely go down as one of my most special memories. I give Megan a lot of credit. She lives there and often does not have contact with people outside of the village. She's a very special type of person. All the best to you Megan!
Back across the water and on to Caqalai and I'm quickly putting on my swim suit, sunscreen and grabbing the snorkel gear. This island is supposed to be the hidden gem in Fiji for snorkeling and diving. I almost don't want to write about...that's how good it is! I walk into the water, sit into about a foot of water, put on my gear and within 30 sec, its a color explosion! There are so many coral and fish, I don't know where to look. The blues are so blue, the orange is electric, the pinks are so soft and I am just beside myself. At every turn of the head I'm making eeks and ooohhhs in my snorkel. Thank god I'm alone and no one is hearing me! I have never seen coral like this in my life. I can't even begin to describe it all and really, I can't type that much. I loved to hover and watch them flow back and forth in the current. I loved to watch all the fish as they swam around and feed on the coral. My favorite fish were the purple and yellow striped ones. They were so pretty! Some of the fish were neon color. Some almost glowed! Some were smaller than the tip of my pinkie finger! I saw a couple of pretty big ones as well. I was in the water for about 40 mins and got out so excited that I couldn't wait to get back in. I only left the water for lunch. Well, it turns out that lunch was a huge feast they they cooked in a big hole in the ground all morning. They made all these veggies, a fresh fruit salad and then an enormous fish, cooked whole! It was incredible! I piled on so much food you would have thought I'd taken a plate for 3 and I finished every last bit. This was good eating! After lunch, I waited a bit before getting back into the water. Then I spent about about hr or so snorkeling around. It was like everywhere I swam over to had something better than the last bit that I was looking at. I just couldn't get over how pretty it was and how accessible. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, a stingray swam by!
I finally got out of the water around 5 pm and decided to hit the shower. It shower felt amazing and I then settled back into a chair for a bit of reading before dinner. I didn't read as much as I watched the time pass by. It was so peaceful just to sit. Dinner was a light chicken fare with some rice. I didn't actually eat that much. This time, I ended up sitting with Lindsey and Jon and the family. We had a great time talking and laughing. Lindsay and I share the same love for Cadbury chocolate! Its over $4 a bar here! I have yet to buy any. We all tell stories, learn a bit more about one another and enjoy the night air. I then sat out in a beach chair for a bit with Jon and Nino, the Italian living in Nadi working as a skydive instuctor. We spotted the Fiji fruit bat which was absolutely huge! I think to myself, let's hope this thing does not fly into the dorm tonight...the last thing I want is a bunch of streaming drunk kids - god I sound old! I call it a night pretty early in hopes that I'll wake up to see the sunrise.
Yeah, that didn't happen! I slept until about 7:30. Sunrise is around 6:15 but as it turns out, it was very cloudy and there would not have been anything to see. I decided to take a walk around the island before breakfast. I also realize that I've sunburned my bum from all the snorkeling the day before. Oops! Totally worth it though! The walk is so very pretty and literally takes me 15 mins and I stopped several times to look at things. Its mostly sandy all the way around and the forest on the back side of the island is very thick. its beautiful! At breakfast I find out that the boat back to the mainland is not departing until after lunch! Sweet!!! More time to snorkel. I talk to Lindsay who loans me a wet suit and we head out to Snake Island with Nino. I'm giddy all over again! The reef over on this side of the island is completely different and I'm seeing even more cool things! Lindsay even picks up my absolute favorite thing so that I can hold it - the purple starfish! Its spectacular with little black spots on it. Talk about something I wanted to take home for a pet!!! We spent the next 3+ hours in the water. I was all over with them and diving down into some of the deeper water and everything. The Snake island was cool too. We got to walk out on it and Nino even climbed around a bit. Its all volcanic rock and actually hurt my feet. But again, the underwater scenery made it worth it! By the time we come back into shore, just before lunch, I can already feel the back of my legs burning. Even though I put on sunscreen, it was not enough for the rays in Fiji! Oh well, thank you again Mom for the aloe! As I waited for lunch, I sat and talked with Lulu, one of the Fijian staff. Turns out, it was his birthday. They don't celebrate birthdays in the village so he was not planning anything special. It was Monday and also Valentine's Day. He asked what V-day was like in the US and I told him. Then I explained that what is should really be called is Singles Awareness Day because if you're single your stand out since no one buys you flowers or takes you dinner or whatnot. He laughed and laughed and said that was really good. I love to see how some things can translate to any culture! Lunch is good, egg and fish sandwiches, fresh fruit juice and then I gather up my things. I can't believe the island weekend is over. This is a spot in the world that I would love to come back to! I load into the boat, same boat that picked me up, with the family and the couple and as we pull away, they staff is singing and waving to us. Truly a special place!
The boat ride is a bit rough and wet! About 45 min later we are at a pier that is next to the highway and departing. The couple had left their car at a mini mart type of place near by and offered to give me a ride back into Nausori. I'm happy they do. My original plan was to catch a passing bus. That would have been fun too, but this was probably safer. They are a very nice couple, working here as part of the Aussie govt group called Aussie Aid. They are doing outreach and things. It was fun to chat more with them. They dropped me in town and I bused it from there back to the house. I was greeted by the family and later feed more curry for dinner....boy did I miss the island food!
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Elise
non-member comment
Paradise
I'm having a really hard time not jumping on a plane to meet you! Your storytelling is so vivid, I almost feel like I'm there with you. Imagine the fun we'd have! If only Kelsey was 18!! So glad you got some yummy fruit, food and company for dinner! Can't wait to read more about your adventure! Love and miss you!