2RapitenquesAroundTheWorld3: Our short stay at Nadi... (Fiji)

Once more we are in Nadi.... well this time we hope to e more than half an hour in the city :-)

The idea was to stay in Nadi for a couple of days and visit some village nearby that we could learn a bit more about the Fijian culture .. but now not anymore in the islands.

Sugar cane

We wanted to go to Navala .. but you can only access to this village by 4 wheel car and it was quite expensive! Going by bus involved to stay overnight and we didn't have time so..... we didn't make it there but we will explain you something in case you want to go.

Navale is one of the only villages that keeps the traditional Fijian life style. They live in bures (traditional houses) and they work keeping all the traditions from its ancestors... quite nice and pintuesque!

So instead of Nadi we visited Viseisei... closer to NAdi.

First we stopped in the colourful Indian temple in Nadi... Namaste!!!

We also passed by the market and walked through the city centre...

After we arrived to Viseisei... this villages is located in the "First landing" area. This area was the first one discovered by the Europeans!

The visit to the village was guided by Mila, a middle age Fijian woman who explained lots of interesting things. Big part of the Fijians follow the Methodist religion. And we were wondering... which one is this one??

"Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide.[1] The Methodist movement traces its origin to the evangelical awakening in 18th century Great Britain. Methodism followed from the work of John Wesley, who was an Anglican clergyman. Although "Methodism" in Great Britain today is commonly taken as "Wesleyan Methodism", there were various Methodist denominations, until the final Deed of Union which, on 20th September 1932, brought together the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church, to form the denomination formally known in today as the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Wesley sought to keep Methodism as a revival movement within the Church of England, and a significant number of Anglican clergy were known as Methodists.
The term "Methodism" was a pejorative term given to a small society of students at Oxford who met together for the purpose of mutual improvement. They were accustomed to receiving communion every week, fasting regularly, and abstaining from most forms of amusement and luxury. They also frequently visited the sick and the poor, as well as prisoners.

So...................... one more to add to our list! Fiji can be small but there are lots of religions... Hinduism, Muslism, Budhist, Cristiand and Methodist! Even in the villages with less than 100 people there are 3 or 4 religions! and each of them has its temple or church.

It is amazing... in less than 100 people all this variety... but they are living together, they are neighbours and working colleagues... the religion do not affect to their relationships .. religion do not mean war here... quite impressive!

As the Dalai Lama said once... religion must be to grow human qualities as the tolerance, kindness and love.

Every religion, with its own philosophy and traditions, must reduce the suffering of the humban being. The main thing is not to judge and compare religions but identify which one is suitable for you. But with the same aim... the evolution of the Human Being.

We made this comment as we have been travelling now for 6 months and we have been seeing different types of religions and how different people live and understand them. We have been thinking and talking about it with other travellers and between us and religion is a big thing that it is important in some people's life.

.. we don't want to judge anyone... we have jewish, cristian, muslim, etc friends ...but today we consider ourselves agnostics to any kind of religion... we are open to learn about them and their philosophies but we don't keep any God to ourselves. But we have a path full of learning, development, full of happinees and sadness ... all for sharing and listening... with family and friends.

Coming back now to our stay in Nadi.... Mila came with us to show us the village and its traditions. After it we enjoyed a quick chat with some Fijian women of the same village... Came on.. Fiji time!!!!!!!!!!

Then we continued our tour around Nadi....

What's that??? A monkey??? Nooooooooooo