Waya island (Fiji)

After Mana and the brilliant time there we left to Waya.

The thing is that to reach Waya with the Bula pass that we got we had to stop in Beachcomber first. The boat didn't leave until the next morning so we had to stay there for a night.

Just to put you in the picture... Beachcomber is a very small island! but very very small!!!!!!!!! You can walk around in 5 min!!! not a joke! Have a look at the pictures....





It is knwon as the party island, there is just one resort in the island.




The resort has some bungalows for couples and a dorm with 150 beds!!! yeah... long live the bunks!!



Every evening there are Fijian shows and then some music on a sand dance floor...like a night club. It seems that every evening is the same so lots of young people decide to come here to have some fun.... well.. it is not cheap to stay in this resort.. and also the drinks are quite expensive.. and the music.... Oh my God!!! Brian Adams, comercial rap and comercial stuff.... so bad!!! The thing is that there was not many people there so it was more a relaxing night out than a party... and we went to bed very early!

Next morning... and very rested from the previous "party" we went to Waya.

Waya is part od the Yasawa group of islands... they are located up to the Mamamuca group. There are 4 small villages where the staff from the resorts in the island live. These resorts are located in different parts of the island and you can just go from one to the other by boat so no matter where you stay you feel as you were the only ones in the whole island!



We decided to stay at the Sunset Resort, just at the very beginning of the island. Right in front of it there was a small island... Waya lalai...you can cross there walking when the tide is low...



As soon as we checked in we went for a walk. As the tide was low we decided to cross to Waya lalai. Behind the little hill at the front of the island there was a school!! ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee that was a nice surprise!!! The thing is that the kids were off due to an Indian holiday (Diwali) so we could just play with a group of children who were staying there... they showed us the school and some popular songs and games.




After this nice time we went for lunch.... the funny thing about this resort is that there are no clocks... so everything is going through "Fiji time"... for lunch and dinner time the staff blow a horn!! Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii all for lunch!!! hahahaha

We were just 6 people in the whole resort so the peace was assured!! Hammock time... some reading... and some swims when we were too hot.... tough life :-)




To be honest the place is sooooooooooooooo peaceful..... and the sea soooooooooo blue.... very nice!!!

After dinner we tried the popular kava!!!! Lots of people kept saying to us.. if you go to Fiji you need to try the typical drink there...kava!!!

Kava is a drink that you get from mixing water with the root of the plant (kava plant). They mix everything in a bowl and then they leave it for a few minutes... the final result is brown colour.. yeah.. as if you were drinking mud!! hahahaha





But when in Rome do what the Romans do.. so let's try the famous kava!!! came on!!! at once!!!



Drinking kava is a ritual.... you sit all together in a circle... then we prepare the mix... then a round of kava.... one glass each... (the traditional glass is obtained by cutting half a coconut)... and then we all sing to the music of the guitar.. you rest for a bit and then... start again!! another round!!! and like this until the kava is gone!!

To be honest the taste is not very pleasant.... it is like if you are drinking water with earth.... but it is the whole moment... Fiji.. the music.. the beach...


The effect of the kava is relaxing... you can't feel it that much.. or maybe you have to drink more than we did... but the experience is worth it!!! Just for the fact of being there .... in fiji.. in the beach... under the stars.. with the music.... cool!

Fijians have been using kava since hundreds of years ago as a relaxation medicine.... this plant is used to calm the anxiety and for the nerve problems. It is also used as a treatment against migrane. They prepare kava in ceremonies and festivals and also to welcome new visitors. So, everytime there's a good ocasion... they drink kava!!! Maybe to fight the stress in Fiji!! hahaha



After a few rounds of kava and songs we went to bed very relaxed!! It was a very clear night where you could see all the stars so we decided to go to sleep on the beach... everything was perfect until started to rain!!! and it didn't stop!!! so.. we had to come back to the dorm.

Next day it was cloudy and it was raining for a long time so we spent lots of our time in the resort making jewelery, giving Spanish lessons to the staff, playing games.... always listening to Sami's music in the background...




In the evening the weather improved so we could enjoy a volleyball game on the beach with the staff! Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fijian women are soooooooooooo strong!!!! We couldn't beat them!!





On our last day in the island we decided to rent a kayak and go to visit the village where the staff from our resort lived. Paddling through a very clear and blue water, plenty of coral and coloured fish we arrived to the village.

The vast majority of the Fijian villages are communal. This means that they do not have any private property but everything belongs to the village. All the citizens need to follow a set of rules and laws for living. All what they earn and work is for the village.

When you go to visit one of the villages as a tourist you are not allowed to visit it or walk around on your own. There is always a person who goes with you and guides you. You can't either enter wearing shorts or non sleeve top.

So when we got there we met a young guy that kindly showed us the village and introduced us to the citizens.



A very nice woman invited us to her house and lent us a sarong and a flowery shirt to cover ourselves.... You had to see us!!! It is a shame that we have no pictures of that moment to show you.. you would have laughed!!! so... all "well dressed" we went to church! yeah.. it was Sunday and they all wanted us to go to church with them.... and what could we say?? There we were!!! We couldn't understand a word as the were talking in Fijian but we got a mention in English!! hahahaha



Now we are going to Viti Levu.... we will be a couple of days in Nadi and then we will fly to New Zealand. We will keep you posted!!



And remember.... do not stress yourselves... take everything at Fiji time!!

From Nandi airport to Mana... Fiji Time!!!

Our visit to Viti Levu, main island in Fiji was very quick! The plane landed in Nadi, main strategic point to go to the several holiday islands located on the west side of the country. As soon as we landed we bought the "Bula pass", a 7 day boat ticket that allows you to get the ferry to go from island to island, and we got the next ferry to Mana island.

Buuuuuuuuuulaaaaaa Mana!!!! ( Hi Mana!!)



Mana is a small island in the Mamamuca group. As soon as you arrive to the island you can feel the hospitality of its people... they are the best when welcoming tourists !! they sing and play very noisily everytime that a ferry arrives... They run happily to the harbour with their guitars.... plenty of energy!!!



Bulaaaaaaaaaaa Bula!! Thank you for choosing our island!! These are the words that they consistantly use!



To the sound of the guitar we arrived to the Ratakuni backpackers resort... nothing really luxurious or special about the place but with the best local atmosphere ever! We liked it from the very best moment!

The day was sunny... was nearly sunset time....very nice evening after a very long trip from Sydney...nice change.. from cold Sydney to warm Fiji!!

A new experience... a new country with a new lifestyle... behind are the skyscrapers, fast food or the crowdy backpackers hostels... now is time for Fiji.. now is Fiji time!! This funny saying (Fiji time) refers to the peace and calm of the Fijian lifestyle.... they are so casual about time and things...they love not being stressed about anything... they are like this.. .they are Fijians! hahaha



They are very peculiar!!!



The next day after a good rest from the long trip and with improved weather and new scenery we decided to explore the island. We started walking a bit along the near beaches and we ended up going around all the island!!! But it was definitely worth it!






So there we were... we started walking. At the beginning we walked along a dirty and unkept area... and we were wondering... will all the island be the same?



but we didn't believe so... so we continued walking and walking...



Nobody was around.... mystic silence around the island... we looked like the main actresses from a film of cast aways!!!



And we continued walking... and walking for hours... and then we ended up going for a whole loop around the island... and at the end we found the surprise... Sunset beach!!



... do you know those moments in your life when work and stress take over you... and that you close your eyes and for a few seconds you wish you could disappear and find yourself in a deserted island....

... so there we were....if we have to decribe with a word we would choose SERENITY!!



It seemed as if human beings weren't there... or at least they were thousand and thousands of kilometers away....



A moment for ourselves... a moment where you think about you and your interior and you make that place yours... you own it for a few minutes.



Freeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahhahahaa

Just complete silence to listen to yourself!!

We don't want you to be jealous but encourage you to think about those moments in your life when the routine gets over you.. the sadness, the anxiety, headaches... in one of those moments close your eyes and smile.... and we don't mean that you need to fly to the other side of the world to feel better but you just need to stop that life rythmn that gives you the worst headaches: deadlines, mortgages, money, work problems...remember that you are the most important person in your life!!! You need time for yourself and time to dream!!!



And after a few hours in this beach we came back to the resort...

In the evening we met a couple of guys who have been travelling on a boat for a couple of years now... they own a sailing boat and that night they anchored near the hostel that we were staying. So, we had a few beers together and after it... talking for hours...




... and later on.. karaeoke night!!! oh my god!!! the story returns... after Vietnam...no... i don't want to sing!! but "My Way" played and we had to do it!! :-)



And to close the Karaeoke night... Redemption song...

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say its just a part of it:
Weve got to fulfil de book.


Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

...With Bob Marley and more than two Bitter Fiji (Fijian Beer) we went to bed...



Next day was cloudy.. we had a look at the activities board and we had jewlery making at 11am...so why not??



Later on we decided to visit the local school.... we just poped in at the break time...



But the break lasted just 15min...ohhhhhhhhhhhhh we would have loved to spend more time with the kids...




... so we continued with our jewelery making.. coconut, thread, seeds... we had everything to become rich once back at home!!! hahahaha Have a look at the local festivals.. you might see us selling some jewelery !!!

We really wanted to enjoy more time with the local kids so after school we went to look for them... and then we found them on the beach!!! there they were.. lots of them!! and we spent all the evening playing there ...




So funny!! they are very wild!! they jump from everywhere!! great craic!



A very nice evening with the kids... since Asia we didn't have these kinds of moments.... nice memories!



That night the staff at the resort organised a local dance to show all of us the different dances on the Pacific island...






Last day in the island.. the staff showed us how to prepare lovo. Lovo is a tradicional meal in Fiji with chicken and fish and vegetables... they bury the food with hot stones to cook it... ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and with a very nice soya sauce....



In the afternoon we went to look for crabs for the competition at night time....and just on our way back we met Moses... such a character!!! He is a Fijian fisherman very popular in the village. We went fishing with him and we visited some of the closest islands.



So... after the fishing we came back to the resort. Just in time for the crab race!!!




...2Rapitenques had crab number 6....we didn't win any of the prizes but it was great fun!! Crab races hahahaha who invented that?

And last day in Mana arrived... such a pity.. seriously!! we would have stayed a few days more!! but the Bula pass had an expiration date so we needed to change island now...
Mana has delighted us with the kindness of its people, its local kids, its music, its traditions... everything that we missed when we were in Australia....

Bula Mana!!!!!!!!!!

FIJI

Next stop..... Fiji !!!!!Ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Some of you might say.... Where is Fiji? Well... at least this is what we were asking to ourselves when we were planning this trip.... the name rings a bell.. but in a map... where is it???

Fiji islands are located in the South of the Pacific Ocean... in a map it would be between Hawai and New Zealand.

It is comprised by 322 islands in an ocean with plenty of coral reefs and crystal waters. Diving in this place is one of the major attractions.

100 out of the 322 islands are still uninhabited. The 2 main islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where around 80% of the Fijian population lives.



Fiji islands were discovered in 1643 by Able Tasman, a dutch explorer. Captain Cook anchored here a bit later too but it wasn't until Captain William Bligh arrived that made them popular.

In 1874 it became a British colony and they didn't reach independence until 1970. Almost 100 years of British control!!! That is why it is not surprising that the Queen's face is still on all the Fijian notes and coins! Up until a few years ago they were even still using the English national anthem!



Fiji is a mix of cultures. It has influences from the Melanesia, Polinesia, Micronesia, India, China and Europe. The vast majority of the population nowadays are native Fijians with antecedents from Melanesia, Polinesia or India.

The British brought the Indians here in the 19th century to work on the sugar cane plantation and lots of them stayed.... nowadays the Indio- Fijians represent around 40% of the total population.

Fiji is a country quite dependable on tourism.... this is the main source of income. These exotic islands are one of the most popular holiday destinies for the Aussies and the Kiwis.
Apart from the tourism, the sugar cane plantations and the textil industries play an important role in the economy of the country.

Another thing that makes this country worldwide known is its rugby team!!! Rugby is the national sport in Fiji and its team has been in the world cup on several ocasions! Considering the population of the country this is a huge merit!



We are going to Fijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii




We'll keep you posted from there!!

BULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (greeting in Fiji).