Fiji is an island country in Melanesia,
part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,130 miles northeast of New
Zealand's North Island. The British
established the Colony of Fiji in 1874, and it operated as a Crown colony until
1970, when it gained independence. Fiji
remains a member of Britain’s Commonwealth of Nations. The indigenous people look African to us, but
they are not; their ancestors are believed to have migrated from Southeast
Asia.,
Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330
islands, only 110 of which are permanently inhabited, amounting to a total land
area of about 7,100 square miles. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua
Levu, account for 87% of the total population of 898,760. Fiji’s major industries are tourism and sugar
cane. Suva is Fiji’s capital and is
located on Viti Levu.
Our tour guide was Joveci (Joe) and our driver
was Arvin. The bus left the pier at
about 11:12 AM for our 4-hour excursion.
During the 1-hour drive to the Pacific Harbor, Joe taught us how to say
“Bulah” for “hello” in his native language.
He also talked about cannibalism, which is part of the island’s
history. When a tribe conquered one of
their neighboring tribes, the chief would take the most beautiful maidens as
his wives, and the tribe would cook and eat the others. Joe pointed out 3 or 4 of the nation’s
prisons. Many of the cells are now
empty, because the crime rate in Fiji is on the decline. During their incarceration, the prisoners are
trained in various trades and paid for their work, with many becoming highly
educated. So the majority of the released
prisoners become productive citizens.
Joe pointed out the “Devil’s Thumb,” which is a famous mountain that is
very difficult to climb, more difficult than even Mt. Everest. Wild boars roam the mountains and are the
only animals native to Fiji. Several
movies have been filmed in Fiji, including “Cast Away.”
Upon arrival at Pacific Harbor, we were greeted
by the reverberating sound of a hollow drum beaten by a Fijian warrior, the
blowing of a conch shell and the welcoming song of the villagers. White shell necklaces were placed around the
passengers’ necks and we were given bottled water.
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| Pacific Harbor |
We were allowed 45 minutes to browse the local
shops before being escorted to the amphitheater, while being serenaded by the
village singers. From our shaded seats, we
saw Fiji's storied past come alive. We
first watched the Fijian Firewalkers demonstrating their mysterious power over
flame. As an elder chanted, young men removed
burning logs from a smoking pit to reveal the white-hot stones signaling the
beginning of this ancient ceremony. Eventually,
we watched as the elder, followed by the young men, walked slowly over the hot
stones. Next, the group was joined by a
group of young women. We were entertained
with traditional dancing, as the group re-enacted their legends and history. During our 1-hour return drive to the pier,
Joe continued telling us more about Fiji and answering questions. Education through 18 years of age is free in
Fiji, except for “exclusive” private schools.
Even the Christian schools are free.
Those wishing to attend college are given free tuition, but it is
gradually repaid by students once they graduate and start their careers.
The temperature and humidity were very high for
our Fiji visit. Although we were warned
that local buses might not be air-conditioned, luckily our bus was. However, even though we sat in the shade
while watching the performances, it was still miserably hot.
About 12 passengers were dropped off downtown for
additional shopping opportunities. The
remainder of us returned to the ship at about 3:30 PM. Only the Wave’s Grill was still open by then,
so that we could enjoy salads, finger sandwiches, lemonade, and ice cream for
lunch. At our late dinner, we sat at a
table adjacent to our neighbors, Maurice and Liz. We learned that Maurice and Jesse are the
same age! Maurice is a retired physician,
and Liz helped manage his practice.
There was no swimming or dancing today.
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