Fiji Palms - Easton

During our last week in Fiji, we are staying at the Fiji Palms apartment complex in Pacific Harbor, Fiji. It is a timeshare that we used from Grandma and Grandpa K. But, it is like a private hotel. We are staying in room 13 on the bottom floor near the heart of the complex.

Inside our room they have everything that we need... almost... In the refrigerator, there was a "starter pack", which included: half an egg pack, a container of milk, bottle of water, stick of butter, and a loaf of bread. On the counter, there was a set of tea bags, packets of sugar, and an electric tea pot. In the drawers, we found the normal silverware and flatware. In one corner of the living room, next to two couches, was the entertainment area. There we found a radio, a DVD player and a television set (the TV could only play movies). In one of the two bedrooms, we found a safe. The only thing that was missing from the apartment was a "flipper" for the eggs.

Just outside of our room, there are many on-property things to do.  There is a bar / restaurant with tables to eat, a flat panel TV, pool table, and ping pong. There is a big swimming pool. There are two hot tubs. One of them is warm tub and the other is very hot. Next to those tubs is a massage station. Beyond the pools and a grassy area, is the South Pacific Ocean.  The waves are small, but come one after the other. In the distance we can see another of the 110 inhabited islands of Fiji.

Next door to the Fiji Palms is a resort called "The Pearl". At The Pearl there is a high class restaurant, shops, and a spa. There is a pool with a swim up bar (that we had lunch at - we ordered our food and drinks from the water). 

There are many people among the two hotels. Some are Americans and some are from Australia. We really like the Fiji Palms and we would want to come visit again.

Moby - Easton

When we arrived in Suva, Fiji, we were lucky enough to stay at a house in a nice neighborhood. The owners of the house (Sacha and Simone) were out of town (in New Zealand). Due to their travels, they left behind their young cat named Moby. He is black with gray stripes and is a "Tabby cat". His eyes are green. He has a long tail that curls at the end.

Moby is a cute little cat that is very playful. When we were at the house, he always kept us company. Sometimes though, during the middle of the day, he would take a nap (just like my dad). Moby sometimes sleeps in a box, sometimes he sleeps behind a chair, and sometimes he sleeps in the middle of the room. But, if you pet him (even once), he would wake up and be ready to play. Moby does not run very fast. I think that is because it is so hot in Fiji and he doesn't want to to get exhausted.

We did things for Moby. My brother fed him in the morning and I fed him at night. We gave him presents, including a shoelace, wrapping paper (that he sleeps on), and a nickname "MoBo". He really seemed to like the string. 

I really love MOBY <also known as MOBO>.

Stee is the Man- Jay

Stee is man of kind heart, strong work ethic and family value.

One of people that we were able to connect with is Kris Stice. He and his wife Lindy and their 4 (soon to be 5) children live just outside of Suva, Fiji in a 13 bedroom home at the end of a culd-a-sac. They recently moved into the house which is mostly dilapidated and in need of some extreme TLC. 

A family of 7 certainly doesn't require 13 bedrooms and 11 baths. As a matter of fact, the Stice family only live in 3 of the bedrooms themselves. What the Stice's have done is open their home to a set of young adults from local and far away Fijian villages. These are young men that are of good heart, strong work ethic, and family value.

One of the young men, that we became friends with and shared with us his life is a man named Stee. Stee is a large man in his early twenties, a large afro, and strong Fiji feet. He is quiet and soft spoken, confident and calm. 

Our first interaction with Stee was at Kris' house as we were out there helping him remodel to support his family and these young men. We were helping to construct a kitchen setup with awkward and heavy structures. When it came time to do some of the heavy lifting, in came this hulk of a man. He quietly came in and lifted the cabinet into place. He waited for further instruction and then departed, He did this several times throughout the day. During his non-lifting times, he could be found outside cleaning, sweeping, and otherwise keeping busy with what was an endless set of chores. not a complaint, nor peep from him outside of his helpful duties.

Our next connection with Stee was the meeting with him at the bus stop in downtown Suva. His role here was to guide us through the maze that is the bus system to a village on the other side of the island. He, with his distinctive look met us with a smile and he instructed us as we made our way to the appropriate bus. His walk was deliberate as he sort of wattled down the street, his feet sliding over both sides of his thin flip-flop shoes. His long jean shorts covered his legs and a tattered shirt tightly covered his bulbous belly. We followed him as he walked us past the police depot, where he had left his belongings (a duffle bag and a well loved guitar in a tattered hard shell case). He slung the bag over his shoulder and used his mitts of hands to pull the case up under his arm like stack of towels headed to the beach. Onto the correct bus (which was surprisingly new and well kept, he stored his belongings below and guided our family to appropriate section, then found himself a window seat where he could plant his oversized frame. He sat there waiting for his isle mate with his lower body spilling over his seat and half way into the next. He stared forward in silence.

Once we arrived in Sigatoka, he quickly gathered his belongings and shepherded us to a local cafe where the boys could get a bite to eat and a cold drink before going into the village. We offered to by him a bite to eat as well. He initially declined, but then convinced him otherwise and he reluctantly ordered a potato filled burrito like food and an orange soda (costing no more than 2 dollars Fijian. As we finished our meal, we asked Stee about some of the traditions we had heard about and urged him to share with us some of those "rules" so we do not offend upon entry and staying at the village. Stee obliged. He highlighted rules about clothing for women... 

They must keep both their knees and shoulders covered; The men typically spend time outside working, while the women work in the kitchen and laundry. There are many children, he added, and our boys would be able to hang with them. He also informed us that the family would likely treat us as guests in the village, unless we were forceful in how we behaved. We must demand that we participate in the cleaning, cooking, preparing, working, and other tasks that the villagers perform. He then took us to the local Grog shop where we could by the appropriate 2 bags of powdered Kava to present to the owners of our home-stay upon arrival.

At the village, Stee, though still quiet, provided us (in a just in time fashion) cues on how to behave. For example, as we drove into the Vunavutu village, the local kids have a can placed in the middle of the road. "Do you have 20 cents that you an donate" he said. I pulled it from my pocket and he shoved it through the slot of the aluminum coffee style can. As we arrived into the village "common grounds" he helped us exit from the cab and reminded us that we should just stand and wait as the house was being prepared for our entry. Outside the local neighborhood kids swarmed around, playing still with their soccer ball, bouncing along with their shoeless feet, watching the behavior of the Kreshel boys with lighter skin and (for Creighton) a blonde head of hair. Inside several women used Fijian "Salsa brooms" to sweep out the common room to prepare for our entry. Stee, despite his family being so close and available, stayed with us and helped us to wait for the right time to make entry.

Once we entered the home, Stee too provided us the appropriate level of guidance and freedom of experiencing a village for the first time. He waited as we were each greeted one by one by his cousins. Their tongues spoke in their Fijian language, while Stee translated the key elements. This was a critical component, as our host was following a tightly scripted protocol of how visitors are to be received. From the offering of the Kava, to its consumption, through the placing of our personal items into a pre-set bedroom, we followed the guidelines and support of Stee.

As our host excused our kids to go outside and play with the other boys and girls, Stee nodded deliberately as to say, relax, the environment is safe and amongst the 15 or so children outside playing a variety of sports and activities, your kids will acclimate just fine. He was right, of course and the Kreshel boys stayed outside for the rest of the day, barely acknowledging our existence in the village, except for the occasional interest in a drink of water.

As part of the inside activities Stee performed a critical component of the Kava ceremony, which was the calm and zoning factor. He pulled out his guitar and strummed a few songs as the room drank a few bowls of Kava each and mellowed to the music.

When it was time to get to work on a previously discussed service project that we could do with and for the village, Stee informed us that it was time and told me that it was time to go. Karen was to stay with the women and prepare for dinner. He walked myself and one other family member out to the road to wait for the cab, got us into town and translated as we made the appropriate purchases. Once we got back to the village, Stee was one of the absolute first family members to pick up a tool and start working. 

When it was time to intervene, Stee intervened. When it was time for us to experience and learn about the village, he did that too. For a little over 24 hours, he helped us become acquainted with the members of the Vunavutu village and lifestyle that they generally lead: Working the plantation; Pounding the Kava root; Chopping wood; Playing soccer with the kids; Preparing meals; Doing Laundry; Feeding the pig; Chatting with family; Drinking Kava; Playing in the ocean; collecting Coconuts; Visiting the neighbors; Going to the market.

As we departed Vunavutu, Stee was there for us also. He showed us the appropriate way to respectfully depart. Got us to the right bus, found us the right taxi and made sure we were safely to our destination. He even had his little brother check on us at our resort where he was playing in the on-site band.

Thanks Stee!

Dramamine is good - Jay

Dramamine is a gift of nectar from the gods of travel. 

Upon our arrival to Fiji, we anded in Nadi on the western side of the Viti Levu (the main island of Fiji. We then traveled by car to the eastern side of the island which was 3+ hours away.  We didn't know it at the time, but the roads were curved and bumpy. This combination of road conditions along with almost uncontrolled speed limits (or lack there of) made for a nauseating experience for our family (after traveling 14 hours via plane. At one point, about 2 hours into our drive, Easton informed us that he needed to stop for fear of stomach ailment. So we did. He didn't throw-up, but he did feel as if he might. 

We have since made an additional drive from Suva to Sigatoka, which is about 2+ hours west of Suva (along the same curved road). The ride was equally as bumpy, and to make things even more speculative, we were on a bus that appeared to be behind schedule. But this time, we gave the boys Dramamine. The Dramamine seemed to do the trick. They both did fine and survived better than others on the bus. The girl next to me ended up disposing of her lunch in a plastic bag about half way home.

Dramamine. I recommend it.

Taxi Cabs in Fiji - Jay

The primary mode of transportation in fiji is walking. People walk everywhere. If they have jobs, they walk to work. If they need groceries, they walk to the market. If they are of school-age? Yep, they would walk to school.

But, beyond walking, most people take Taxi's. Fiji is speckled with Taxi cabs. There are taxi cabs in the cities, along the inter-town roads, and even in the villages. Most of the taxis are run down cars with automatic transmissions. The insides are torn up, banged up or rusted through. Driving in them feels like a child's go-cart rumbling down a hill out of control. Though there is often a note (hand written on the dash) stating that seat-belts should be worn, none of the drivers wear one. There are no seat belts in the back seat and on many occasions the front passenger device is either broken or non-existent.

Most of the drivers are of Indio-Figian descent and were born in either Suva or Nandi. They speak english well enough to communicate with passengers, but, despite the area (including Suva) not being that vast, they often don't know all of the streets or targeted destinations. On several occasions, our driver has had to call into their office to get directions (or at least that is what I think they were saying (in Hindi).

And I dont want to intimate that the drivers are bad, but I will say that they are a bit erratic. There is often swerving, honking, quick stops, and otherwise spotty driving. 
Much of the problem with the driving though cannot be associated with the drivers, nor the cars. Rather the roads, the round-a-bouts, and the dogs play a significant role. The roads are full of potholes. And I mean big pot holes. Two feet wide, 6 -12 inches deep and scattered across most roads. 
Additionally, there are many round-a-bouts stationed around the streets of Suva (and other towns). They are a great tool for controlling traffic, but the Taxi drivers also use them as sling-shots to spin their guests from side to side in the back seat of their cars. There are also packs of feral dogs that roam around the cities. They often linger in the roads slowly meandering together (or attacking cars as they pass by). The taxi drivers often honk and swerve toward the dogs to scare them a bit so they do not get hit.

Despite the variety of Issues and oddities of taxis in Fiji. they are certainly a valuable way of life.

Fiji Village - Easton

My experience in a village in Fiji was excellent. I stayed in a typical village, played with the local kids, and saw a sand dune next to the South Pacific Ocean.

The Village, called Vunavutu, is a typical Fijian village.  There were about 36 houses with 6 families amongst them. This leaves about 6 houses per family. Within each home, lived about 11 people.  In the houses, there is not much furniture. They normally eat on the hard floor with weaved mats. Their kitchens are outside the house in different buildings. For laundry, they use a stick and a bucket with clothes in it. They smash the laundry into the bucket with water. Then, they dry it by using lines across two poles. They have to grow their own food in places called plantations. They go to the plantation to pick the food for the family each day.  

There are a lot of kids in the village. I counted about 25 kids ranging in age from 1 month to 18 years. There is a lot of spae for the kids to play outside. THey can play around the whole village and in the river that flows near the plantation. Every morning, the kids start their day at the main house. THe kids are very playful. They like sports such as rugby and soccer... and play with their friends, even in the rain.

We visited the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. To get there, you walk up a couple of large hills, then you see the ocean. The waves were huge. The water is salty and very warm. When playing in the water, there are times that you should not get in front of someone else, because the waves might carry you and slam you into them. For example, I was standing in front of my brother when an enormous wave hit me and I slammed into my brother's face. He fell backwards and we both floated to the shore.


When leaving the sand dunes, you come to more hills, then look for a big star in the side of one of the hills. The star was made by someone's feet walking in a pattern. Be careful coming down the hill. Do not run as fast as  you can or else you might trip and get sand all over yourself.

This was my experience in Vunavutu Village, Fiji. I definitely would want to come back again.

Coconuts - Easton

There are many coconuts in Fiji. People climb coconut trees to get the coconuts. Climbing a coconut tree looks very scary. Mostly kids climb coconut trees. Some of the coconut trees and some of them are small. Coconut trees are everywhere in Fiji. I've see coconuts that are green and some that are yellow. The milk inside tastes like flavored water.