The people of Fiji we very friendly and outgoing. I guess when you live in a tropical paradise it’s easy to be that way. Their way of living is simple, maybe even primitive by modern US standards. Some of the smaller villages had houses that just amounted to a framed out structure with a tin roof and a few windows. None the less they didn't seem to mind. People could be seen washing clothes in the creeks and rivers. Drying lines were a common site, to take advantage of the powerful sun. People gathering or cleaning wild edible food, and tending to gardens were common too. Fruits and other edibles are abundant on the land especially with planting and gardening but also in the wild undeveloped plots of land. Of course coconut was abundant and common in many of the meals. There was also a plant called Taro the Juanita was very fond of. Most if not all of the meals we ate were gourmet like. At the Private Island it was very much about the presentation. The food tasted as good as it looked and almost all the meals rocked our world. Coconut Grove on the first island would might have won out by a slim margin. Oh, and yeah, the diet was “off” while I there!
.........Diet? What diet? ...........................................A welcome coconut drink!..
On a very small island across from Matangi we visited a village. Here is the essence of living in Fiji if you are not on the main islands.
Making good use of the sun - especially since electric (and presumably dryers) are limited.
Most people were dressed simply and there were cars but “traffic” was certainly not a problem. In fact with the small towns people often were walking and I am not even sure how many people even had a car. Gas was like $30 a gallon or something crazy like that. On the small islands there were no cars at all. There were a lot of children in the villages and it seemed to me older siblings or maybe neighbors played an active roll in caring for the little ones. They actually played outside! Apparently X Box 360 and play stations have not made there way there yet. Kids still played kick ball, soccer, and even just amused themselves with rocks. A simple life, but maybe one more pure and rewarding. Certainly one without the hustle bustle I am accustomed to.
Kids actually played outside, using all of their bodies (not just their thumbs on a video game controller).
You could even have fun playing with some pebbles!
or just chasing the chickens around.
Preparing and cleaning Tapioca - a vegetable I think.
The people were quite friendly no matter where we went.
Another one of my favorites from the Church on the bigger island. If you are enjoying these please Like this page for Facebook!
We went to church one morning. It poured outside toward the end so we hung around until it let up.
Kids sit against the wall in church in the small village.
Waiting for the rain to stop so he can go outside and play.