Saturday, February 4, 2012

living in paradise





So we finally got some internet! Crusoe’s is so remote that they have to give out internet vouchers, and for the past few days they have been completely out; Luckily we made friends with a crazy couple from Australia who had to leave today and they very nicely gave us their left over internet time.
Fiji is amazing. We are both in love with the island. Crusoe’s is in the middle of no where and is completely isolated except for the small village of local Fijians who live a few hundred yards down the beach. Yesterday Olivia and I went for a morning run down the sand and were greeted by not only all the locals preparing to go out fishing for the day, but also by the droves of local and friendly dogs. After the run we enjoyed the complimentry breakfast, which was delicious and came with some of the best coffee either of us had ever had. (We each had 3 cups!) We then spent the early afternoon walking the beaches and collecting seashells, glass, and coral.
Crusoe’s is situated on a coral reef preserve, which means you can only snorkel and kayak during the four hour high tide each day. Yesterday high tide started at 2pm so we grabbed some kayaks and took off for at least a mile down the coast. The village is literally the last human outpost on this part of the island so we journeyed off into complete wilderness and privacy. The shoreline was stunning. The pictures do not even begin to do justice for how beautiful it is. We relaxed on a secluded beach and then headed back to Crusoe’s when it started to pour. (Didn’t want to get caught in the monsoons the locals keep talking about).
Back at Crusoe’s it was time for happy hour and we met the couple from Brisbane, Australia, a couple from France, and a pair of friends from Sydney, Australia. We had drinks and dinner with them for hours and were about to retire to bed when the band that had been playing island tunes announced they wanted to do a Kava ceremony with us.
Kava is a root that the locals grind down into a fine dust. They use a massive bowl that is carved from a single stump of wood that is too heavy for one to lift. They fill it with warm water and place the Kava in a very thin cloth bag. They run the wash cloth through the water and the root disperses and turns the water muddy brown. (think of a tea bag works, just on a much larger scale.) We sat around the Kava bowl and took turns drinking until 1 am. The Kava numbs your mouth, relaxes your muscles, and helps you sleep. The locals perform this ceremony every night. Each hut has their own bowl and make it twice as strong as what we were drinking. The women drink stronger Kava then the men and the locals claim that it is what makes them strong. The whole ceremony had a very spiritual and sacred type feel. It was pretty cool to take part in something so foreign.
Today should be just has great as yesterday. We are going to the village for church service and after we think we will shop around and perhaps get an authentic massage from a woman named Mary who has hands the size of my chest. She offers an hour long massage literally on the beach looking out on the Pacific for 40 Fiji dollars (about 25 USD). After that it will be time to snorkel and enjoy the rest of our last full day at Crusoe’s. Tomorrow we take an early morning shuttle to Smuggler’s Cove where we will spend one night before taking a boat out to Bounty Island. Internet is pretty spotty around the island but hopefully we will be checking in again while we are in Fiji, if not see you in New Zealand on the 10th!
Pale and proud




2 comments:

  1. Great travellog!!!

    No worries mate!

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  2. I can sense Kyle's frustration with not getting any comments on this very well written blog, so he decides to pull a "Full Monty". Now I think you will start to get some feedback.

    This blog is so good I'm going to give up watching the Kardasians and follow your reality instead.

    Mom and I are so happy you are having a great start to your adventure!

    Be very careful of the sun in New Zealand. It is very intense and you can get a good sun burn on an overcast day! I'm serious. There is something unique about the suns intensity there. It may have something to do with a hole in the ozone layer. Ninety percent of the Tasmanian Devils have died due to skin cancer. Thank goodness the Kiwi is a nocturnal animal.

    ReplyDelete