Meeting with Ratu Jim etc. (7/13)

We survived the first night. I was tired due to lack of sleep, but I didn’t have body lice and R-O-U-S’s hadn’t attacked (see Princess Bride). Zach and I did what we could to “freshen up” and then walked up to the Hideaway Resort to meet Mark Hay for one final rendevu and to get the rest of our load of crap. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the village to meet with Ratu Jim (upon urgent instruction by Moses) about obtaining power. It was too early to go right away so we sat on a brick wall facing the ocean. Our focus turned to a crane of sorts that was “fishing” in the shallow receding tide. It was hilarious. The bird was so excited about the abundance of fish that it would flap its wings awkwardly, chasing the fish around in vain and turning its head wildly from side to side trying to determine which school of fish was better. The normal fishing habit of such birds is to stand like a statue and watch movement in the water intently until lunch swims by. This bird’s behavior was so comical it was like a Disney cartoon!

We made it to the village at around 10 am and Ratu Jim invited us in for breakfast. We had bread, crackers and butter. It was actually quite tasty. The crackers were “spit-suckers” though, and when Ratu Jim talked (which was often) they went FLYING from his mouth in bits and pieces. A sign over his head should have read: “Beware of unidentifiable flying objects.” I had to cover my tea. Jim talked about a lot of things… he promised our power would be turned on today, and he went over some “rules” with us. 1) Since Zach and I aren’t dating or married, we can’t share a room. Fine. 2) No liquor or Mary-Jane in the village, but we can have liquor in the lodge. 3) And most importantly, no work on Sundays. In fact, Jim said no working today. Okay. I can live with that, but the no working on Sundays… that’s gonna set me back. I guess I’ll have to work extra the rest of the days of the week.

The best story Jim told was of a man named Tim (a “con-man, according to Jim) who’s in the “live rock” culturing business. Live rock is stone that’s been set on the reef to let algae and other critters settle on it. People then collect it and sell it to aquariums. Jim was worried that Tim was collecting coral and/or other illegal things from the reef. He reminded Tim that Fijians practiced cannibalism in the not too distant past. He said: “If you do something behind my back and it makes me mad, I would want to EAT YOU!” He essentially threatened the man with cannibalism. Ha! I think that’s great. Terror by consumption.

Ratu Jim invited Zach and I back for a Kava Ceremony that the villagers (men) put on for guests of the Hideaway Resort. It was fun; a little “hokey” because it was for tourists, but still – I got to drink Kava! They make it by placing the dried powder of a Kava plant in a cloth. There is a special wooden ceremonial Kava bowl (very pretty) which is filled with water. The Kava drink is made by squeezing the cloth and continuously wringing it in the water. It stinks while they’re making it… kind of a soft, alkaline smell. A designated man scoops the drink out with a small wooden bowl. It is handed to the higher-ups and special guests first with ritualistic clapping and chanting. Once that’s all over, it’s given to each person in the circle individually. The appropriate way to take the drink is to cup your hands, make a hallow clap and say “Cola” (pronounced “Thola”, which is the regional dialect for Bula)… then bottoms up! Kava doesn’t taste all that great. I even caught some of the Fijians wrenching their faces after taking the bowl. It has a very bitter, plant-like taste and it numbs your mouth for a few minutes after drinking it. But, the aftertaste doesn’t linger. After a bowl or two, you start to feel a little buzz. It’s similar to caffeine, but not the same. With more Kava, everything slows down. You feel relaxed and a bit stoned. It’s not an intense feeling though. You have to drink A LOT of Kava to get a ‘serious’ buzz.

The mountains are beautiful here. I can’t remember if I said that before. I really want to hike up into them. I’m a little wary of the bugs and wild boars though. The stars are also amazing. It seems like the whole sky is awash in the Milky Way cluster. It makes the night sky look like stardust on a black blanket set with a million jewels. The lodge we’re staying in is nestled at the base of gorgeous rolling hills, which are bare at the top and covered with quiet pines along the slopes. At the base of the hills sit small individual farms with a few cows, chickens, small tin homes, and natural plant life (coconut trees, breadfruit trees, palms, and a variety of other tropical plants). Last night and tonight have been cold. The villagers say it hasn’t been this cold since they can remember. I have to use two blankets and sleep in my long pants, but at least it keeps the mosquitoes down.

Zach and I had a little adventure of the wasps today. I tried, unsuccessfully, to kill two wasps in my bedroom for an hour. The next hour Zach tried, unsuccessfully. We eventually gave up. But, not before Zach caught me on tape in a vein attempt to squash the little wasps. I really didn’t want to kill them. They were very pretty; bright gold with bold, black stripes. We opted for the tolerant approach. Live and let live. They didn’t seem very aggressive, so I’m not too worried.

One of the villagers, Mary, came by and brought us tiny bananas. They taste like a mix between strawberries and bananas. They were delicious! Apparently, the tree that produces them only blooms once and then dies. The trees are continuously planted to keep a crop of the bananas. Mary also invited us to go with her to the Hideaway Resort tonight for a traditional Fijian dance show. It was interesting. I’m not sure just how “traditional” it was, but the villagers that put it on were excited to do it, and it did incorporate several of their traditional songs.