Late yesterday afternoon, as I was looking for an internet downtown, a guy started talking to me, and invited me into his business to have some kava. Kava is the traditional drink, made from the ground up root of a certain tree. I had read about it in the Let's Go book, and it's considered rude to not accept the first cup of it (you drink it out of a coconut shell bowl). So, I went in, and they made up some kava and we started away. It's tastes like dirty water, and it makes the tongue and lips kind of numb and tingly, and makes you feel sleepy after a while. He told me about the village he comes from, high in the interior mountains of Fiji. Anyway, I was there about 30 or 45 minutes, then he kind of pressured me into buying something from his shop (which I knew would happen). He was telling me whenever I buy something from his shop, it helps his village out. It's nothing more than a scam to get people into shops to buy stuff. I ended up getting a yin-yang necklace for $12, still way too much, but I just wanted to get out. He wasn't happy, totally, kepty trying to get more souvenirs for my brothers and whatnot, and then he asks for a $2 tip as well, which I didn't pay him. Bugger!
After that, I walked back to the hotel and had the supper special (roast chicken, roasted potatoes and veggies for $12.95). Sat with Erica (Canada), Kristi (sp? England), and Emma (England), but we were still hungry, so I ordered a cheese cake with ice cream, and was still hungry, so we all went to McDonalds and had ice cream. It wasn't a good night for me. As I was standing in line, I turned into a guy holding 6 ice cream cones in his hand, and I knocked them into his face and neck (he didn't drop any, though), and he had ice cream all over him, and myself as well. After I ordered my sundae, I was walking to get napkins, and I dropped my sundae on the floor!!! As I was trying to clean it up, I stood up and hit a woman carrying two very large cokes, and she almost lost them. Oh my!! After that, all was good. They had Anne Murray playing on the speakers in McDonalds!
After that, back to the hotel and went to sleep.
Got up at 7:30, showered, packed, had breakfast, checked out and waited for bus. Bus picked us up about 9:00, then picked up other people at other hostels, and the bus was almost full.
We stopped in Nadi town for about 25 minutes to shop, then we were off. We drove through a park to the Nadi Golf Course, nice 18-hole course, then on to the Robinson Crusoe boat transfer area to pick up a few more Feejee Experience passengers that were staying at Robinson Crusoe Resort. That filled the bus to capacity. We were supposed to go to the Sigatoka sand dunes and sand board down the dunes, but we couldn't, because some bones were found in the dunes (I think old bones), so they'll be archeological stuff there for a while. Instead, we went to Natadola Beach, one of the nicest beaches on Viti Levu (the main) island and had a BBQ. Our poor tour guide spent more than 3 hours hunched by a tree cooking fish, chops, and sausages for everyone on a tiny BBQ. Everyone else lounged on the beach, and a few of the guys on Feejee Experience had a game of soccer with a bunch of locals on the beach. We won 5-4.
Finally lunch was read about 3:30, and after eating, we left for Sigatoka. We were supposed to stay at the Beachouse, but it was full, so they booked us all in to the Crows Nest resort. It's beautiful! We're all staying in deluxe bungalows (two levels) with A/C, TV, kitchenettes, hot showers, etc. I'm sharing a room (bungalow) with four girls. Happy Days was playing on one of the TV channels. Haven't seen that in years and years and years.
We went for supper (I had fish and chips), then did a practice Kava ceremony, for when we get to the village on the third day. As I mentioned in another journal, it tastes like muddy/dirty water, and makes your tongue and lips go numb! Our guide and the driver (John and Sakim) made this Kava really strong too!
After kava, the resort had a group of locals from the nearest village do a traditional Fijian dance ceremony, and of course, they made all of us get up and dance as well. It was great.
Had some more kava afterwards (it started to give me a headache after a while), and I went to bed about 11:00.
Our (myself and Erica's) seat is busted on the bus. It's slants towards the window. Both John and Sakim came back and are mad at us for breaking their seat! (Jokingly, of course.)
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