May 3

This morning we just lazed around.  We have to fly back tomorrow and we really want to be rested.  At lunch the snorkeling guide came and ask Scott why he was not snorkeling with the rest of the guest later in the afternoon.  I suggested that perhaps he would like to go and that I would be fine reading.  He went.  I read.  Both of us were very happy.

Just before dinner, Ric and Do came and said that one of the villages on the way to Bouma was do a "meke" (meh' kay).  A meke is a dance performance, but in Fiji there is always a group who sings and the dancer dance.  We were excited to go.  It took two cabs to get all the guests at the resort to the village.  Another group was there and we sat on church chairs in a row with the villagers in front of us sitting on the grass.  It is interesting that at these things the performers sit in a circle around the drums not at all worried about having their backs to the audience. 

The meke started with a kava ceremony.  The kava was offered to the other group one at a time before it was offered to Scott who was sitting first in our group.  The poor young man who offered it to Scott did not know what to do when Scott declined.  He went back to the chief who reins over the kava bowl and got scowled at and waved back to the group. Instead of offering it to me or the others after me in our group, he just offered the kava to the man at Scott's right who had already had some. 

As a side note, right after the meke was over a young man came up to us and said, "Hi, Elder Tennis"  This young man had been in Suva recently and had come to the institute for one class and for activity night.  We did not have our name tags on, so it would have been so easy not to embarrass the young man doing the kava ceremony and just drink it; good thing we are made of stronger stuff than that.  Someone, which is almost always the case, is watching!!  By the time we got into the taxi we had met two other LDS young men who had danced or sang in the meke.  It is a way for the villagers to make money.  I am sure the other group there had paid something for the performance and of course when it was all over, there were Fijian crafts to buy.  I bought us two Fijian belts that are warn over the sulu.

The meke dances were performed by both men and woman.  Traditionally men dance alone and women dance alone, but Fiji has bowed to foreign influences and there were dances tonight where men and woman danced at the same time.  They do not dance together, just at the same time. What a nice way to end our stay in Taveuni.

Meke Performers Singing the Fijian Farewell Song "Isa Leis"

We were given a salusalu by a villager when we arrive for the meke.  Nice to be a woman as we always get more flowers in our salusalu.

Salusalus (Fijian leis)

Sunset Our Last Night in Taveuni

Last of the Sunset Our Last Night

Following are pictures that did not fit into the narrative, but that we want to remember.

Little Fijian at Lavena
Isn't he so cute!

Bus at Lavena
It comes only twice a day.  Notice the sack of dalo
on the ground.  Someone is taking it to one of the cities to sell.

Kudzu

Kudzu Close Up

Kudzu is a very invasive weed/plant/vine.  It grows very fast and can climb over trees and shrub killing them because it brings with it heavy shading.  The landscape on both Viti Levu and Taveuni is littered with Kudzu.  Kudzu's seeds are hard coated and can lie dormant for several years which makes eradication almost impossible.  It does add nitrogen to the soil which we were told is lacking in the soil in Taveuni.  Personally I think it is the Fijian way of making it OK. Kudzu was brought to Fiji during World War II by the USA to provide camouflage for military equipment and bases.  When I see the beautiful landscape of Fiji being taken over by Kudzu I am just sick.

Kudzu Overrunning the Landscape.

On our tour of the resort, we were so impressed with how self reliant they are.  They have their own auto garage in which they maintain and fix their vehicles and their farm equipment. They have their own water system that is filtered for those of us who need cleaner water. They are off the grid for electricity which is really great as electricity is only available erratically and then for only four hours a day in the evening.

They also hire lots of Taveunians which helps them live better. The woman on the left comes in every day or so to make lolo which is a Fijian stable.  Lolo is coconut milk, but not the milk one finds in the coconut.  It is made from grating the coconut which is what this woman is doing.  After the coconut is grated water is sprinkled over it and the grated coconut is squeezed. What come from squeezing is lolo.  It is a laborious endeavor

Boat Coming to Drop off
Passengers

People Coming from the Boat to Shore

 

Coming Ashore

This boat, and people are coming from one of the privately owned islands about an hour from Tavueni.  It is owned by a group that have as their leader an artist/guru.  On the island they live a rigorous life which includes early mornings, vegan food, and much meditation.  After they spend their two weeks on the island they come and spend several days at the Taveuni Island Resort.  It is their way of reintroducing themselves to the real world.  An interesting group.

This ship anchored just off shore from
the resort.  The other guests told us this is called a "Liverboard"  which is a sort of Bostonian way of saying 'live aboard'  It is a dive boat. People who want to dive in Fiji have the option of living on a ship like this which takes them from dive site to dive site.  It is an all inclusive experience; meals, equipment, guides, etc. are all included in the price.  One of the guests told us that they were able to dive in the Red Sea, because they lived on one of these ships. Interesting thought diving in the Red Sea.