Tag 78, 79 and 80 - Our first days in Fiji

Day 78 - Thursday 08.12.2022
Christmas music as a welcome greeting in Fiji

Since we were traveling overnight, we landed in Fiji early in the morning at 6:00. Upon arrival, we were greeted by three Fijians with a guitar and a Christmas song on their lips. We immediately felt the classic island vibe. After a quick check of our documents, we headed towards the exit through the baggage claim. We quickly got a SIM card, which was provided free of charge for 2 days. While we were talking to the lady at the Vodafone counter, Seleshni, a Fijian-Indian woman, came to greet us. Seleshni was Amyth's wife and she hosted us for the next few days. We drove for about 10 minutes and arrived at our small apartment in their house. After a short nap in the morning, we took a walk into town in the early afternoon. It took longer than expected (1.5 hours) to reach Nadi, a small town on the west side of the main island, Viti Levu. We had a little something to eat, strolled through the town, and did some shopping at a small supermarket. Then we took a taxi back home, but we ended up paying too much because we had a small communication problem with the taxi driver. In the evening, Seleshni brought us a delicious chicken curry and then we went to bed.

Day 79 - Friday 9.12.2022
A different visit to the Hindu temple

Seleshni woke us up shortly before 8 and breakfast was ready. We had naan (Indian flatbread) with potatoes and beans, which was very unusual but very tasty. We were also served a classic white tea, which Manfred especially enjoyed. After breakfast, we played with the cats, dogs, and Seleshni's daughter, and passed the time resting and relaxing. We wanted to visit the Hindu temple and asked Amyth's wife to take us to the town, but she insisted on coming along, which worked out well for us. We started with a one-hour delay. Seleshni told us that she still had to prepare an offering for the gods in the temple, and we weren't exactly sure what she meant, but soon it became clear that as a Hindu, you bring food when you go to pray at the temple. We systematically circled the small main temple in the center of the complex, and at each deity statue, Seleshni stopped and said a small prayer. Then she told us that in 20 minutes, we would participate in a joint prayer and we were invited to join. Of course, we agreed and used the waiting time to continue exploring the temple. We were even allowed to enter the main temple, but only because we hadn't eaten any meat that day. We participated in the prayer ritual. People, deity statues, and food were blessed. To our surprise, after the prayer, we were invited to have a communal meal on the benches next to the temple. Apparently, it is part of Hindu culture to eat together after praying. We didn't have any cutlery and had to eat with our hands, which was very unusual but somehow very authentic. After spending several hours in the temple, we returned to our accommodation with Seleshni. This visit was very exciting and enlightening for me and Anna.

Day 80 - Saturday 10.12.2022
A little stroll in the city and Amyth's brother's birthday

Today we tried to get to the city the Fijian way by taking a private taxi. You just stand on the right side of the road and eventually someone in their private car stops and you just get in. It only costs one dollar to get to the city, so we would say it's very economical. We strolled leisurely, treated ourselves to a cappuccino and a fresh coconut, and did a little shopping. Anna still needed a sarong (a Fijian cloth that can be used as a skirt or a dress). After a long search, we found an affordable one and also some other things like souvenirs. After our successful tour of the small island city, we tried to get back the same way we came. After a few difficulties, we managed to do so. At home, we got to know Amyth, the master of the house. He was a lively young man who was very talkative. After a short conversation, he immediately invited us to his brother's birthday party. An hour later, we were already in the car on our way there. We had lamb, cake, and kava (the traditional Fijian evening drink made from kava root and water). We sat on the terrace and had a really nice evening with Amyth and Seleshni's family.