Today we saw the true Fijian culture. We visited a local market and saw a huge variety of vegetables and fruits. Eggplant, beans, papaya, cabbages, bitter mellon, and pumpkin were some of the crops grown in the villages. It was interesting to visit the market, the grocery store (where grapes sold for $29 a killogram), and a furniture store where a pedestal fan was $299 Fiji dollars - about $150 US dollars. We then visited Nayawa village for a Kava ceremony. Kava is a root that is ground and mixed with water and gives a mild tingle to your tongue. Kava roots are presented when visiting a village or for celebrations or reconcilliations. We saw local handicrafts including ancient pottery traditions (mixing the clay and sand with feet, shaping the clay with a stone and a wood paddle, and glazing the hot pottery with gum tree resin) as well as shell jewelry and wood carvings. We then joined a village family for a typical Fiji lunch seated on the floor and eating with our fingers. Dishes included kumquat juice, fried eggplant, freshly caught fish, papaya, bananas, spinach (greens) with coconut milk and tuna, cassova or tapioca root and sweet potatoes. One of the villagers waved a towel to keep away the flies as we ate. There is incredible contrast between a computer under a cover, cell phones, limited furniture, and a mat on top of ripped and torn linoleum on the floors. Houses were made from concrete blocks, corrugated steel, and wood. The people was gracious, warm, and very inviting. It was a wonderful experience.
