Apologies this blog is so long but we spent a whole month in Fiji and most of it was spent on an island. (Mum - make a pot of tea before starting to read this as you'll be here for a while!) We both had an immensely enjoyable experience and we hope that this blog does the place and the people justice. During our last week in New Zealand, Si found out about Vorovoro, a place in Fiji, where we could spend time with local Fijians and get to experience true Fijian culture. It was set up by Ben Keene and is an internet tribe (www.tribewanted.com) where the potential 5000 members can buy time on the island. It focuses on sustainable living and community. A few years ago there was a short tv series call Paradise or Bust which shows how it all started. We planned to stay there for three weeks but fell in love so stayed for a whole month! Being greeted by Fijians in Nadi wearing traditional clothing and playing music was lovely after our plane ride. They wore bula shirts, which are like the Hawain shirt, and the men wore skirts called sulus. We were picked up from the airport by our hostel and were driven into Nadi town. Sadly the negative things we'd heard about Nadi turned out to be true. It felt unsafe and it was all a bit dirty. Our hostel was really dodgy - they didn't give change when you bought overpriced beers - saying they'll deduct it from your next drink and the menu on the wall wasn't food made in the hostel but meals from the local Chinese take-away marked at double the price. We had our first taste of kava in the hostel. Kava is a traditional drink used often in Fijian ceremonies and social events. Its made from the root of a plant which is ground up and mixed with water. It has the colour and consistency of cold coffee but it tastes different. Although the taste isn't strong its an acquired taste. Kava makes you relax and makes your tongue and face go a little numb. (We thought about bringing the powdered stuff home for everyone to try but decided against returning to England from South America with a bag of white stuff!) The following day we left Nadi and flew to another island called Veti Levu. We arrived in Labassa town airport and were surprised at how small the place was. It was probably the size of two mobile classrooms. Luggage was wheeled from the plane to a safe area outside where we went and collected it off the trolley ourselves. Chelly, a member of tribewanted, met us at the airport and escorted us into town. We got out the taxi and our bags were taken to the boat so we didn't have to lug them around in the heat. In the market we bought some Kava (also known as grog) to present to the Fijian chief, and then popped in the shop to buy a sarong known as a sulu. They were a necessity on the island and had to be worn at times to respect the Fijian culture. In the coffee shop we met our current village chief Jade. She'd been on the island for a month and was acting Chief for the entire month that we were staying on the island. She filled us in on the basics before we met island manager Jimmy and one of his kids. After a trip to the supermarket we boarded the small boat and headed to Vorovoro island. Fiona, another tribemember, greeted us from the shoreline as our boat made its way to the island. We were shown to our beach hut where we ditched our bags before we began our island tour. Our hut was about five steps to the beach and had two double beds. It was a wooden structure covered in palm weave with a corrugated iron roof. The top half of the hut was open so we had a nice breeze and could hear the sea. We couldn't help but make comparisons to channel 4's Shipwrecked as we walked around on our island tour. The Grand Bure was in the middle of the huts and was the main meeting place where we drank endless amounts of grog. Apart from a small mobile, the kitchen was largely outdoors. An oven had been constructed out of two metal barrels, chicken wire and cement (genius!). Dishes were first washed in sea water before one fresh water rinse to prevent water shortages. Up on a hill was the shower which was a bucket filled with collected rain water and raised on a pulley. Although the showers were cold it was so nice and refreshing! The compost toilet block surprisingly didn't smell! There were three cubicles each with its own cockroach or spider lurking in the shadows. Behind the living quarters was the vegetable garden and the Fijian village was slightly further along the path. On a hill was a pen with two fat pigs and there were also chickens wandering about providing us with fresh eggs. There was also a resident cat who gobbled up all the island rats. A few massive spiders also lived on the island. Despite being harmless they still freaked me and Simon out and we had to call Oliver the six year old to help us!! Fijian isn't a language either of us had heard before so we tried hard to learn the pleasantries in the first few days. I think it took us at least a week to become confident with the general words such as hello (bula sia), good-morning (yandre sia), thank you (venaka), goodbye (moce) and had also picked up lewanga - which means 'whatever' - often heard by the Fijians having a joke with someone. One of my favourite words was 'oro' which means both fat and sexy! One noise we got used to hearing on the island was the bell. Like Pavlov's dogs we salivated every time we heard it! Five times a day everyone gathered in the kitchen to be fed marvellous food prepared by one of the Fijian cooks. Every morning we would waken our taste buds with porridge, toast, fresh fruit and possibly pancakes or Fijian 'doughnuts'. Only a few hours later was the bell rung again for morning tea where we enjoyed a cuppa and snacks. Lunch was the third bell where we enjoyed Fijian vegetarian delights (much to meat loving Simon's delight). Grub varied from day to day. Our favourites were fried eggplant and salad wraps, pumpkin spring rolls and dahl soup (often accompanied by a deliciously hot spicy chutney and homemade garlic bread). Afternoon tea was more drinks and snacks. The final bell was for dinner. I loved the chickpea burgers, mega tasty chicken stew and the chickpea curry. Simon's favourite was the MEAT Fijian pizza on Saturdays. During our stay on the island we were fortunate enough to be invited to three meals. Once after Church, once at the Chiefs house and a third time at a Fijians birthday party where we were treated to a Fijian buffet feast. There were endless dishes of tasty fish cooked in various ways. Cassava was the starchy item that neither of us were keen on. There was pork and rice, a spinach dish, mince meat dishes and fried vegetables. Not once on the island did we go hungry!! Despite all the food we were able to do activities other than eating whilst on the island. There was a weekly agenda of organised events. During the day when there was nothing planned we could chill in the hammocks, play vidi vidi (a traditional Fijian game), help out around the village, collect hermit crabs with Oliver the managers youngest child - basically we could do whatever we wanted. Simon often went collecting driftwood for camp stupidly big fires that only men understood. Surrounding the island was the world third largest reef - largely undiscovered. Although we could snorkel on the shallow reef which was virtually up to the shoreline, there was an outer reef trip where people went out on the boat to see the better fish, coral and sharks. Every week there was a shark spotting, usually a reef shark but the week before we arrived someone had seen a bull shark. On Simon's second snorkeling trip he came face to face with a reef shark (about 2m apart) that had been circling him and Jimmy so he had to start swimming backwards. Simon also saw turtles, angel fish (nemo's) and sea snakes which are one of the deadliest snakes!! The reef was untouched and unmapped so it was an awesome spot to snorkel. Early doors on Fridays was the four peaks challenge which is a walk over the island from one side to the other. It takes just under two and a half hours but we start early as its a little cooler before the sun shows its strength. From the top of the peaks we had awesome views .Although the island is small there are a few burial sites that we passed and were told some interesting stories. I managed to fall over within minutes and nearly had another accident when running down a steep hill and finding no way to stop myself! Apparently my face was a picture!! In the afternoon we hopped in the boat and made the small journey to the other island to visit the Mali district school. The school consisted of five classrooms and a playing field. Sometimes we'd arrive to watch the children brushing their teeth after lunch in time with a beating drum. The first half hour was in the classrooms with children where we played games or taught them. Gathered all in one classroom we then watched the children perform songs and dances and we told them a little about ourselves. Finally everyone went outside for games. Simon was playing rugby with the older kids who were apparently awesome and not one bit scared! I played netball with the girls but it was so hard to figure who was on my team as no-one wore bibs and everyone claimed I was on their team! It was majorly hot on the playing field and neither of us knew how they could have so much energy in the heat. The school bell rang, kids lined up and were sent on their way after strictly being reminded not to climb coconut trees on their way home! We walked with some of the kids back to their village. It takes about half an hour and they have to walk barefoot over all the dirt. One kid picked up the skin of a sea snake and was throwing it on his mates! When we arrived at their village the women had prepared tea and displayed products that they had made for us to purchase. There were some very talented woman and the items were gorgeous! By the time we got back to the island we were hot, sweaty and tired and ready for hammock time. Twice a week we had the opportunity to go into town on the boat to buy anything we needed or get online. The town was majorly busy and hot especially at the weekend. I had a sulu jaba made and Simon bought a bright green bula shirt! Simon also managed to get his weekly meat feast in at the weekends when he'd scoff hot dogs and mongolian beef dishes (although he once ate a vegetarian pizza and never lived it down!) One weekend Si also managed to watch some of the Fijian playing in a rugby match which he loved! After a cold shower, either in the waterfall or the bucket showers, we smartened up ready for Sevusevu. It was a weekly occurance in the Grand Bure where the Chief - Tui Mali came to the island and new comers presented their grog. The official Fijian ceremony is for meeting and greeting visitors. It is the official time and place for visitors to a Fijian village to ask permission and show appreciation of being allowed to visit the host's village. It is also the official time for the host to welcome the visitor to the village. We had to be sat in certain positions and ensure our feet never pointed towards the chief. In the middle of the grand bure was the tanoa which is a wooden bowl that the grog was mixed in. Beside the tanoa were three people who had to guard the tanoa and also serve people half coconut shells filled with grog. This job was normally done by Fijian men but Simon was asked to do it one time and wore the grass skirt outfit. Once the Chief has come in and a small ceremony has taken place Simon had to present 0.5kg of kava root to the chief. He had to approach the chief on his knees and try his best to stay low. After clapping three times (a sign that someone is about to speak) he had to greet Tui Mali and present his sevusevu on behalf of himself and I and explain where we had come from and why we had come. At the end of the speech he had to say 'so so ratu' and clap again before returning to his spot remembering not to turn his back to the chief. The wing man then accepted the grog before Tui Mali spoke. Afterwards we each went up and spoke with the chief. After the formal part is over the grog is pounded and mixed. Everyone begins to drink. Grog is handed out to the chief first, then his wing man, then our chief and is then handed out around the group. Before receiving each drink we had to clap once. We could also request to have high or low tide (basically less or more). After each round of drinking was a rest where legs could be stretched - this was indicated by the wingman clapping three times and saying 'dondo' - Simons favourite word! Drinking went on for hours! Most nights were spent on the grog mat. We'd mix up some grog and drink for hours! It was alot more informal than drinking with the Chief and we could just relax. The Fijians would get the instruments out and sing various songs with their beautiful voices. Some were purely Fijian and we had no idea what they meant but we could join in others which were either in English. They also played a Fijian version of Old McDonald which sound so much nicer! Our favourite songs were Vorovoro ones - "have you ever been to Vorovoro? Where the boys are easy and the girls are hot - that's the Voro Voro waaay" and, to the tune of Bob Marleys Three Little Birds, - "Sat on the grog mat, Drinking a big bilo, I was waiting for the next dondo, Feeling Lambchopped from my head to my toes, Singing Keri Keri Vaku Thengu". It was always so much fun but the grog was hard to drink virtually every night for a month! The Fijians drank so often and were usually affected by the grog more than others. You'd notice them nodding off and a bit zoned out and then woke up and became really chatty and often make no sense. This was known to us all as being 'lambchopped'. Me and Simon only felt the effects a few times. Other nights when we weren't on the grog mat we'd watch films, play Mosquito and other games or sit by the fire. Alcohol wasn't drank much on the island but we did take a little bit. Fijian beers and some deadly Fijian rum which was about 58% and tasted awful no matter what it was mixed with!! Some of the Fijians had been sponsored by Tourism Fiji to go to England and build a Fijian village at the Eden Project a few years ago. They used to always tell us stories about their trip. Talles favourite drink was Special Brew and the others loved cider. Despite each having a comfy bed, they used pillows and slept on the floor. Additionally when they went into the bathroom for the shower, they all went in together and sat on the bath singing and talking whilst they took in turns to have a wash. One of the funniest tales was how they described their disappointment when standing outside Buckingham palace and being told that they couldn't see the Queen and give her grog!! The tales were endless and so funny! They homed in how different their culture is and how the world we live in is so alien to them. One night we went on a sunset fishing trip - my first fishing trip ever! We had little hooks with lead attached to fishing line and plastic bottles which we dangled over the edge. Quite a few of us caught fish - including me - but sadly Simon just kept getting his bait eaten! the fish we caught, along with fish caught by the Fijian who had been spear fishing was cooked up for the following nights tea. Yum!! On another evening we went to watch the sunset from a peak on the headlands. It was so gorgeous to watch the sun set over the peaceful place. Without a doubt it was the people, especially the Fijians, who helped make our experience unforgettable. They were amazingly happy and friendly and always singing or joking around. Simon and Jone the boat captain got on really well. Whenever one of the younger Fijian boys was teasing Simon he would punish them by making them drinking larger amounts of Grog. The other boat captain - Api, also got on well with Simon and offered to name a pig after him which he can kill and eat in a lovu feast when we return to Fiji one day (Simon wanted to kill the island pigs soo much but luckily had enough self restraint). Kini the cook was always smiling, laughing and dancing and loved a bit of UB40! Api and 'Black Jimmy' (named after Jimmy the manager) were Kini's two gorgeous sons (who I offered to buy in exchange for grog). Api, who is about two years old, just used to strip naked and run around with either the eukale or a massive sharp knife!! The younger Fijians on the island - Bosso, Nemani, Matteo and Talle were all around Simon's age and helped around the island keeping everything in shape. They were so fit and had so much strength. Nemani climbed a tree one day to retrieve fresh coconuts for everyone to share and he made it look so effortless! Poasa, Leavi and PuPu were the elders on the island. Leavi looked after the gardens and was also known as Crime stopper. He was so lovely! PuPu was just a pure genius! He was the medicine man who knew what healing properties various plants had. PuPu also made gorgeous shell and coconut jewlery and held jewelry classes weekly. And finally there was the Chief - Tui Mali. He was an educated, travelled and humble man who was incredibly friendly and wise. He often came out with sayings that were just awesome. Often during SevuSevu on Tuesdays he'd be a little bit lambchopped after having grog all day long and ask Simon for travelling stories! Many visitors to the island came and went during our stay but Ben, the genius who started everything, the Cahill family (managers), Jade the Chief and Rob the Wavu were there throughout our stay and also helped to make it so memorable and fun. Leaving the island was a sad day. We'd made so many friends who sadly lived on the other side of the world to our home. Everyone lined up and sang Isa Lei as we walked through and said goodbye to everyone. It was so lovely and yet so upsetting to say goodbye. We really do hope to return one day.